The One That Got Away by G. L. Snodgrass Page A

about so many things. But the thoughts of what her best friend Mary Ellen Miller would say had held her back.
    It was sort of funny; Mary Ellen’s friendship had been one of the most important things in Alison’s life at the time. Every decision seemed to be made based upon what Mary Ellen would say.
    She hadn’t talked to the woman in ten years. How important could it have been she wondered?
    The tinkling bell above the book store door brought a smile to her face. Thank god some things never change. The store still had that old book smell that went straight to her soul. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The world was on an even keel again.
    Smiling to herself she started to walk through the stacks, running her fingers along the book spines. When she did the same thing in a New York book store it always made her think of home and this store.
    It had been in this very spot where Eric had walked up to her while she glanced through a Laura K. Hamilton novel. He'd hemmed and hawed for a moment, in an adorable sort of way, his face getting redder by the second. Finally he'd blurted it out. Asking her if she would go to the movies with him on Saturday?
    Her first thought had been delightful glee Her second had been concern that somebody might have heard. Now it had become her turn to hem and haw.
    “I’m sorry Eric, I can’t.” she had said. She knew it was the wrong answer as soon as the words left her mouth but still she couldn't save the situation.
    His face had dropped into red embarrassed rejection. It had sent a spear right to her heart. What had she done? “I’m sort of seeing someone,” She added, trying to lessen the blow. The fact that she was between boyfriends right then was not material. She would be seeing someone as soon as Brian got his head out of his ass and asked her out.
    Eric nodded then exited as gracefully as possible considering the situation. Things had never really been the same between them after that. Other than a passing smile in the hall they had never talked again.
    Six months later she'd ridden out of town on the back of Brian’s bike to never look back. They’d made it as far as Baltimore before he dumped her at a Motel Six saying that she was cramping his style and that he had to be free. As if he was a Lynyrd Skynyrd song or something.
    After Beautiful Brian it had been Jobless John. The struggling artists she paid the bills for. When she caught him stealing money from her purse to buy drugs. That was the last straw. Well actually, the third to last straw, she ended up giving him a couple of more chances. Then it became the last straw and she moved out.
    Finally it had been Philandering Phil, the bartender who never saw a pretty skirt he didn’t try to get under. For two years Alison had hoped that he would be the one. That he would settle down. They had started living together and she thought for sure it would work. Until he informed her that he had found somebody else and in fact they were getting married next month. She was even invited to the wedding.
    That was when she decided to return to town for her ten year high school reunion. Maybe she could figure out why she kept screwing up like this.
    Taking a deep breath she continued on perusing books. Looking for something that could help lift her out of these blue blahs.
    The bell above the door tinkled and she turned to see who it was, wondering if she would know them.
    She would know him anywhere. He'd filled out well and was even a little taller. Eric Maurer had grown into a handsome man. He’d lost the glasses and his hair was recently cut. He'd gotten rid of most of the geeky look but he still had his polo shirt tucked into his pants. She smiled to herself, thank god some things never change.
    She could see that he recognized her as their eyes locked across the room. A momentary shock passed through her when she saw the impact it had on him. He stood there frozen for a moment holding the door open, staring at her like