“Now you’re one of the school’s most successful graduates. Or near graduate.”
“Hey, hey, they gave me an honorary degree.”
“Well, you were always far smarter than anyone teaching at the front of a class.”
He shrugged. “There were a few I enjoyed. This place was my playground, sampling the courses and ideas that interested me. Teaching me how to talk to others who looked at the world in the same way I do.”
She twined her fingers through his. “You’ve come so far. I’m proud of you, you know.”
“I know,” he said, brushing his lips to the back of her hand. “You’ve always cheered me on.”
“What are friends for?”
He smiled as he leaned closer. “More than friends now.”
Her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her. Had she ever felt this contented in her life? It’s like a piece of her that was always missing had clicked into place and she never wanted to let it go.
“Mr. Beckett, we’ve arrived,” the driver said, interrupting them as the car slowed to a stop.
Clara glanced out the window and laughed. “Sammy’s?” she asked. “I think they’ll kick out anyone older than twenty-one here.”
“I called ahead,” he said as they got out of the car. “We’re more than welcome.”
She stood before their go-to bar from their college days and shook her head. She’d thought she’d never have another lukewarm pint of cheap beer or plate of cheesy fries again, yet here she was.
“I’ve lost track of the number of times we hung out here,” she said, staring at the faded red sign that had become synonymous with underage drinking when they’d been in school.
“Too many to count,” he agreed, coming up behind her. “You in for one more night?”
He could have taken her anywhere. A restaurant on one of the city’s most sought-after rooftops or a private gallery tour only available to the very, very rich. Instead, he’d brought her to a dive bar where they wouldn’t likely rack up a bill higher than fifty dollars.
“You couldn’t have picked a more perfect spot,” she finally whispered, her chest tight.
He kissed the side of her cheek. “Good.”
“Let’s go.” Taking his hand, they stepped into their past.
Sound hit them like a wave when they walked through the door. The bar clearly hadn’t been updated in the years since her graduation. Red vinyl booths lined one wall while scarred tables filled the front of the bar. Everything from initials in hearts to calculus equations had been carved into the worn surfaces. They used to try a different table every time they’d come here, looking for new and more interesting marks left by other students.
Walker strode forward, leading her to a booth she remembered well.
A handwritten “reservation” sign sat propped against a barely lit candle in the center of the table.
“I didn’t think Sammy’s did reservations,” she said, sliding into their old booth.
“You should have heard the laughter when I asked for one,” he agreed. “Luckily, they were open to a very generous donation from a former alum.”
“That checkbook does come in handy every now and then.”
No sooner had they taken their seats when a frazzled waiter rushed over with two pints on his tray and a plate of her favorite fries.
“Gotta say, as an adult this looks less appealing,” she said, pulling a cheesy fry free from the pile.
“The truth is in the taste I guess,” he replied, reaching for his beer.
As soon as the fry hit her tongue, she couldn’t help her laughter. It tasted the exact way she remembered. Greasy, oily, and yet so addictively good.
“I’m glad I don’t have easy access to these normally,” she said as she reached for another.
“The beer is just as I remember it, too.”
“No-name cheap stuff that’s never seen the inside of a fridge?”
“The very same.”
Lifting her own beer, she clinked her glass to his. “Here’s to new beginnings,” she said.
“And better decisions,” he replied.
“It was sweet of you to bring us here. I would never have thought about coming back, even though it’s only a subway ride away.”
“I haven’t been back either. But this is the place I first wanted to ask you out, so it seemed appropriate to return.”
She choked on her beer. “What? You wanted to ask me out when we were in college?”
“Yup.” He saluted her with his drink.
“Why didn’t you?” she demanded. She knew why she’d kept silent in their early years. He’d been dating her best friend, and by the time they’d broken up, it had always felt too late. Like they’d missed their chance. By then, they’d been such good friends that she’d been afraid to do anything to jeopardize that. Besides, it’d felt disloyal to date an ex of her closest friend at the time.