“Oh...he’s my friend’s father. She and I were supposed to go on a trip together, but she got sick at the last minute. He came to tell me and,” she noticed the roll of bills in her hand, “bring the money I was going to use for our fares and expenses. We’ll just reschedule.” Violet stood and started to reach for her luggage, but Chet grabbed it.

Chet glanced at his father manning the window. Mr. Wilson waved at the two of them, and Violet desperately hoped Sam had purchased their tickets from someone else.

“You’ve been crying,” Chet said. “I’m sorry you’re so disappointed. Where were y’all going?”

“New Orleans,” Violet replied. She struggled to smile. “Will you carry my luggage, Chet? I need to ask your dad if I can use his telephone.”

thirteen

RONNI

As it turned out, Rick didn’t leave me. I left him, though it took me a while to realize it.

He’d placed single flowers under my windshield wiper twice while I worked. Once there was only a small note saying, “I miss you, beautiful.”

“Ronni,” Rick said two nights before, “when you’re finished with your project, let me know. I’m not asking you out again until I have a decent chance you’ll say yes.”

I didn’t blame him. Most of the time I felt too pressured to write to spend time on anything else. Rick and I had been out to dinners and a couple of movies, always with my eye on the clock, wondering if I could work on the book for an hour or two when I got home. I’d gotten into the habit of stalling for time whenever he suggested we go out.

“Soon, I promise, soon,” I’d say. “Just let me finish another two chapters.”

The last time I’d seen him, we’d been to an elaborate restaurant where everyone, once more, seemed to know his name. Our table held a candle in an antique silver filigree holder, surrounded by a cluster of roses and baby’s breath. Rick’s smile, in that candlelight, was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. We held hands between courses and walked out with our arms around each other, Rick clutching a box with a complimentary chocolate cake slice. We’d walked two blocks when he suddenly stopped, set the box down on a brick planter, and kissed me until I lost all consciousness of the world around us. He gently lifted me to sit next to the cake and there I was on a deserted city street at eleven o’clock, making out with the most exciting man I’d ever met and trying to ignore an incessant nagging thought about two sentences I needed to change before I forgot.

The manuscript was driving me crazy.