The Next Level

The golden flame of the flickering candle lit our tucked away table where she sat across from me in deep thought, swirling her half empty glass of red wine. I nervously watched as she internally wrestled with her words, slowly killing me with the suspense.

"There is a reason I invited you out tonight." She said, finally breaking the silence.

Three weeks had passed since I last saw her and I was prepared for anything but a serious conversation. From the looks of her third glass of wine, she wasn't prepared either. My intensive confused stares finally made her speak.

"I wanted to meet up with you and apologize in person for disappearing for the last few weeks." Taking a sip of my wine, I waited with apprehension for her to put all my wondering and questioning to rest.

"I think I should probably explain. I am dating someone...and she is not ok with us hanging out. We can't a hang out as frequently anymore." Unsure of what to feel, I assured her I had no alternative motives other then friendship and that her girlfriend was just over reacting. Already neck deep in a pool of overflowing emotions, having her permanently disappear from my life was not an option and I was willing to do anything to keep her from vanishing.

Not ready to end our night, we walked over to a sports bar where I was soon to be left with more confusion then what I originally came in with. Swallowed into a dim corner by the darkness of the bar, everything around us faded into shadows as she moved closer to me. With her face inches away from mine, she was flirtatiously pushing the boundaries of our friendship forcing the deep pounding of my heart to echo in my hollow chest.

As her actions contradicted her words, I knew we were no longer on a friendship level.