Sabrina sighed. She was over playing games with a man who once rejected her. How funny it was that he didn’t even know that the woman he was so aggressively pursuing was the girl he once cast aside without a second thought. Sabrina could still feel the pang of disappointment after twenty years and a lifetime of new experiences. God! she thought she was over him. How could he possibly still have this kind of hold on her? She wasn’t the same awe struck teen she was the night they made eye contact at the concert. He was no longer the model handsome med student who feigned a heart attack when he found out she was only sixteen. How many times has she replayed that scene in her head? Too many to count. It was one of the most memorable nights of her life and such a pivotal one. That is why she would never be over him but it was another night that became the reason why she certainly would never ever again be under him.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell him all this. She couldn’t yell. Smack him across the face. Tell him that he is loathsome. It would feel so good to be unburdened by the trauma that their ten year dalliance had caused her. But part of her wanted to see where this was going. Afterall, he approached her that day in the cafe saying that she reminded him of someone he used to know. Sabrina recognized him immediately. Sure he was older and grayer. He was ten years her senior. Always had been. Well, except for those first two years when she thought he was younger because he told her he was.

The night Jake told her the truth is still as vivid as the clear blue sky that they find themselves standing under. In his attempt to woo her, he planned a picnic in Central Park. She told him that she would meet him after her meeting with her publisher. After weeks of calls, emails, and messages, she felt like she had gotten to know the man he is now but still had no desire to reveal the truth. First of all, he didn’t even recognize her. Secondly, he assumed her name was Virginia because he saw her manuscript poking out of her tote bag. She didn’t have the heart or desire to correct him. It was fun being voyeur and seeing their past through his lens. He had a lot to share- the good, the bad, and the regrets. Funny, though, his memories were quite different from hers.

That night over twenty years ago, was the most romantic one of her life. It was also one of the most traumatic. In a matter of twenty four hours her entire view of the world changed. One day she was hopeful and full of love. Sabrina took the to heart everything Jake said. He said he missed her. Couldn’t stop thinking of her. Wanted to see her. He pleaded with her to come visit him over the long holiday weekend.