Four Girls and a Guy - Suzanne Jenkins Page 0,18

yet, and she’s still in Lebanon. We’re arranging for her visa, but it’s going to take a while. I’m going over there soon. Probably over winter break.”

“Are you going to grad school?”

“You’ll laugh. I’m going to law school.”

“Wow. Well, there you go! A reason we were so in tune with each other. We had common interests.”

“We sure did,” he said. “So what do you say?”

“Do you want to meet somewhere?”

“You can come here. I have an apartment in Lincoln Park.”

“Well, la-di-da,” she said, snickering.

“Come. I’ll pay for a taxi.”

“Okay. I’d like to see you,” she said. “It’s been a long time.”

Edwin had moved in, and she was sleeping in the living room one last time. Looking around the apartment, a pang of regret filled her heart. She had loved these women, shared their lives for almost four years. But something told her that once she was away from them, they wouldn’t keep in touch like they’d promised each other, and she’d be just as guilty. They’d go their separate ways and live separate lives, only having joined together out of necessity. It made her sad.

In the cab ride to Lincoln Park, she thought about Joe. He was so handsome, although Crystal had used the word swarthy to describe him at one time; he was dark and had thick curly black hair and huge blue eyes. His hands were huge, and when he’d placed a palm on her back when they walked the halls together, she felt protected, platonic or not.

During high school when they went to prom, being in his arms as they danced felt wonderful. But he’d made it clear that he was interested in a traditional wife, one who practiced his religion and cooked his country’s food, someone who wanted to stay home and have his babies and wash his clothes. And she wasn’t going to do any of those things.

He was waiting outside the building when the taxi pulled up, and she knew the minute that she saw him that they were going to finally have sex. The purpose of this meeting was to consummate their relationship even though they would probably never see each other again. The thrill of that knowledge shocked her because of its unexpectedness. Sleeping with Joe had never been an option.

He opened the taxi door for her and paid the driver. When the cab pulled away, he took her hands in his.

“Laura Long, look at you.”

“It’s me. Do I look older? We haven’t seen each other in a while, have we? I mean, no classes together, which must have taken some doing on your part.”

“You look lovely,” he said. “And not older at all. Come with me.”

He held out his arm for her to take, and she remembered nights when he’d picked her up for formal dances, offering his arm just like this.

“If you hadn’t called me tonight, I wonder if I would have been brave enough to call you. You’ve been on my mind since Lelah and I broke up, but I didn’t think it was fair to start anything up again.”

“I’m glad because it took me a long time to get over losing your friendship. You were my best friend, Joe. You really hurt me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I had to do it for my girlfriend.”

“Would your new woman approve of us seeing each other tonight?”

“No, but she’ll never find out. I just wish I would have called you the minute Lelah left.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” she said. “What’s done is done. And I would have gotten hurt again, so I’m glad you didn’t.”

He let her into the apartment. His view was a city view, not a lake view like Alison’s was. But at night, this was better.

“No one lives in a hovel,” she said, laughing.

“No. I’m really lucky to have this place,” he said. “It’s a sublet, rent controlled. I could lose it at anytime.”

“It’s rather spartan,” she said, looking around at the bare walls and minimal furniture.

They stood at the living room window, looking out at the view, and simultaneously turned to each other. Laura was tall, so their lips were about the same height. They’d never kissed on the mouth before. His breath was smokey, as if maybe he’d had a joint before she got there. Being high would make it easier to betray his girlfriend, probably. The scent of piney shampoo and some kind of familiar soap came from him, all the scents mingling and traveling to her nose, and the pathway ended in