Chance Encounters

“Tommy’s on his way. You wanna tell me what’s going on?” By now Alex knew it had something to do with Caroline. Jackson knew Alex supported his feelings about her and had sincerely thought they would end up together. He had told Jackson on more than one occasion that he hoped it would work out between them.

Jackson looked up at his friend. He wiped at his eyes, but refused to speak. The truth was, he didn’t want to have to tell this story more than once, so he silently waited for Tommy’s arrival.

Tommy barged through the door, took one look at Jackson and asked harshly, “What the hell happened? You look like shit.”

“Asshole,” Alex barked.

Jackson looked down at the table and tried to control his emotions. He didn’t want to cry in front of his friends, but this was too much. He eyed his friends and choked the words out, “She’s getting married.”

“We’re going out.” Tommy walked over to the record player and turned it off. He grabbed a coat for Jackson and his keys.

Jackson attempted to protest, but it was no use. “We’re going out. You’re not going to sit here miserable, listening to Otis Redding all night. Let’s go.”

Jackson begrudgingly walked out of the apartment door, sat alone in the back of Tommy’s car, and stared out the window. He knew exactly where they were headed.

The bar was filled with people and a crowd of familiar faces was the last thing Jackson wanted. He marched straight to a booth in the far back corner of the darkened bar. Jackson slid into the side that kept his back to the crowd while Tommy and Alex sat across from him.

“Sally, can we get a pitcher here?” Tommy shouted at the slender bartender from their booth.

“So, when did it happen?” Alex asked.

“I guess he asked her last night. Happy birthday to her, right? I just can’t believe she said ‘yes.’”

Tommy shook his head, disgust evident in his eyes and the grimness of his mouth. “What do you mean you can’t believe she said ‘yes?’ Of course, she said ‘yes.’ What was she supposed to say? ‘Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m in love with that dude from the airplane?’”

Jackson’s stomach dropped as he tried to stop everything inside him from falling apart. He wanted to get angry; Tommy had been telling him for months now that this was a bad idea, but Jackson had refused to listen. Convinced that Tommy was a cynic and couldn’t possibly know what he and Caroline shared, he told himself over and over that Tommy was wrong.

“Why you gotta be like that?” Alex chastised Tommy, as the bartender put a pitcher down on their table with an extra frosted glass.

“You okay, Jax?” she asked, noticing the color and puffiness around his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, Sal.” He tried to smile at her so she’d leave.

“All right, let me know if you boys need anything else. And Tommy, you don’t gotta holler at me like I’m some sort of cattle or something.”

“Sorry, Sally.” Tommy winked and reached to playfully smack her behind, but she scooted away. “So, what are you going to do?”

Jackson looked at his two best friends and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, what you ought to do is…” Tommy turned to look in Sally’s direction and gave his head a quick nod, “you know…Sally.”

“Not this again…” Alex shook his head while Jackson peered over his shoulder at the attractive brunette. She glanced up and Jackson quickly turned away from her sympathetic gaze.

“What? I’m just sayin’. She’s only had a crush on you since we were kids.”

Jackson buried his head behind his hands. “Sally’s great, but I’ve never really thought of her in that way before.”

“Well, maybe you should start. She’s hot. And you’re an idiot,” Tommy added.

“Enough. I don’t want to talk about this any more.” Jackson rubbed at his eyes and temples.

Tommy raised his eyebrows with disapproval. “Whatever. So, are you going to fly out to California and kidnap this broad, or what?”

Jackson’s chest puffed out before he let out a long sigh. “No. I’m going to walk away.”

“Smartest thing you’ve said since meeting her,” Tommy commented and leaned into the tall backrest.

Jackson winced. It wouldn’t take much to break him. He was so broken already.