Present Day

 

Jessica was a bundle of nerves as she pulled into the parking lot of the brand-new Holiday Inn out on the north side of town.  She sat in her car, looking about nervously, knowing with her luck, Yuri would be pulling in at the same time.  But all was quiet as she got out.  She took her bag, hurrying across the parking lot to the lobby.  She was immediately engulfed in a hug as Hara ran to meet her.

 

“Oh, my God,” she shrieked dramatically, as if they never saw each other.  “I can’t believe you’re finally here.”

 

 

Jessica returned the hug.  “Hi, Hara.  Missed me or just needing moral support?”  She glanced around.  “Who, all’s here?”

 

“Quite a few already.  Too many to name.  And yes, you were the class president.  You should be doing this job.”

 

“But you live here.  We agreed you were better suited for this job,” Jessica reminded her.

 

“Well, it’s been a little fun.  I’m so glad so many could come up early tonight.”  She shoved her toward the desk.  “Go check in.  I’ll meet you in the bar.”

 

“Okay.”  She took a deep breath.  “Is Kwon Yuri here yet?”

 

Hara smiled.  “Oh, my goodness, yes.  You will not believe how she looks.”

 

Jessica frowned.  What?  Did she gain two hundred pounds?  Did she shave her head?  Was she covered in tattoos? Piercings? What?  But before she could ask, Hara had hurried off to greet a new couple who walked in.  The man looked somewhat familiar but Jessica couldn’t place him.  She didn’t dwell on him as she turned to the desk, smiling at the clerk as she gave her name.

 

So Yuri was already here.  Wonderful.  Might as well get it over with.  She signed without looking, took the key card without thinking and robotically walked to the elevators, finally glancing at her receipt, finding her room number.

 

“I should have had one more margarita,” she murmured as the elevator whisked her to the third – and top – floor.

 

She methodically unpacked her bag, walking aimlessly around the room, stalling as long as possible.  The happy hour gathering was casual, but what did that mean?  Khaki casual?  Or summer shorts casual?  She eyed the clothes she’d packed, deciding it was Calloway… summer shorts casual would be fine.  So she stripped, taking a somewhat leisurely shower, finally feeling the effects of the tequila as her mood turned from nervous to mellow.  And mellow was what she needed if she was to see Yuri for the first time in twenty years.

 

And she dressed, she wondered what her reaction would be.  For that matter, what about Yuri?  Was she feeling any of the trepidation Jessica had been fighting for the last month?  And what in the world did Hara mean about how she looked?

 

Just go down there.

 

She took a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror, pleased with what she saw.  Her years of activity, of biking and the cursed jogging that HyoYeon insisted on, had kept her in good shape.  Her body was toned, her skin tanned, her face clear.  She looked good.  Great in fact.  She ran her fingers through her hair, the layers making her look carefree and.. tousled.  She blew out a breath, stirring the bangs on her forehead.  Tousled?  Well, she couldn’t put it off any longer.  She shoved cash in one pocket and her key card in another, then strode to the elevators, knowing the time had come.  She ignored her nervousness, pushing it down, trying to muster up even a little excitement for the evening.  She would see old friends, most of whom she’d not spoken to since the tenth reunion.  She would renew friendships, she would visit with Hara, the one person she saw most often, and she would avoid Kwon Yuri at every turn.  As soon as she hit the lobby, she heard laughter and loud conversations coming from the bar.  The party appeared to be in full swing.  She hesitated only briefly before going inside, thankful for the sparse lighting as she stood in the back, her eyes darting around the room.  It didn’t take long.  Like a magnet, she found Yuri.  She was sitting at the bar chatting with Hara and another woman whose name eluded her.  It didn’t matter.  Her eyes were locked on Yuri.

 

And as if on cue, Yuri slowly turned, sensing – as she always used to do – Jessica’s gaze on her.  Jessica waited, her thundering heartbeat deafening in her ears, her pulse pounding, her palms sweating.  Now she knew what Hara meant when she said she wouldn’t believe how Yuri looked.

 

Stunning.

 

Tall and slender, wearing loose-fitting shorts and stylish Teva sandals, her dark hair shorter than Jessica remembered, her skin tanned a lovely brown, her face as fresh and appealing as it had been twenty years ago.  And the eyes…those dark, expressive eyes…they captured Jessica’s, holding, pulling her as they always had.

 

But she stood rooted to the spot, the others in the room fading as they stared at each other.  It was only then that she recognized the nervousness – the uncertainty – in Yuri’s eyes.  Then sounds penetrated, movements blocked her vision, and she saw Hara wave at her, beckoning her over.

 

She tried to appear relaxed – cool and indifferent – even though she was as nervous as she could ever remember being.  But the awkwardness she felt was short-lived as Hara tugged on her arm, pulling her face-to-face with Kwon Yuri.

 

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you two haven’t seen each other in twenty years,: she shrieked.

 

“Hug or something,” she said, shoving them together.

 

It was surreal what happened next.  Yuri’s arms slipped around her, pulling her close and Jessica went with it, sinking into the hug, her body coming alive at the contact.  It lasted mere seconds, but it was long enough for her to realize her body recognized Yuri’s if only on a subliminal level.

 

“How are you?”

 

The words were quiet, nearly whispered in her ear.  She pulled away, forcing a smile to her face.

 

“Good.  Great.”  Then, “It’s been awhile, she said.

 

Yuri didn’t say anything, merely nodding.  “Want something to drink?”

 

“Oh yeah.  Definitely.”  Definitely.

 

Yuri raised an eyebrow, an expression Jessica used to find extremely y.  She ignored the lure of the eyebrow and turned to Hara.

 

“What’s everyone having?”

 

“Open bar, sweetie.  Get what you want.”  She pulled Yuri to her feet.

 

“I’m going to steal Yuri for a second.”

 

“Sure.”

 

Jessica leaned on the bar, impatiently tapping the wooden surface.

 

“Bourbon and Coke,” she said.

 

“A double.”

 

“You have a preference?”

 

“The good stuff,” she said, spinning around, watching as Hara settled Yuri at a table.  What in the world did they have to talk about?

 

~~~~~oooo~~~~~

 

 

 

"Yuri, you look absolutely gorgeous.  Wait until you see some of the others.  Let’s just say, time has not been kind.”

 

Yuri laughed.  “Well, you held up pretty good.”

 

“Darling, a personal trainer and a little Botox does wonders.”

 

Hara pulled her chair closer.  “I want to fill you in on all the gossip before things get started.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“First of all, and you’ll probably be shocked at this, but Jessica Jung is…gay,” she said, the last word barely a whisper.

 

Yuri feigned shock.  “You’re kidding?”

 

“No, I’m not.  Can you believe it?”

 

“When did this happen?”

 

“College.  She came home after the first semester, heartbroken and in tears.  She confessed she’d had an affair with another girl, and the girl broke her heart.”

 

Yuri leaned back in her chair, surprised that Jessica had gotten that attached to her new girlfriend that quickly.

 

“Well, I’ll be,” she said.

 

“Oh, yeah.  It was quite the talk back then.  Of course, now, well, everyone is used to it.  I’m surprised you didn’t know.  I mean, you two were inseparable.”

 

Yuri shrugged “I guess you don’t tell best friends everything.”

 

“And you remember Kim HyunA?”

 

“She was a cheerleader, right?”

 

“Right.  Guess what?  She joined a convent.”

 

“A nun?”

 

“Yeah.  And she’s coming too.  That should be interesting.  Jessica has turned into a potty mouth.  I hope she doesn’t let one of her four-letter words fly around HyunA.”  Hara stood, smiling and waving toward the door.  “New arrivals.  Go mingle.  I just wanted to share the gossip about Jessica so you wouldn’t be totally blown away if she told you.”

 

She hurried off, leaving Yuri sitting alone.  Inevitably her eyes were drawn back to Jessica at the bar.  She wasn’t sure what she expected her to look like.  In her mind’s eye, Jessica was still nineteen, as she’d been the last Yuri saw her.  But the beautiful girl she remembered had grown into a gorgeous woman, moving with a grace that she’d always possessed.  And the hug?  God, how unexpected was that?  And awkward.  For her and no doubt for Jessica too.

 

As she stared, Jessica slowly turned.  Yuri waited, wondering if that old magic was still there.  They’d always had a knack for knowing when the other was watching, knowing exactly where the other was in a crowded room.  And now, just as Yuri had felt Jessica’s presence earlier, Jessica apparently felt Yuri’s eyes on her.

 

Yuri didn’t look away when Jessica found her.  Despite her earlier apprehension over seeing Jessica again, the initial shock was over.  After twenty years, she thought the least they could do was have a normal conversation.  Perhaps Jessica thought the same as she made her way over to the table.  Yuri was unable to keep her gaze from straying, Jessica’s shorts showing off tan, muscular legs.  She blushed slightly when she finally raised her head, surprised at the amused expression Jessica sported.

 

“I couldn’t for the