Page 74 of Perfect Mess

“Actually, that’s kind of brilliant. You should have brought that one up sooner.”

Gary crossed one foot behind the other and leaned sideways to stretch his hip flexors. “So you’re not really here just because you have some sort of plan to set me up with Janet?”

It took every ounce of my being to keep a straight face. “I’m not trying to trick you, Gary. Janet really does like you.”

“I know she liked me. As in past tense. Twenty years ago in high school.”

“So you knew Janet had a crush on you in high school?”

“I am capable of recognizing when someone is flirting with me.” Gary’s eyes lingered on me a bit. “Unless, of course, it was your idea to join the Dungeons and Dragons club.”

“No, that was definitely all Janet.”

“I figured.”

And that’s when it happened. The eureka moment. Realization came crashing in like a collapsed mine shaft on top of a spelunker’s head. “It wasn’t just Janet who liked you. You liked her too.”

At first, he didn’t answer. Then, “She was the first girl I ever loved.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I always knew that Janet was in love with Gary back in high school, but I didn’t realize that he had been in love with her, too. It was all just too perfect. Long-lost loves, reunited at last. Soul mates, adrift in the endless universe, finally pulled together by fate. Or, technically, me. But it was no longer about me anymore. It was no longer about Jack. Cosmic destiny was at play.

“But that was a long time ago.” Gary resumed his stretching, bending forward in a lunge.

“It’s never too late for love,” I said. Trying to convince Gary. Trying to convince myself. “How come you never made a move?”

“I made a move. The night of senior prom. I asked her to dance.”

Every second of that night was still etched in my brain like it had happened five minutes ago. But I never remembered seeing Gary that night. And since I spent most of that night with Janet, surely I would have noticed. “Janet never told me.”

“She probably forgot all about it.”

“You never forget your first dance.”

“We didn’t dance.”

“Janet said no?”

“No. She said yes.”

“Wait. So Janet said yes when you asked her to dance, but then you didn’t do any dancing?”

Then Gary explained. “We were on our way to the dance floor when she saw you.”

“Saw me?”

Gary nodded. “Saw you with Jack.” It all made sense then. I had been alone when Jack approached me that night. Just standing off to the side, minding my own business. Janet and Ralph had gone off to get some punch. That must have been when Gary asked her to dance.

“I saw what happened,” said Gary. “I saw the whole thing.”

I didn’t know what to say.

But Gary did. “I’m sorry that happened.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Me too.”

A voice amplified by a megaphone shattered the lingering silence. “All Fun Run runners, please report to the purple banner. The Family Fun Run is about to begin.”

A few seconds later, a second megaphoned voice rang out. “All competitive runners, please report to the green banner. The Competition Race is about to begin.”

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