Five Years Since

Wednesday

Him:

It's been five years. Five years since I left everything behind. Five years since I moved to the big city. Five years since I've been in any type of romantic relationship. It's been five years since a lot of things.

Everything changed when my mom passed. She was the last thing holding me to that place. She kept me connected to my home town.

I made a vow not to get stuck in that house with all those bad memories. I despise that place. That town and the people in it. The way people would look at me because of our family lineage. I needed a fresh start.

I decided to come here, to the city, and start my business. Leaving everything behind. I sold the family home, changed my phone number and deleted my social media. I just left. I was ready for a new beginning. I even shortened my last name.

Her:

I've been here for five years. I moved here in the hopes of becoming someone new. Who, I'm not sure. That small town I was raised in, always felt so confining. Bland. Stuck in the past. Old heritage, old houses, old people... That town is stagnant. Boring, to the townies at least. We had many tourists come to visit for historical reasons because the town is stuck in the 1800's.

Here in the big city, there's constant change. There are new things every day. New opportunities. For instance, I have an interview today for a position at this company that's on the rise. I'm so excited. This could be it for me. This could be my chance to... to... well I'm not sure what, but I'm excited.

My friends are upset with me because I cancelled a blind lunch date with some guy they think is perfect for me. I haven't dated since I left that small place. I swore to myself that this move would be about me and my growth as a person. And the last time I dated, I was ghosted. I thought he was the sweetest, most handsome guy I had ever dated. He was well mannered and came from a long line of history, just like me. Both of our lives were stained with the past of our families lineage.

Him:

Today at the office, I'm restless. My mothers fifth anniversary of passing away was a few weeks ago. I have been thinking about her a lot lately. My upbringing. The family I miss. I need to make it a point to go visit the family plots soon. I came here to become someone I couldn't be in that tiny town. There's no room for growth there. With hard work and dedication, I'm doing pretty well for myself. I know she would be proud of me.

My business is rising quicker than I imagined. We have to hire six more people, just to keep up. I hate the hiring process so I hired someone for that specifically. There are six interviews today and four tomorrow. I think I'll head out for some lunch.

Her:

I'm finally ready and head to my interview. My nerves have set in and my mind won't stop racing. I keep going over questions and answers that may or may not be a part of this interview. The possibilities are endless. I don't want to mess this up. I'm not an insecure person but my anxiety seems to be getting the best of me.

I get to the building a little over an hour early. I've been so nervous that I haven't eaten yet today. Only caffeine in high amounts circulates through me. I should get some lunch.

Him:

I settle for this small sandwich shop two or maybe three buildings up from my building. They have amazing paninis. The bread is always nice and crispy and the cheese melted and gooey. My favorite is the turkey caprese. They also offer fresh juice. Today's is mango!

Her:

I walk up the road from where my interview will be, to this quaint sandwich shop. The food smells amazing as I walk through the door. The menu is small and guarantees fresh ingredients from local farmers. They even boil peanuts! I go for the turkey caprese panini and fresh juice of the day.

"Turkey caprese panini and a mango juice." A lady yells out and sets the tray on the pick-up counter.

I stand up from the table I'm sitting at and go to get my order. I reach my hand out to pick up the tray.

"I believe that is my order." I look to the male voice. I'm completely caught off guard. It's him. It's Bram. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." He flashes me a slight smile.

Why is he looking at me like he doesn't know who I am? I let go of the tray. He takes the tray and proceeds to walk away and sits at a table. I'm speechless. I can't move. I'm not understanding why he's acting like he didn't just up and disappear on me. Like I'm a stranger. I'm seriously confused right now.

"Another turkey caprese and mango juice." The same lady yells out and sets the tray down in front of me.

"Oh. Um, thank you." I say to the lady and walk away with my lunch.

Him:

Why's this woman staring at me? I mean she's attractive but she's weirding me out. She keeps looking up at me with this question in her eyes. Like she's trying to figure me out. Almost like she knows me. I don't recognize her though.

I hurry and finish my food and take the rest of my drink with me. It's almost time for the first interview. I usually only check over the resumes and pass them along but I think I'll sit in on a few today. I need to keep myself busy because I have nothing else to do today.

Her:

Seriously though? He's just acting like I'm invisible. He didn't even acknowledge me when he left. He walked right passed me without so much as a glance. I don't remember him being so complacent. So rude. He really didn't like me enough to even remember my face? I mean we were only talking for a month, but still.

We talked on the phone every night. We went on many dates and hung out almost every day. I remember almost every time we were together. The conversations, the laughing, our mutual need to leave our home town. I remember his green eyes and bright white smile. His dark hair and broad shoulders. I really began to like him and that's without anything sexual.

I was hurt when he disappeared. I went to his house two weeks after he went missing to confront him but the house was sold and vacant. His social media was down. Phone number changed. No trace of him anywhere. And since he went to a private school, we had no mutual friends growing up. He simply vanished. I almost convinced myself I had made the whole thing up but the two pictures we took together, reassured me that I wasn't going insane.

I only eat half of the sandwich and drink most of the mango juice. Seeing him threw me for a loop. I should head back to where my interview is. Being twenty minutes early will make me look prompt.

Him:

The first two interviews were boring. Two people overly cocky and attempting to impress us with answers they think we want to hear. I want people who are genuine. Flawed even. I like personality.

"You can go ahead and begin the next interview. I am going to run to the restroom." I inform Alice, my interviewer. I go out the door to the right of the room.

"Clara Rube." Alice calls out for the third interviewee, out of the door to the left of the room.

Rube? I recognize that name from my home town. Interesting.

Her:

"Yes, that's me." I answer the young woman. I stand up with only my purse and folder with me. I reach out to shake her hand and her grip is firm.

"Alice Foch. Nice to meet you, please come in." She holds the door open for me as I slide in the room.

"Thank you." I walk over to the side of the table that has one chair. Alice sits in one of the two chairs that are on the other side.

The interview begins as most do. The basic questions are asked and answered. She goes over my resume asking me why I left my last position. What did I gain from the experience? So on and so forth. A door opens to the side of me. What the-?

Him:

I finish using the bathroom and walk in to interview room. Surely Alice should be passed the boring questions. I look up from my phone and the lady from lunch is sitting there. That must be why she was staring at me earlier. She must have recognized me from an article. She looks up at me as I take my seat next to Alice. She looks confused as if I'm misplaced. Like I'm not supposed to be here.

"And this is Mr. Welling, the owner. Mr. Welling this is Clara Rube." Alice introduces us. I reach over the table to shake her hand. Clara seems hesitant at first and I am not sure why, but she shakes my hand.

"We meet again Ms. Clara Rube." My attempt at breaking the ice from earlier. She still has this bewildered look on her face.

"So it seems. I hope your meal was as tasty as mine." Clara seems to relax.

"It was. They have yet to disappoint." Alice looks to me, eyebrows pinched together. "Ms. Rube and I ate lunch at the panini shop. She tried to steal my meal."

"I did no such thing. I wasn't aware someone ordered the same thing as me." We smirk at each other.

"I see." Alice says. "Shall we continue with the interview?" This is why I hired her. She's always about handling business, not easily distracted.

Her:

I'm doing everything I can to hold myself together right now. He's so nonchalant about everything. Pretending as if he has no clue who I am. I want to curse him out for leaving on a whim without saying goodbye. He has changed so much since the last time we spoke. He seems so sure of himself now. I'm playing along with his game so I can get this job.

Do I even want this opportunity now? I would have to see him daily. Smug like he has a little secret that he wants to spill. Like my embarrassment is an achievement of his. I have worked hard the past five years to become as qualified as I am. Even if he does end up my boss, this title is what I have been working for.

My anxiety and anger have my leg going left to right and picking at the dry skin around my fingers. I'm sure I look like a lunatic. I feel as if I'll explode at any moment. I need to leave.

"I am truly sorry but I'm not feeling so well right now. I know this is an interview but I'm feeling sick. I'm absolutely grateful for this opportunity but I need to go." I stand up and shake both of their hands and leave before they have a chance to say anything further.

Him:

Ms. Rube ends the interview abruptly and leaves. I hope she feels better. Alice looks like she wants to stop the woman but I grab her arm.

"Let her go. If she's sick, I don't want to catch it." I say to Alice as the door shuts behind Clara.

"How dare she just leave? That was rude." Alice's temper is about to take hold of her.

"I liked her. She seems original. She has anxiety like me. Did you see her swaying and picking her fingers?" I can see Alice's face change from feeling disrespected to understanding.

"Yeah I saw. What do you think?" She wants my advice.

"I say we give her a chance." I tell her and find myself agreeing with me. "Yea, let's give her a chance."

Her:

As soon as I make it a block away, I scream as loud as I can manage. The noise that comes out of me, earns me many looks from passerby's. Some of them snicker to each other. I grunt one last time and continue home.

I can feel the vibration of my phone through my purse. They'll have to wait. The last thing I want to do is talk to someone right now. What I want is to do is yell at Bram for being such a jerk. I want to tell him how I waited for him to come back for over a month before I left. I waited for him to call me. At first, I was hurt, then I became worried. After the worry subsided, I began to feel like I had lost someone dear to me. And I want to know why?

Thursday

Him:

My day goes by as usual. Morning meeting, lunch then afternoon meeting. I didn't sit in on any interviews today. Was there anyone personable or unique today? I wonder if Alice called Ms. Rube to offer her the position. I hope she feels better. I know what it's like for nerves to get the best of you.

Her:

I spent last night coping in seclusion with my thoughts terrorizing me. My bed, trash television, and chocolate were my company. My phone is still in my bag from yesterday. I suppose I should see if anyone had an emergency that I missed out on.

Three missed calls, seven text messages and two voicemails. Two of the missed calls are from my mom and one from an unknown number. I call my voicemail. The first unheard message is my mom's voice asking me how my interview went. She will have to wait for me to call her back. I'm not ready to tell her about Bram. The next message is from the unknown number.

"Hello Ms. Rube. This is Alice Foch calling regarding the interview from earlier. I do hope you are feeling better. Mr. Welling would like to hire you. If you are feeling up to it, please come in Friday morning at eight am to fill out paperwork and please bring two forms of identification. We hope to see you soon."

Um, what? He wants to hire me? Why, so he can be reminded how he left me behind for no reason and without explanation? Is this a way to boost his ego? Why am I so worked up about a one-month... friendship? This is crazy. Am I crazy? Maybe it really isn't him. It has to be. I know those eyes, even though they have changed a little bit since and his voice seems to have gotten deeper. I remember his last name being Wellington not Welling. Maybe I'm muddled. Mixing up facts with imagination.

Friday

Her:

My alarm went off at seven am. I got up and got ready to fill out paperwork for my new position. I made sure I had my paperwork in my bag. I'm unnerved as I walk into the building. I approach the front desk and ask for Alice Foch. The receptionist makes a phone call and tells me to have a seat until she comes to get me.

"Hello Ms. Rube. I'm glad you decided to take the offer. Please come in." Alice opens the same door I walked through the other day.

I'm praying that he isn't in there. I'm elated when I walk into an empty room.

"Please have a seat. Did you bring two forms of ID?" Alice asks as she sits down and place a folder in front of her.

"Yes. Here you go." I pull out my driver's license, SS card, and my birth certificate. I brought three just in case.

I sign at the X on multiple different pieces of paper. I'm here for almost an hour. She explains what's expected of me and what's against policy. She asks me when I can start and then shows me around the office, which is two floors and many rooms.

"Okay, well that's about it. Do you have any questions?" Alice ends my tour.

"No not really. But I'll be sure to ask if any come to mind."

"Please do. Oh, and later tonight we are doing a thing for Mr. Welling at the bar and grille down the street at nine tonight. You should come. It'll be a great way for you to get acquainted with your new coworkers. There'll be two other new hires there also."

Him:

Alice keeps hounding me about going to this bar and grille later. It's almost seven and I'm already exhausted. I think I'll lay down and take a nap first.

Her:

I'm not totally sure about this but I'm here. I walk in and sit at the bar. I look around and this place is nice. Not too fancy. I spot Alice standing with two other people. One being a female and the other a male. I wave to Alice and she begins to walk over to me, with who I assume to be the other two hires.

"Clara? Clara Rube?" I turn around to a voice I haven't heard in years. Five years to be exact.

"Oh, now you want to act like you know me?" I look at Bram. He looks so surprised to see me.

"What do you mean? I just got here three hours ago. I'm here to surprise my brother and congratulate him on the success of his business." All I can do is blink at him. Those are the eyes I remember.

"Your brother?" I'm in disbelief at his new game.

"Yes, my twin brother Enoch."