I could tell her I was halfway through my seventh sober day. I hadn’t had any contact with her since she started going to meetings herself. They’d told her to stay away from people, places and things associated with drink, and I was in that category as far as she was concerned. I wasn’t drinking today and I could tell her that, but so what? It didn’t mean she would want to see me. For that matter, it didn’t mean I would want to see her.

We’d had a couple evenings when we had a good time drinking together. Maybe we could have the same kind of enjoyment sober. But maybe it would be like sitting in Armstrong’s for five hours with no bourbon in the coffee.

I got as far as looking up her number but never made the call.

The speaker at St. Paul’s told a really low-bottom story. He’d been a heroin addict for several years, kicked that, then drank his way down to the Bowery. He looked as though he’d seen hell and remembered what it looked like.

During the break, Jim cornered me by the coffee urn and asked me how it was going. I told him it was going okay. He asked how long I’d been sober now.

“Today’s my seventh day,” I said.

“Jesus, that’s great,” he said. “That’s really great, Matt.”

During the discussion I thought maybe I’d speak up when it was my turn. I didn’t know that I’d say I was an alcoholic because I didn’t know that I was, but I could say something about it being my seventh day, or just that I was glad to be there, or something. But when it got to me I said what I always say.

After the meeting Jim came up to me while I was carrying my folded chair to where they stack them. He said, “You know, a bunch of us generally stop over to the Cobb’s Corner for coffee after the meeting. Just to hang out and shoot the breeze. Why don’t you come along?”

“Gee, I’d like to,” I said, “but I can’t tonight.”

“Some other night, then.”

“Sure,” I said. “Sounds good, Jim.”

I could have gone. I didn’t have anything else to do. Instead I went to Armstrong’s and ate a hamburger and a piece of cheesecake and drank a cup of coffee. I could have had the identical meal at Cobb’s Corner.

Well, I always like Armstrong’s on a Sunday night. You get a light crowd then, just the regulars. After I was done with my meal I carried my coffee cup over to the bar and chatted for awhile with a CBS technician named Manny and a musician named Gordon. I didn’t even feel like drinking.