The pub was lit up with dazzling bright lights to signify its reopening after undergoing an entire year of renovation. Studying the fancy lighting, the newly installed décor and the additional room to cater to more customers I couldn’t help but long for the small yet cosy little place it used to be. Now it reminded me of those bars one would find in lavish hotels that had very limited booze to offer.

“Drinking here is never going to be the same again,” Alex complained as he studied the crowd with his crystal blue eyes. The majority of the people that used to enter this tiny little pub consisted of anxious-looking college students, middle class working people and local men and women. Half the crowd at the moment consisted of men dressed in tailored suits and gorgeous women in couture clothes. 

“The place is a lot bigger than it used to be but I don’t see how that’s going to stop me from coming here,” I commented before taking a sip from the glass of Jack Daniel’s I held in my hand. 

“If they keep attracting customers like those guys,” Alex said, pointing at the fashionable people with his thumb. “They’ll start overpricing the drinks and food. You and I won’t be able to afford to spend time here anymore and we will be forced to find another pub to call our own. ” 

Alex did have a solid point there. I raised my glass at him before taking another sip as he lifted his strong arm to signal the waitress for another drink. 

“So are you seeing anyone new?” Alex turned to look at me with his crystal blue eyes which made me a little uneasy. The two of us started off this friendship of ours with a one night stand. I’d spotted him in this exact pub a few years ago when I was just a freshman in college and he was my senior.

 He was a tall man blessed with broad shoulders and a muscular torso that donned this confidence that I mustered only in my dreams. What I found most attractive about him however was his unabashed advances. Having my fair share of trauma with big built men, I was quite sceptical about him at first. However, as the night progressed I realised that Alex was anything but a pushover. One drink led to two and the next thing I knew, we were up in his room making love like two horny teenagers.

After spending a passionate night together, neither of us spoke to each other for months until we had a chance meeting at a party. We went out for a few dates to give our budding relationship a chance but soon realised that we were better off as friends. Even though it was a mutual agreement that things would remain platonic between us, sometimes talking about new relationships made things a little awkward between us.

“I’ve been out on a few dates but nothing serious enough for me to call a relationship,” I replied twisting the silver ring that I wore on my left middle finger. “What about you?”

“I’ve been so caught up with work that I haven’t had time to go out on dates,” He shrugged. 

Our conversations that night flowed as the drinks kept pouring in. It ranged from relationships to politics and since the two of us were architects albeit in different firms, we started coming up with big and quite imaginative designs for the near future. We laughed and joked around a little until Alex’s eyes caught sight of something peculiar.  

“Say, Jamie, didn’t you at one point have an online relationship with a girl?” Alex asked stroking the little blonde goatee that was growing at the edge of his chin. 

“Yes but that ended three years ago Alex. Why do you ask?”

“If I’m not mistaken I think that’s her,” Alex answered back which sent a jolt of electricity throughout my body. There was no way that could have been her, no way that the only person I happened to fall heads over heels for only to mess things up, would show up a thousand miles away from her home. With a million thoughts racing through my head about her sudden appearance on the other side of the globe, I turned to look over my shoulder only to have my doubts confirmed.

She looked exactly like how I’d last seen her, beautiful with big bright eyes and a dimpled chin. Her curly tresses were left open which only accentuated her beauty even more. I blinked twice to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating but the figure that stood in front of me remained. I’d spent two years watching her pretty features displayed on my phone longing to touch her face, to embrace her in my arms, to feel the imprint of her lips against mine, to fist my hand into her thick hair, to hold her trembling body as she climaxed. Unfortunately, it was a desire that remained unfulfilled. 

Every time I reached out to caress her face, my fingertips would brush against the cold, hard device. For two years she remained a mere picture on my screen and a voice in my ear. Tonight, however, she was no longer a being that belonged to the virtual world but one who had materialised to become part of my reality. 

“So are you going to go and talk to her?” Alex snapped me back to reality. I looked at him a little delirious before taking a big gulp of whiskey. 

“Unlike the two of us Alex, we, on the other hand, ended on pretty bad terms,” I stated wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. Alex looked at me with an amused look settling on his face. His thin lips formed a sly smile while his eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam.

“Suite yourself Jamie, but I’m going up there to talk to her.” He said, getting up from where he sat. I tried to grab hold of his muscular arm and force him back into his seat but failed miserably. While Alex sauntered to where she stood I buried my face in my hands regretting the decision I’d made of introducing them in the first place. As I waited for Alex to return to the table, I fought the urge to look over my shoulder. But as much as I tried, I eventually gave in. 

I turned my head to look only to find myself transfixed on the girl wearing her favourite summer dress staring right back at me. I gulped down hard while my heartbeat quickened. I watched Alex bend over to whisper something in her ear before she smiled. As she strode towards me on her beige coloured sandals, I could feel a thin film of perspiration forming on the edge of my sharp nose. My hands began to tremble and the blood rushed up to my ears as she stopped right next to my seat. I immediately jumped to my feet nervously waiting for her next move. I expected a punch or a kick to the groin or at the very least a snide comment. But what came out of her mouth surprised me more.

“It’s good to finally see you in person,” She said in a soft voice while looking up at me with no malice behind her words. I looked at her still trying to recover from the shock of seeing the one person I’d longed for in my entire life stand right in front of me. 

“This honestly feels like a dream,” I blurted, lost in her hazel eyes. She smiled tucking a curl behind her ear. If anything she was even more breathtaking in person. The pictures she’d uploaded onto the internet did not do her justice.  

“Are you going to chase me away?” She asked, her slender fingers wrapping around her beer mug tighter.

“No, of course not Ivana,” I instantly replied. I heard her let out a sigh of relief as she took the seat Alex had occupied just a few minutes ago. “So what brings you to New York City?”

“On holiday for a week,” She said, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal which was immediately followed by an awkward silence. Neither of us knew what to say next. It was our first meeting in person but given our history, we didn’t know whether to hug things out and pretend like our relationship never happened or continue our unfinished fights and get the closure that the two of us needed. As much as I wanted to hurt her feelings like she’d hurt mine, I didn’t have it in me to ruin her first vacation to the States. My brain searched for things to talk about to ease the tension in the air only to come up with a conclusion. 

I began talking about things we both loved trying to divert her attention from discussing our failed relationship. Beginning a conversation with Ivana was quite difficult at first but once I got started the words flowed seamlessly. We still had amazing chemistry and if I could recall that was one of the reasons why the two of us grew so close that a relationship like ours could not be sustained by the virtual world. We both wanted more out of each other, but with the different time zones and schedules, we were both failing at maintaining the relationship. A blame game erupted where both of us pointed fingers at each other for never having time which eventually spiralled out of control and ended what we had. 

 We talked until the crowd dwindled and the bartender announced last call. The two of us stood up and Ivana linked her arm with mine before I walked her back to the hotel she stayed in.

“So this is me,” She said hesitantly, her arm still lingering on mine. We stood facing each other beneath the hotel lights that illuminated the area. 

“Well if you’re looking for a local tour guide, you know who to call,” I winked at her which made her smile.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between the two of us. Maybe if it did, this night would have turned out differently.”

“Maybe,” I mumbled as I watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other. 

“Goodnight Jamie, it was nice finally meeting you,” She stood on her toes and kissed my cheek. But before she could turn to walk away, out of impulse I pulled her body close to mine, cupped her chin and leaned forward to kiss her soft lips gently. I felt her body relax in my arms while her hands rested against my chest. Her body leaned into mine as she returned the kiss which sent a tingling sensation all over.  

“I’ve always wondered what that would feel like,” She whispered as we pulled away, our noses just inches away from each other. I could smell her breath as my hand reached out to caress the side of her face. I looked into her hazel eyes before kissing her little nose. 

“Will I see you tomorrow?” I asked looking at her face for an answer. She bit down on her lower lip before giving me a meek nod. We smiled at each other before breaking into a light-hearted laugh. 

“Goodnight Jamie,” Ivana said again smiling at me as she slid her hand out of mine. She turned to walk towards the hotel entrance while I stood there and watched. I buried my hands into the pockets of my jeans and grinned as she turned to look over her shoulder. The amount of time that the two of us had was exactly just a week. But we didn’t care even though the odds were heavily stacked against us, because what mattered more was the fact that we were finally physically together.