Chapter Fourteen

             Aaron made sure Jen went back inside the bar before he approached Thomas. Once he saw her go in, he walked toward the Thomas was still sitting at. Thomas was nursing his beer with a look of bewilderment.

                        “What do you want?” Thomas asked between sips. “I know you were watching. So, I know you saw her tell me what for.”

            Aaron took a chair, turned it around, and sat in it backwards against the table.

                        “I was watching,” Aaron began, “and though I don’t know exactly what she said, I will admit I was quite proud of what her body language indicated.”

                        “She said I was twenty years too late.”

            Aaron winced, remembering he had basically said the same thing to Jen the other day.

                        “What?” Aaron asked, “you disagree with her?”

“I don’t know what I think,” Thomas admitted as he noticed his beer bottle was now empty. “I didn’t know I expected to happen when we would first see each other, but I didn’t expect a tongue lashing.”

                        “You arrogant son of a bitch,” Aaron said as he started to get up. He had had enough of Thomas for a lifetime in just two minutes.

            Thomas stood up as well and came around the table to stand in front of Aaron. Aaron watched as Thomas took note of the two inch difference between them, in Aaron’s favor.

                        “Look, Aaron, why don’t you butt the hell out for once.” Thomas said raising his chin as if it could make up for the two inches.

                        “Because I’m not the one that broke her heart,” Aaron took as step forward as he spoke leaving no space between them. “I’m the one who has spent all these years trying to mend it for her.”

                        “Oh, that’s right,” Aaron said. “I forgot, you’re the damn knight in shining armor. You save everyone’s day, especially Jen’s.”

            Before Aaron realized what he was doing, his right fist landed across Thomas’s jaw. Thomas rubbed his jaw briefly before swinging his own fist toward Aaron. Blocking Thomas’s punch with his left arm, Aaron swung again, this time landing in Thomas’s chest. Thomas cradled backwards in response, trying to raise his hands in defeat. Aaron was too far gone and lunged toward Thomas. Apparently, Jen wasn’t the only one holding on to twenty years of strife where Thomas was concerned.