EXTRACT FOR
Tales of Erotic Love
(Darren G. Burton)

Rekindled Desires





Scott sipped his Jack Daniels and tapped his foot in time to the beat of the music. His friend Michael was lost amidst the crowd at the bar, where he lined up to get another round of drinks. By the look of that crowd it would be another ten or fifteen minutes before he finally got served.

Better make this one last, Scott mused as he eyed the remnants of liquor in his glass.

He looked towards the dance floor, but his view was impeded by the dense crown standing between his table and the floor itself. Idly turning his head to the left, he scanned the bevvy of beautiful women. Was he in the mood to chat any up tonight? He wasn't sure. The plan was just to have a few drinks with his mate and that was about it.

At that moment something totally unexpected and out of the blue happened. Scott did a double-take when he spied a brunette, maybe late twenties, that he thought he recognized. The woman caught his eye and held it. When she smiled at him Scott knew there was no doubt. It was Andrea, his ex flame.

She said something to a blonde friend, then weaved through the crowd and sat down on Michael's vacated seat next to Scott. A warm hand was placed on Scott's forearm as Andrea moved her mouth close to his ear so her voice could be heard above the music.

"I can't believe it's you," she said brightly. "How long's it been?"

Scott stared into her smiling face, her bright blue eyes captivating him as they always had.

"Three years," he said.

"What are you doing with yourself these days?"

"Still working for my dad in real estate."

Her hand never left his arm. "Have you gone and got yourself married or anything? Are you single?"

"I'm not married." Scott managed a wry smile and hesitated before admitting that he was completely single. He didn't want her to think that he'd spend the last three years pining after her. In a small way there was some truth in that, but he had had a few 'casual' relationships since Andrea. No one who'd really captured his heart, though, the way she had.

"I'm single too," she readily confided.

Scott felt his heart skip a beat or two. Andrea still had that affect on him, even after all this time apart. Maybe she always would. He finished the remainder of his drink and wished Michael would hurry up and return from the bar. He glanced that way, couldn't see his friend, then looked back into Andrea's pretty face.

"You must have been with someone in the past three years?" he said to her.

She nodded half-heartedly, shrugged, then frowned. "A couple of guys, but nothing too serious. You know where my head was at when I broke up with you. I wasn't ready to be with anyone in a committed relationship."

Scott nodded. "Believe me, I know."

She squeezed his arm. "I'm so sorry, Scott. I know I broke your heart back then and I wish I could do something to fix that. Three years ago I just didn't know what I wanted."

"And now?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

She smiled again, her eyes beseeching his. "I've sorted myself out."

Scott again raised that eyebrow, this time with a hint of doubt attached. "Really?"