Reunion Ch. 01

When I walked into the Harrier Hotel, I had certain expectations. I was there on a business trip, and I had never stayed anywhere as exclusive as the Harrier. I definitely felt like a stranger in a strange land. I thought for sure that someone would come and tell me I was in the wrong place, and from a certain perspective it turned out I was. Regardless, one of my expectations was that I would not meet anyone I know, my social network didn't frequent hotels like the Harrier. So when I walked through the doors ready to be overwhelmed by the pomp and glamour (which I was), I was not prepared to run into Anna. But within moments of entering the lobby I spotted her and had to rub my eyes in disbelief. I kept walking, uncertain of whether to approach her or not, when she looked over at me, paused, and let out a smile with such ease I half thought she was expecting me. She snapped off her sunglasses and called out,

"Dan?! Dan is that you? Oh my god!"

I chuckled and walked slowly over to her.

"Its me Anna, boy how are you doing?", I said somewhat lamely holding out my hand. She ignored it and leaned in to give me a friendly hug, the smell of her hair wafting up at me, as pretty as ever.

"Well, what are you doing here?" she said when she finished hugging me.

"What you don't think this is my kind of place?" I said with a bit of grit in my voice.

"Oh don't be like that, I meant here in Chicago! I heard you moved up east?" she chided.

"Yeah, I did, moved up to Portland, got married, got a job, the whole deal. I'm actually just here on business."

"Really, and what kind of business are you doing these days?"

I laughed, "Actually it's government work, I'm a spy now. Oh shit, I guess I have to kill you now."

Anna left out a gentle laugh, "I see some things never change." She eyed me closely, "God how long has it been?"

I thought for a moment, "Well it must be about nice years now."

"God, nine years." she smiled somewhat ruefully and shook her head.

She spotted someone behind me and waved at them, I turn to glance at someone who was clearly a girlfriend of Anna's, having the same sense of fashion and style in her dress and demeanor.

"Claire, you are never going to believe this!" Anna grabbed my arm and presented me to her friend. "Remember that guy I told you about from college, Dan?"

Claire stopped and looked over her glasses at me and smiled, "So this is Dan?"

I rolled my eyes and gave Anna a cold stare, "What have you been telling people about me?!"

They both started laughing and I realized the joke was on me, Claire reach out her hand and said, "Dan, I promise she has never even mentioned you...although, that could be worse couldn't it."

I shook her hand somewhat chagrinned, "Dan Clark, nice to meet you."

Anna spoke up, "Dan we were just about to go have dinner, would you join us, I would love to catch up?"

"That's kind of you Anna, but I'm here on business and I have an early meeting to prepare for."

"Well how long will you be in town, do you have any free time to meet?" she asked more eagerly than I expected.

"Uh, I not very certain of my schedule, but I could probably get away tomorrow night."

"You know, I have a fundraiser that I am dying for an excuse to get out of. That sounds like my ticket. I will meet you here tomorrow at six?" as she spoke she reached in her purse and got out a card, "Here is my number if anything comes up."

I took the card and put it in my pocket. "Um, great, I guess I will see you tomorrow... will your husband be able to join us?"

Anna gave the slightest hint of a grimace before covering it with a smile, "Unfortunately Matt is out of town."

"Oh well, that's too bad. Well I should let you two go and I have to get checked in, it's was nice to meet you Claire."

"My pleasure." she replied.

"Great, see you tomorrow." Anna gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and spun around to leave with Claire. I watch her walk away, unable to miss the familiar curves of her body that she had maintained since college. "My God" I thought to myself, "Anna Miller".

I stood there shaking my head for a moment, caught myself and turned to go check into my room.