Alpine Chapter Eleven Part Two

Mike paced back and forth nervously in his small kitchen.

“Cool place you got here, Mike,” Thomas said as he came out of the guest bedroom.

“Thanks,” Mike said as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants for the umpteenth time.

Thomas grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and leaned against the counter.

“You okay, man?” he asked Mike.

Mike wiped his hands on his hands one more time and went to find his car keys.

“I’m fine,” he said as he put his keys and wallet in his pockets. “I’m just nervous. There’s a lot riding on tonight’s game. The new coach always has a lot of pressure on him to win the homecoming game. I also asked Lynn to be my date tonight. How stupid was that?”

Thomas smiled and joined Mike at the door.

“That’s not stupid,” Thomas told him as they left the apartment. “That’s taking a chance.”

“Is that what you’re calling what you’re doing tonight?” Mike asked.

“What?” Thomas asked confused.

“Are you taking a chance tonight,” Mike said once they were at his car. “Are you taking a chance with Jen?”

Thomas stared at his friend for a minute before getting in the car.

“If she’ll let me,” he finally answered. “Yes, I’m taking a chance tonight too.”

“Why thought?” Mike asked.

“Why what?”

“Why after all these years?” Mike asked.

For the first time since Thomas had arrived earlier in the day, Mike saw a look of desperation on his friend’s face.

“I’m sorry Mike, but that’s between me and Jen.” Thomas said softly. “I need to see her. I need to talk to her, if she’ll let me.”

Mike felt sorry for him. It seemed as though everything had changed in a nanosecond. Thomas’s tone had gone from confident to scared and desperate as soon as Mike had asked him why. Was it possible that Thomas still loved Jen after all these years? Maybe that’s why his marriage didn’t work out? No one had ever considered Thomas and what all he had gone through since leaving Jen behind. Maybe it was time to give the guy some slack and see what happens next.