Finding Eachother

You may have read the story of how Brad “ran away” as he called it. Well that wasn’t the end of our story. Before I removed him from my Facebook I pointed him to opening in my company. It’s a pretty big company, I thought I’d never see him again, that wasn’t the case. Brad didn’t live were he ended up for long, after a year he moved. I didn’t stay were I was ether, there were to many bad memories there for me as well. We, somehow ended up in the same state.

We found each other at a company party, we hadn’t seen each other in over a year, long enough that most of the baggage was gone, or that’s what I thought. I saw him first but didn’t know how to say “hi”. We avoided each other but he eventually he broke the ice with an awkward “Stacy? Hay, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” I said back, just as awkwardly. “It has. How’ve you been?”

“Um, okay, life stuff.” There was an awkward silence for a minute. “I never thanked you for the recommendation. Thank you.”

“Your welcome.” we paused, “So, have you met anyone?” I asked him after what felt like minutes of awkward silence.

“No. I’ve been trying online dating lately but no catches yet.” More awkwardness, Brad sighed and then apologized. “I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to just leave, I should have talked to you.”

“Yes it was.” That was probably not the best thing to say but I was still a little angry about it, even though I didn’t realize it. Thinking back I probably was more than a little angry.

“And I cheated too, I should have told you but- I don’t know why I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

At this point I was getting angry, I suspected something but didn’t know. I know it was hypocritical to be angry about that, after all I cheated too, but in the moment I didn’t think of that.

“Yes you should have!” I told him.

He must have seen my anger because he changed the subject. (Ironically that last fight we had was because he would change subjects to avoid fights, but that’s Linda’s fault. I guess I do the same, but that’s Crags fault.) “So, um are you seeing anyone?”

“Yeah, Kyle Fault, I met him at a Pilates class.” This was a half lie.

“Oh.” I thought Brad sounded disappointed, he later said he wasn’t. Maybe it was me.

The awkward silence seemed to last forever, but Brad broke it again. “Did you keep the apartment?”

“No, I found something cheaper.” That was a lie, it wasn’t the rent (the apartment I moved into cost a little more), it wasn’t the same after Brad left, it felt like Brads ghost was there. Brad was alive though, so now I don’t believe in ghosts.

“I do miss that place, the place I have now feels cramped.” Brad said.

“It was nice.”

“Remember that meal I tried to cook when we first moved there.”

“Oh yeah, that oven burnt everything. And when we first has sex there I ripped one.”

Brad laughed. “You were so embarrassed, so I let one out.” We both laughed. “And the bedroom window was at the perfect angle in the morning, the sun shined right in.”

“Yeah. I do miss that place.”

You know in movies or shows when people are talking then in the next scene there in bed together post sex? I’ve always hated those. Well, that happened. We both regretted it immediately.

“Oh God we did it again.” I think I herd brad say.

I was almost in tears. “Why do I always do this?” I asked the universe. “This is how it started with Crag, with you, with Kyle. I find someone I think is nice and then just jump into bed with them without thinking.”

“And now I’m the other guy.” Brad said with his hands over his face.

Remember that half lie about Kyle? “No, we broke up. I went to his place, we had an argument about nothing and I stormed out.” That was just two days before this. The truth is I was afraid Kyle was becoming another Crag.

“I’m sorry.” Brad said.

We laid in silence and regret. This time I broke the silence. “Do you think we could have worked out?” I asked. Brad looked at me. “If we didn’t jump into bed, into an apartment. Just started as friends. Could we have worked out?” I looked at him.

“I don’t know?” Brad answered.

“You’re a nice guy, and I miss you.” I confessed and it was true. I seem to attract ass holes and Brads a good man. We got together after being in bad relationships and we weren’t ready for a real relationship. “Lets try it.”

“What?” I think brad was shocked by the suggestion.

“Just friends, just be friends for a while. I Liked you, I missed you.”

“Just friends, not benefits, no moving in together.” Brad though out loud.

“I know we don’t live close but, maybe it’s worth a try.

“That might be good. I missed you too.”

Despite the distance between were we lived the no benefits things didn’t last, but we worked this time. We were finally ready for a real relationship. I guess we needed more time to get past what Linda and Crag did to us.