Giving them a choice, an alternative to
business as usual. No more Big Brother, brother." She resumed
eating. "Anyway, that's what the course was about." She spoke
with the easy, unaffected confidence one acquires with
experience. Yet she was only twenty-one.
He realized that his spoon was halfway between his bowl and
mouth. He did not know how long he'd been sitting there like
that. He set it down and poured himself more wine. He looked at
her over the rim of his glass, and felt as if he were seeing her
for the first time. It was an agreeable feeling, and that in turn
made it an adverse feeling. Thin ice ahead, if he didn't watch
himself. Friends, he repeated to himself, and don't forget it.
"Did you hear me?"
Had she said something? "I'm sorry - you were saying?"
"I said, that's what the course was about. I dropped it."
"But you sound like an expert. Why the change of heart?"
"Nah. Music. This speech stuff. That's what I told you when I met
you, don't you remember?"
In fact, he did not remember. What's more, he realized, was that
he didn't know her last name either. Before he was aware of what
he was doing, he asked her, "What's your last name?"
She was pouring herself more wine. She stopped. Was she hurt?
She grinned. "You got me."
His expression betrayed his confusion.
"I never told you my last name!" she said, as if that explained
everything.
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