So after the trick or treat fun, I got ready to go out. I have this wizard hat that I got a while back and decided to just wear mostly black: black boots, black fishnets, black mini skirt, and a maroon tank top, with a black sparkly sweater, and the hat. It wasn't really a costume, but it did the job. So I met up with two of my friends at this place I've never been to before called Andrew Blairs. After maybe a half hour a couple guys in pilot outfits came in. I could tell right away they were "legit" because I recognized they had actual uniforms like Greg's on, minus their wings and stuff (so as not to show the airline's name). I looked at one of them more closely and the thought crossed my mind that he looked familiar. I started to think I knew him and that it might be Greg's old friend and roommate from when I first met him almost eight years ago. I couldn't decide if it was him or not though and it was driving me nuts! I even texted Greg and said it might be him.
So that back story is that this guy, Dan, lived with Greg in a townhouse Greg owned when we lived in VA. Dan rented out the third floor of the house. When they moved in together they kind of made a pact that it would just be them in the house. Well, Greg and I met, fell in love, and I ended up moving in after we'd only been together about 6 months. Dan was less than excited. In response to me being there, he felt he could also break the agreement, and before we knew it he had one guy (another pilot) that was crashing there a bunch, and then eventually another guy that he kinda moved in and we're pretty sure he was even charging rent to for one of the rooms on his floor. Bottom line, Dan and Greg ended up having a HUGE falling out over everything. We're talking heated argument on the front lawn of the house and him coming in and calling me a B*TCH! So that was like the end of their friendship, and that was about 7 years ago. I always felt bad about it, because I kind of got in the middle of them. I was "Yoko Ono" as someone once said!
So back to the Halloween party. Greg was supposed to come out after he got off work around 11pm. He ended up driving through the parking lot, which was full, and it was pouring rain, and there was a long line to get in at that point. He gave up and went home. I had been waiting on him to come so that he could go talk to the guy I thought was Dan and see if it was him. When he said he wasn't coming, I decided to get up the courage to go over and see if it was him. I slyly approached the "other" pilot and asked if he was really a pilot and he said no, but his friend was. Then I said, "Is your friend's name Dan?" and he said yes, so I went over to Dan and said "Do you remember me?" and I saw him register who I was. And then it was GREAT! We talked for like 2-3 hours catching up and talking about Greg. We called Greg and they talked. Dan lives in Charlotte! So crazy!! We knew him in VA and all these years we've all been living here! Well everything is water under the bridge now. I had so much fun hanging out and talking to Dan. I had always remembered him as kind of an A-hole, but I feel like he's changed a lot and he's a pretty cool guy now. I feel like I rectified the falling out and got them back in touch. Greg could really use a friend outside of my friends that I bring in right now. He and Dan have a lot of history. I would like to see them rekindle the friendship, and I'm hoping they will now.
The only drawback of the whole situation is that Dan is REALLY successful now. After Independence Air went under he managed to get VERY lucky and got someone to put in a good word for him at another airline and he got hired there. This was back in like 2005. He's now making like $250,000 a year and has a nice house here, a bunch of rental properties in FL, a boat, and is living the kind of life Greg thought he'd be living by now. Greg was senior to Dan at Independence, so this really bums him out. Dan said he could probably get Greg a job at his airline though, so I'm wondering if that might work out.
I'm on such a high from the whole situation though. It feels really good to have the situation resolved. I kinda wish we'd gotten in touch with him sooner, but maybe we all wouldn't have been where we are now about the whole situation if we'd run into him sooner. Now that we're all older and wiser and are moving forward, it is the right time to rekindle the friendships.
I can't get over what a small world it is though. So weird that we all moved to Charlotte and that I run into him at this bar I've never even been to before on Halloween night!!
Kelly and I
Dan giving the thumbs up after we realized everything was cool :)
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