The One That Got Away

“I should go. Late for something,” he mumbled. Oliver sped walked off into the building before they could call after him or attempt to stop him. He thought about going back maybe, jerking Monique away from grease ball there. But he restrained himself. ‘I should leave well enough alone, she looks happy with that guy.’ Oliver sadly thought to himself.

“At least I’m not alone here.” Oliver muttered under his breath as he walked into the massive space full of cosplayers, art, stands, and props.

*****

There was a buzzing in Oliver’s ears and his vision was blurry. His knees felt weak and his hands were shaking. At the same time, he felt like laughing hysterically out loud; just looking around and screaming with it. He put his hands on his knees, bent in a squat while he took deep breaths and wondered if he was about to faint in the middle of the convention floor. That wouldn’t look so good with the participants. Someone might recognize him. His cardboard cut-out inhabited the booth where technicians were explaining his new game to the public; like Tony Stark next to the Iron Man suit. It wouldn’t be a good look for him to swoon in public like some damsel in distress. A wave of nausea hit him and he hurried to the bathroom, horrified that he might both faint and puke in public. He would never be able to hold his head up in public again.

He burst into the public bathroom, startling some ninja turtles who were washing their hands in the sink. They stared at him as he staggered into a toilet stall, one of them murmuring about ‘crazy drunks’. He slammed the seat down and sat on the toilet, breathing in and out and trying to get himself back under control.

Monique is here…

What the fu*k was she doing in San Diego. First she literally disappeared off the face of the earth and then she showed up at one of the most pivotal times in his life, dressed as Natasha and dragging around some short Italian grease ball…looking as happy and carefree as a lark…like…seriously? Who did that?

He fumbled his phone out of his pockets and called Ty right away, “Pick up, pick up,” he chanted desperately, leg jittering nervously.

“This better be good. I was just about to close the deal on this gorgeous brunette.”

“No flirting Ty, you’re here for work.”

“Meh. That’s your gig not mine. I’m here for the dudes and the merc man,” he replied smugly, “So where’s the fire?”

“In the men’s room,” Oliver replied instantly.

“O…kay,” Ty replied uncertainly. “And what would you like me to do about it?”

“Monique is here.”

“What? In the men’s room?”

“No dumbass. Here here. At comic con. With a man.”

There was a silence on the line.

“I don’t know which of those I should react to first.”

“Please come get me.”

Ty’s voice sharpened at his tone. “Which bathroom?” he asked.

“First floor, left side of the building,” Oliver said gratefully and hung up. It wasn’t too long before he heard Ty’s voice talking to someone on the other side of the door. He unlocked it and stepped out to see Ty and Chris looking at him in concern.

“What’s up boys? You look worried,” he said sheepishly.

“I heard it was a red alert up in here,” Chris said trying for a joking tone and failing miserably.

Oliver shrugged, “I might have lost my mind for a minute but I’m fine now. Can we go up to the suite please?”

Ty smiled carefully as if he might actually be crazy, “Sure Ollie. Let’s go,” he said holding out his hand carefully to usher Oliver out of the men’s room. Oliver walked slowly out, concentrating on breathing in and out. Ty and Chris each took one side of him and hurried him off to the penthouse suite that they were staying in. as soon as they were inside, Ty poured out a scotch on the rocks and forced it all down Oliver’s throat despite his protests.

“Better now?” he asked.

Oliver choked and coughed and then nodded dumbly at him.

“I can’t believe she’s here. What is she doing here?” he asked them. Ty and Chris looked helplessly back at him.

Chris turned to Ty, “You got this? I gotta go meet this girl I invited and her friend. They arrived two hours ago and we’ve just been missing each other all over the place. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Ty nodded, “Yeah Chris, you go. We’ll be fine. Won’t we Ollie?” he said.

Ollie just stared up at him, green eyes clouded with misery.

*****

“Chris! Finally. I was beginning to think we’d never find each other,” Monique said as they met at the hot dog stand in front of the Teen Wolf stand. She was pretty sure she’d seen Tyler Hoechlin buying a corn dog as they came up the stand but she wasn’t a hundred percent. It might be just some stupid cosplayer.

“Hey Monique, quick question…you wouldn’t happen to have an ex-husband who you left in high school after having a miscarriage would you?” Chris asked coming to a stop in front of her and staring with trepidation into her eyes. Monique reared back.

“I beg your pardon?” she asked caught wrong footed and off balance. Enzo stepped in front of her.

“Why would you ask her that?” he demanded coldly.

“Because I think her ex is one of my best friends,” Chris replied faux calmly. They all stared at each other in shock.

“I beg pardon?” Monique said again, more breathlessly this time.

“The name Oliver Knowles mean anything to you?” Chris asked. Both Monique and Derek reared back this time. Then Monique’s face folded in chagrin and trepidation.

“No,” she said.

“Yes,” Chris replied.

“This is too much of a coincidence,” she denied with a shake of her head.

“I couldn’t agree more with that assessment. Would someone tell the universe?”

Monique took a deep breath, “Okay then…we are gonna…leave.”

Chris frowned, “What? Leave? No way! This kind of serendipity doesn’t happen without a reason. What is gonna happen is that you’re gonna go and you’re gonna talk to him.”

Monique frowned. “And what would that help?” she asked. Enzo looked thoughtful though.

“Closure maybe? Rekindled romance? I don’t know,” Chris said with a shrug. Enzo grabbed Monique’s hand, pulling her behind him before she could reply hotly.

“Excuse us while we confer,” he said.