They met for breakfast
In a diner
Not too far from where
I used to live
“It’s good to see you,”
She said
And lit a cigarette
Her eyes darted over the window behind him
She had quit smoking a long time ago
Because I asked her to
But I was just a name on a page
A sign in the long and winding road she traveled
“Why are you back in town?” he asked.
With a chuckle,
“Just visiting,”
She replied, breathing in
And exhaling a ghostly cloud
That circled around them and dissipated
She had moved far away
To a place from which she–
Intentionally–
Could not visit from often
Because there were too many memories here
There were too many memories long ago
In a day when I offered to join her
On this mad quest to escape
The one thing she could never escape
But she told me, “Too little, too late,”
And I was left behind
But that was a long time ago,
And I had almost forgotten
“Why did you want to see me?” she asked
She was having a hard time
Keeping her eyes on his face
He shrugged,
Looking down at the swirled plate of food
“I don’t know,” he said
“I guess...”
“I guess I just haven’t seen you in a long time,”
“And I thought it would be nice... to see you again”
“You know, see how you were doing and everything”
This made her choke
On her cigarette smoke
She smiled in spite of herself
“Did you hear I got married?” she asked
“Russell and I... You don’t know him,”
“We got married about two years ago.”
His eyes traced up her from the table to her lips
Behind his horn-rimmed glasses.
“No,” he said. “No, I hadn’t heard that.”
“That’s really great, I’m happy for you.”
His voice was hoarse and thin
The flourescent light flickered and buzzed above them.
“I was engaged,” he told her.
“For a little while.”
He stared down at his food again
“She left me though.”
“My parents were mad at me about something,”
“And they stopped giving me money for a while.”
“Stacy and I started fighting, and it was just downhill from there.”
She pursed her lips, reaching out
And touching his hand
Quick and judiciously
“I’m really sorry to hear that,”
She said, her hand
Slipping back beneath the table
Almost as quickly as it had come
He looked up, his eyes lingering around her face
“Do you ever talk Rubin anymore?”
He asked
He picked up his fork
And began to chop idly at his eggs
“I put too much ketchup on these,” he muttered,
Not sure if it was too himself.
“I... I talked to him a couple times”
“About six months ago, or so.”
“It was right before I moved,” she told him,
Watching a happy couple pass the window.
“He’s good,” she said. “Rubin is always doing good.”
“He wanted to see me, but I don’t know if I wanted him to know me the way I am now.”
She laughed, quick and hard,
One puff through her nose
And her lips didn’t part.
“He probably thinks I’m a bitch now.”
He chuckled as well.
“Yeah, I know how Rubin is,” he said.
“He’s still around here, somewhere,” he said.
“He comes to my parties sometimes. I’m really glad.”
“I didn’t think he would ever forgive me.”
Her lips twisted around into a contorted smirk.
“He probably won’t ever forgive you,” she said.
“That’s the way he is. I’m surprised he ever forgave me.”
She sighed and looked down at her food.
“I thought he was going to kill you.”
He smiled and nodded his head.
“He certainly threatened enough times.”
He drummed his fingers on the table
“Still,” he said.
“It’s nice to have someone I know at my parties.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“All these faces,” he responded with a defeated smile.
“I recognize them, some of them I’ve known since I was very young.”
“But I don’t know what they are thinking any more.”
He shook his head as it dipped toward the table.
“They all smile and tell me they love me.”
“But I never see them in between, only when I buy the beer.”
“One time, I caught my best friend from high school having sex on my mom’s bed.”
He smiled half-heartedly.
“I know Rubin doesn’t like me.”
“I know Rubin never will like me.”
“He’s just there because his friends brought him along,”
“And I would never see him if they didn’t.”
“I can see that in his eyes when I try to talk to him.”
“He’s the only person there I can trust,”
“Because he doesn’t like me .”
“If he ever tried to fuck with me, he wouldn’t do it while telling me what a great friend I am.”
She nodded.
“He takes such pride in his reliability.”
He sighed, and seemed like he was about to bang his head on the table.
“God,” he said
“I really fucked up, didn’t I?”
“I mean... With both of you.”
“If the three of us could have been friends...”
He trailed off, and her hand came out from under the table again.
It completely covered his.
“It’s okay,” she said. “That was a long time ago.”
“But it’s not over,” he said.
“It’s not like I learned my lesson.”
“I just keep doing it again and again.”
He shook his head.
“I don’t think I can stop myself.”
She looked at her watch.
“I’ve got to get going,” she said.
“Russell went to see his parents, and should be getting back soon.”
He nodded, but didn’t look at her face.
“It was good seeing you,”
She said.
“I’m glad we got together.”
And he just answered, “Yeah,”
As he produced a crisp $20 bill from his wallet
And dropped it between their plates
Of uneaten food
He stood up
And they embraced
Quick, and impersonal at first
But then he pulled her close
And for a brief moment
It seemed that
God couldn’t separate them.
They let go
And she lingered
Like she was about to say something
But instead, just said, “Bye,”
And walked out the door
He stood there
Watching her
Unmoving, until after her car drove away
Before he collected up his coat
And left as well
In a diner
Not too far from where
I used to live
“It’s good to see you,”
She said
And lit a cigarette
Her eyes darted over the window behind him
She had quit smoking a long time ago
Because I asked her to
But I was just a name on a page
A sign in the long and winding road she traveled
“Why are you back in town?” he asked.
With a chuckle,
“Just visiting,”
She replied, breathing in
And exhaling a ghostly cloud
That circled around them and dissipated
She had moved far away
To a place from which she–
Intentionally–
Could not visit from often
Because there were too many memories here
There were too many memories long ago
In a day when I offered to join her
On this mad quest to escape
The one thing she could never escape
But she told me, “Too little, too late,”
And I was left behind
But that was a long time ago,
And I had almost forgotten
“Why did you want to see me?” she asked
She was having a hard time
Keeping her eyes on his face
He shrugged,
Looking down at the swirled plate of food
“I don’t know,” he said
“I guess...”
“I guess I just haven’t seen you in a long time,”
“And I thought it would be nice... to see you again”
“You know, see how you were doing and everything”
This made her choke
On her cigarette smoke
She smiled in spite of herself
“Did you hear I got married?” she asked
“Russell and I... You don’t know him,”
“We got married about two years ago.”
His eyes traced up her from the table to her lips
Behind his horn-rimmed glasses.
“No,” he said. “No, I hadn’t heard that.”
“That’s really great, I’m happy for you.”
His voice was hoarse and thin
The flourescent light flickered and buzzed above them.
“I was engaged,” he told her.
“For a little while.”
He stared down at his food again
“She left me though.”
“My parents were mad at me about something,”
“And they stopped giving me money for a while.”
“Stacy and I started fighting, and it was just downhill from there.”
She pursed her lips, reaching out
And touching his hand
Quick and judiciously
“I’m really sorry to hear that,”
She said, her hand
Slipping back beneath the table
Almost as quickly as it had come
He looked up, his eyes lingering around her face
“Do you ever talk Rubin anymore?”
He asked
He picked up his fork
And began to chop idly at his eggs
“I put too much ketchup on these,” he muttered,
Not sure if it was too himself.
“I... I talked to him a couple times”
“About six months ago, or so.”
“It was right before I moved,” she told him,
Watching a happy couple pass the window.
“He’s good,” she said. “Rubin is always doing good.”
“He wanted to see me, but I don’t know if I wanted him to know me the way I am now.”
She laughed, quick and hard,
One puff through her nose
And her lips didn’t part.
“He probably thinks I’m a bitch now.”
He chuckled as well.
“Yeah, I know how Rubin is,” he said.
“He’s still around here, somewhere,” he said.
“He comes to my parties sometimes. I’m really glad.”
“I didn’t think he would ever forgive me.”
Her lips twisted around into a contorted smirk.
“He probably won’t ever forgive you,” she said.
“That’s the way he is. I’m surprised he ever forgave me.”
She sighed and looked down at her food.
“I thought he was going to kill you.”
He smiled and nodded his head.
“He certainly threatened enough times.”
He drummed his fingers on the table
“Still,” he said.
“It’s nice to have someone I know at my parties.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“All these faces,” he responded with a defeated smile.
“I recognize them, some of them I’ve known since I was very young.”
“But I don’t know what they are thinking any more.”
He shook his head as it dipped toward the table.
“They all smile and tell me they love me.”
“But I never see them in between, only when I buy the beer.”
“One time, I caught my best friend from high school having sex on my mom’s bed.”
He smiled half-heartedly.
“I know Rubin doesn’t like me.”
“I know Rubin never will like me.”
“He’s just there because his friends brought him along,”
“And I would never see him if they didn’t.”
“I can see that in his eyes when I try to talk to him.”
“He’s the only person there I can trust,”
“Because he doesn’t like me .”
“If he ever tried to fuck with me, he wouldn’t do it while telling me what a great friend I am.”
She nodded.
“He takes such pride in his reliability.”
He sighed, and seemed like he was about to bang his head on the table.
“God,” he said
“I really fucked up, didn’t I?”
“I mean... With both of you.”
“If the three of us could have been friends...”
He trailed off, and her hand came out from under the table again.
It completely covered his.
“It’s okay,” she said. “That was a long time ago.”
“But it’s not over,” he said.
“It’s not like I learned my lesson.”
“I just keep doing it again and again.”
He shook his head.
“I don’t think I can stop myself.”
She looked at her watch.
“I’ve got to get going,” she said.
“Russell went to see his parents, and should be getting back soon.”
He nodded, but didn’t look at her face.
“It was good seeing you,”
She said.
“I’m glad we got together.”
And he just answered, “Yeah,”
As he produced a crisp $20 bill from his wallet
And dropped it between their plates
Of uneaten food
He stood up
And they embraced
Quick, and impersonal at first
But then he pulled her close
And for a brief moment
It seemed that
God couldn’t separate them.
They let go
And she lingered
Like she was about to say something
But instead, just said, “Bye,”
And walked out the door
He stood there
Watching her
Unmoving, until after her car drove away
Before he collected up his coat
And left as well
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