“Let me just finish this. I don’t need an hour.”
“I’d like you to look good.”
Angela rolled her eyes. She wasn’t going to win this argument. She’d better go get ready.
She saved her work and put away her laptop and papers on the coffee table. She hated having to put things on hold. She went upstairs and picked out a classy little black cocktail dress; something sophisticated which would meet Robert’s approval. She carefully picked out matching sandals, a necklace and earrings. The necklace and earrings had been a gift from Krysta as a thank you gift for all her help with Madison. They were silver with charcoal glass beads; somewhat bohemian. Angela loved them. She thought they jazzed up her conservative outfit. She would later pin up her hair for an even more sophisticated look.
Robert wore kakis and a dress shirt. He always wore his hair parted on the side, perfectly sleek. He favored dark ties and never had five o’clock shadow. They used separate bathrooms to get ready. The reveal was reminiscent of their early dates; the difference being that back then, Robert never objected.
“That necklace is God awful. I hope you’re not planning to wear that.”
“No. I just put it on my neck for the fun of it.” She leaned over in front of the mirror to put on her lipstick. She was a beautiful woman; delicate and slender. What was once considered gawky and awkward was now the envy of every woman around her. She had sensual brown eyes, light golden brown hair and full lips. Yet, she didn’t realize all this, which was what made her even more beautiful.
“You’re taking it off, aren’t you?”
“Nope.” She walked past him.
The ride to the party was a quiet one. Angela could clearly see that Robert was not impressed with her. She didn’t care. She found it idiotic to get all bent out of shape over such a small matter. She turned on the radio. There was nothing decent on, but it was better than complete silence. They had been driving for a while, not saying a word. Robert’s cell phone rang. She hated him talking on that thing while he was driving. He picked up.
“Oh.....Hi, Lance. How’s it going?”
That name sounded familiar. She couldn’t remember where she had heard it before. She stared blankly at the highway ahead, trying to remember. She could hear him talking in the background but she wasn’t listening to his words.
“Oh yeah....sounds like you’ve been keeping pretty busy.”
It suddenly occurred to her. That was the name in the letter; Laura’s letter, Laura’s Lance. She began listening intently. Could it be the same Lance? Lance was a rather unusual name. How many Lances had she known? Maybe it was just a coincidence.
“Yeah... I had a blast...” he went on. “That course is tough but a lot of fun. Is John’s shoulder any better, poor guy.”
He was obviously a golf buddy. It was probably just a coincidence, she decided.
“I’d love it. What date is that?”
“I’ll check my calendar,” he went on
“Oh... great. Everything’s great. How ’bout you?”
Angela had very much wanted to talk to him about the flowers. But in doing so, she didn’t want to appear intrusive. She had been, after all, snooping in his things. How could she address this issue without seeming paranoid? She thought she should leave it alone which was why she hadn’t mentioned it yet. But yet, it kept nagging at her. She just had to come out with it.
“Robert, do you remember getting me flowers for Valentine’s Day?” she asked, trying to appear aloof.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Well, I found a crumpled up receipt in the laundry room.” A little white lie.
He didn’t make eye contact with her.
“Anyway... it was for flowers dated February 14th,” she explained.
He hesitated a bit. “Um....oh yes... I remember,” he said. “I bought you flowers, but they wilted in the car so I trashed them.”
“Oh... well, thanks... I guess.”
At first, it seemed like a fair enough explanation but the more she thought about it, the more it didn’t fit. The Nancy Drew in her took over as she considered it. How could the flowers wilt in February, one of the coldest months of the year? If anything, they would freeze. Although, maybe if they had been left long enough in the car without water, it could have happened, she supposed.
The rest of the ride was quite silent, only the sound of the radio could be heard. She was looking forward to seeing Krysta. They were going downtown to a club with her and her new boyfriend. Angela hadn’t been downtown for quite a while. She always loved driving to the city, the sight of skyscrapers and thetower thrilled her, bringing her back to her younger days living downtown.
Robert found a parking lot and paid the $10.00 fee. As they made their way to the club, they walked side by side, not holding hands. The night was setting. Angela took in the views and sounds of the city, the people and the streetcars. She always marveled at the mix of new and old architecture surrounding her. She much preferred the old; so much more detail, more beauty and character.
