Making Circles – 19

It is remarkable. On some evenings we would study until nearly ten. We’d leave the campus, he’d walk his way, leaving me to walk mine. Leaving me, a woman alone, to walk home, alone on the road at night.

Okay, I wasn’t afraid. I was annoyed that he never thought, out of common decency, to walk me home.

This night, as I came in, my mother told me that Laurie had called. She was in town and wanted to meet with me at a restaurant at four, tomorrow afternoon.

She didn’t say why.

Okay.

The next day, when I went to study and saw Shaun I told him I’d have to leave just past three as my folks wanted me to go to dinner with them. I didn’t say Laurie’s name.

I left Shaun at three, went home, changed, prettied up myself, then to the restaurant Laurie had selected.

I was a little early, she would be late. I sat at a table, ordered a bowl of tomato egg drop soup, and ate slowly. Then Laurie arrived, all excitement and loudness, and looking around to see who was there and if their eyes were on her.

Three years, same Laurie.