Behind them, a young man with wild hair and ratty-looking pants stepped up to the microphone. He introduced himself as Kenny Gorelick, then began playing a saxophone. His music was wildly romantic and jazzy; for a few moments the talk in the place died down. Kate felt swept up in the music, transported by it. Gradually, though, it became background music and she looked at Chad. He was studying her intently. She knew how much it meant to him, this conversation, and how much Tully meant to him. That turned the tables neatly; she was surprised by the suddenness of the switch. Now, sitting here, she was worried that Tully would ruin this man, who frankly looked as if he didn’t have the stamina to take another hit like that. Before she could answer the question he’d posed, Tully was back, dragging a purple-haired waitress with her.

“So,” she said, frowning and a little breathless, “are you friends yet?”

Chad was the first to look up. “We’re friends.”

“Excellent,” Tully said, sitting on his lap. “Now who wants apple pie?”

Chad dropped them off two blocks from the sorority house, on a dark street lined with aging boardinghouses that were filled with the kind of students who paid no attention to what sorority girls did.

“It was nice to meet you,” Kate said as she got out of the car. She stood on the sidewalk, waiting for Tully to quit making out with him.

Finally, Tully got out of the car and waved goodbye as Chad’s black Ford Mustang drove away.

“Well?” she demanded suddenly, turning to Kate. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

Kate nodded. “He sure is.”

“And cool, right?”

“Definitely cool.” She started to walk away, but Tully grabbed her sleeve, stopped her, and spun her around.

“Did you like him?”

“Of course I liked him. He’s got a great sense of humor.”

“But?”

Kate bit her lip, stalling for time. She didn’t want to hurt Tully’s feeling or piss her off, but what kind of friend would she be if she lied? The truth was, she had liked Chad and she believed he truly cared about Tully; it was also true that she had a bad feeling about their relationship and meeting him had only made it worse.

“Come on, Katie, you’re scaring me.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, Tully, but since you’re forcing me . . . I don’t think you should be going out with him.” Once her opinion broke through the dam, she couldn’t stop. “I mean, he’s thirty-one years old. He has an ex-wife and a four-year-old daughter he never sees. You can’t be seen publicly with him or he’ll get fired. What kind of relationship is that? You’re missing your college years.”