Out of sheer shock that out of all the gin joints in this world, he'd showed up in the middle of mine. My new life and ideal moment. When the eyes of too many suspicious people were on me. That if I faltered, everyone would see. That Eric's timing was still so impeccably bad and ironically perfect. That fate had such a wry sense of humor as to toss him into the bar just as Justin was singing to me in his sexy voice, begging me not to forget him. Saying he thought we would work out in the end. That we didn't have to hurt each other. Did Jus really believe that? Or was it just part of the show we were always putting on? Eric would choose the very moment when the lyrics wondered whether I would walk on by the ex, him. Or acknowledge him and call his name? And if I hadn't been on stage, I honestly didn't know what I would have done. Because seeing him, damn seeing him, squeezed my heart. And, like so many times before, all the good times came rushing back, obliterating the bad ones.
