Short Story Sunday: A Change of Plan

The bus was fuller than usual for a Saturday afternoon. Perhaps there was some event in the middle of town or a gathering of fans; Rowena remembered the last time she'd unwittingly walked into the middle of a flash mob and had had to stand there, helpless, while they flailed and jumped to the tune of some Top 40 hit. She checked her local news app to see if anything was listed. Nothing. The time at the top of the screen snagged her eye.



It had been two years since she last saw Kevin, and although the feelings she had for him had long since passed, she was still nervous. His social media presence revealed that he had less hair now, and she was acutely aware of how time had left its fingerprints on her face and neck. She checked her nails and was tempted to bite them to give herself something to do.

Groaning and creaking around a wide corner, the bus came to a stop at Mittelburg. To her relief, the bus all but emptied. She noticed a man in a suit sitting diagonally from her. He was staring at her with a lopsided grin on his face. Rowena's mind raced. Did she know him from somewhere? He certainly didn't look familiar. Perhaps he was one of those creeps one always reads about in the tabloids. Though she wasn't sure whether creeps wore Dolce & Gabbana suits. Deciding that he was probably harmless, she smiled at him and dropped her gaze to her hands. It occurred to her that the bus was idling at the stop for an unusually long time, but then she realised that it was because they were ahead of schedule.

"May I sit here?" 
"Uh, yeah. Sure." She smiled again.
"You look nice," he said. "Special occasion?"
"Something like that. You?"
"Best man at my friend's wedding." He leant forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Did I mention that he's marrying my ex?"
"Ouch. Sorry. But it's good of you to do it."
"Yeah, I know," he said, sitting back in his seat. "I'm a saint, right?" He rubbed his eyes. 
Rowena gave a little jolt as the bus started up again.
"Let me guess," he said. "Birthday party?"
She shook her head.
"Mm. High school reunion?"
"I wish."
"Give me a hint?"
Rowena smiled. "Lunch with an ex."
He laughed. "What a pair we make." He extended a hand. "I'm Dominic, by the way."
"Rowena." She liked his firm grasp.
"Do you live around here?" 
She hesitated.
"I'm sorry. That's very forward of me."
"No, no. It's fine." Her hand found its way onto his knee. She retrieved it. "Um. To answer your question, yes. I've lived here for five years. And you?"
"My whole life." Dominic adjusted his collar. "Sometimes I think about leaving. But then things like this happen," he gestured at her, "and then I think I am better off staying."

The public address system pinged and a posh voice announced the next station. 
"Two more stops," she said, to herself more than anyone else.
"Listen," he said. "I know this is a bit short notice, but would you be interested in coming with me to the wedding? I would feel so much better with a beautiful woman on my arm."
She laughed. "I bet you say that to all the girls."
He had the grace to look abashed.
"As much as I'd love to," she said, "I have this lunch that I really have to go to."
"Yeah, no, absolutely... But what if you came afterwards? You'd miss all the church stuff and then I could impress you with my dance moves at the reception." He could see her fighting herself. "Wait. I'll tell you what..." He retrieved his wallet and found a receipt. "Um, sorry. Do you have a pen?"

She stood on the pavement watching the bus continue its route. Despite the chilly weather, her cheeks were warm where he'd kissed them goodbye. She tucked the receipt into her handbag and ambled to her lunch spot. Kevin was already there, sitting at his usual table by the window. He looked as dashing as ever, if one overlooked his receding hairline. He turned his head away from her and smiled before standing to embrace a woman half his age. Rowena stopped dead. She turned and walked in the opposite direction, scrambling to find her mobile.

"Dominic? Hi, it's Rowena. Listen, change of plan. Would you mind waiting for me at your stop? We'll go to the church together."

He was waiting for her under the overhang at the Sternestrasse stop. 
"What made you change your mind?"
"I realised that the past had nothing new to say to me." Her mobile rang. She glanced at the screen before killing the call. "Case in point," she said, turning off the phone.
Dominic laughed. "We're going to have to leg it if we want to get to the church on time."
"Lead the way, then."