“Got any plans for next Saturday?” I was back at the restaurant, and I was serving Sam another piece of apple pie.

“I never plan that far into the future. You know this. How can anyone make plans in Muleshoe, anyway?” Sam responded in his tender, loving voice.

Sam was an attractive guy. I had to give credit where it was due. He worked as a farmer on his family’s land since graduating a few years before me. His father, Lonny Howard, was one of my favorite customers. That meant he was one of my best tippers. Sam and I had known each other for years, and occasionally we would hang out with each other from time to time as adults. Strictly platonic, but he was about the only male companionship I had even recognized existed in the last few years. Although our relationship never involved being romantic, I could tell that Sam cared for me, in a more than older loving brother kind of way. Of course there were sometimes when his male instincts would remind him that I was not his blood sister and therefore he wouldn’t be guilty of incestuous feelings, and my Dad, and even Patricia and Brian, would think we were romantically involved somehow, but that was just our friendly playfulness with each other. He and I had been very close friends all these years, and he was the one that was there for me during my Mom’s passing.

“What would you say to going to my twenty year high school reunion with me next Saturday?” I was trying to say it in a take it or leave it kind of way. The only reason I had even considered going now was because after encountered Janet at the market I figured the shock value she gave me was well worth the entertainment of a full night. I could see how everyone else turned out, good or bad, and I couldn’t be that bad. I’d just changed in girth, nothing much else. “I mean, you don’t have to go or anything. I was just wondering you wanted to. It might be fun to see everyone. Even if you were a few years older than them, you still hung out with a couple of us back in the day.” I had to quit talking before I sounded too anxious.

“Sure. I’ll go with you.” Sam muffled as he stuffed a big piece of pie in his mouth. He grabbed his perfectly folded napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth. “Is it like prom? Do I have to buy you a corsage?” He smiled and looked down to get another heaping spoonful.

“Prom? No, why would you even say that? You’ve had reunions, it’ll be the same as yours. What was yours like?” I was a little confused as to why he would say such an awkward thing about something that I figured was utterly mundane and commonplace among people older than me.

“Well,” Sam proceeded, “most classes have five-year, ten-year reunions and so on. Most classes I know never just have a twenty-five year class reunion, and as far as I can recall, your class has never had a single reunion until now. What’s that all about?” I couldn’t tell if he was being playful or sincere, but I did know he was picking on me.

“If you must know, it was something we all agreed on, well, the majority agreed on it. Everyone senior year thought that we would all be successful in our careers and family, leaving us in a position that was far too busy for us to be bothered about meeting each other every five years or so, so we all decided we’d only have a twenty year reunion and maybe a fiftieth too. Everyone thought it was the best way to head into the future without looking back. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but it does seem weird now that you’ve brought it up. What if we’ve grown too distant?” I spun up a dish towel I had in hand and snapped it playfully in Sam’s direction. He smiled, but didn’t really take his attention of his pie. I turned to check the kitchen window for orders, and just happened to catch my Dad staring in our direction with a smile.

“The order for table two will be ready in a minute. You can keep chatting.” My Dad grinned as he looked at me and then around me to Sam, who had in the minute decided to look up from his plate, now clean of pie.

* * *

“I knew you would come!” Janet squealed as she saw me walk in the gymnasium doors. “You said you weren’t going to come, but you came!” She was past the free-throw line on the gym floor, and came racing my way.

Sam and I stood there, scanning our surroundings, as Janet made her way over to us. The gym was packed with middle-aged folks, all with a drink in hand. There were a few even dancing around the half court line to the REO Speedwagon ballad playing over the loudspeakers. So far it seemed like a pretty lively bunch. Maybe we’d actually have a good time.

“Oh, and who are you?” Janet said in a flirtatious voice, as she held her hand out in front of Sam for him to shake it. “Aren’t you a brisk drink of water?” She eyed Sam up and down a few times. One may have been embarrassed by her forwardness, but her pick up line was way more embarrassing, so either Sam didn’t know what to aim at, or he just didn’t care, because he looked perfectly unscathed. In fact, he seemed to be glowing under the sudden attention. He was eating it up. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye for his reaction, and his smile was taking up the majority of his face. I don’t remember him having so many teeth. Was his smile always this big? I thought to myself.

“Janet, you remember Sam. He graduated a few years before us. He works for his Dad out on the Howard family land. Don’t you remember him? I’m going to give you guys a few to catch up. I’m going to go get a drink, do either of you want anything?” My voice fell onto deaf ears as they were both already in deep conversation and did not take notice to my departure.

I figured I’d use this opportunity to scoot away and let those two chat. Yes, I knew Janet was married, but she was the one that said she wanted to party like we were in high school again. Well, from what I can remember, she was a slut in high school, and maybe that’s exactly what Sam needed for a night. After all of Sam and I’s flirting, I never felt like we had a sexual tension between us. However, there were times that I thought maybe he wanted more. Maybe Janet was just what he needed to take the edge off, and in the end, take the pressure off of me in thinking he may want something more with me some day. He’d never put the moves on me, but guys just put off a vibe when they are horny, and I have definitely felt his vibes on more than one occasion. I know it’s nothing emotional coming from him. He just needs a release, and I’m a woman. If I’m in his company, it’s only understandable that he may think he wants me, but he’s always been a smart enough gentleman to not cross the line with me. Janet was someone I can see him taking over that line. I’d be more than happy to help him, which was why I was walking away from them just then.

I headed over to the cash bar. I can’t even remember the last time I drank. I figured I better play it cool and just go with a glass of white wine. I was never one to be able to hold my liquor very well, and I definitely didn’t want to get out of control in front of a bunch of people I haven’t seen since my prime. The bartender took my order and poured me a house wine. I fumbled in my pocket book for a few extra dollars to include for the time. In my profession, I know to take care of the servers, regardless if I plan on ordering anymore through the course of the evening. I turned around and looked towards the direction I had left Sam with Janet. I didn’t see them. Oh well.

I leaned casually against the bar and drank in my surroundings. I felt like I was at a school dance with the faculty, and I was one of the teachers. We were all so much older. I saw a group at one table that looked like ladies from the old volleyball team. They were laughing it up as a group of men stood close to their table. My guess was it was the husbands, as none of them looked like aged people I knew. Everyone had changed. I felt out of place. I had brought Sam to keep me company, but I couldn’t stand in the way of the sparks I saw between him and Janet. I’m sure they would catch up with me later on. After all, Janet was so excited for her and me to live it up tonight.