watched TV and thought about exercising while she polished off the rest of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. As she let the last bit melt slowly on her tongue, she had a revelation: she didn’t miss Lois. She did miss her presence, but she didn’t miss her. There seemed to be a major distinction between the two. This is what a therapist would call a breakthrough. She set aside the ice cream container and decided it was quicker than therapy even if it was hard on the hips. Adrian had urged her to go again, but she’d had enough for a lifetime … first after her parents died, then after the fire. Both of those times she’d been sure therapy would help, but this time she didn’t feel like talking to anyone about anything.
Sex had been the only thing that had worked between her and Lois, and that had only worked for a while not that Anthea had noticed nothing else wasn’t working between them. She had thought everything was fine.
She missed stimulating conversation and comforting companionship. She doubted she would get either from Shay Sumoto, who certainly had an attitude. But anything would be better than what she’d been going through. Tomorrow she’d spare a pitying thought for Lois. Feeling pity instead of pain seemed like a step in the right direction.
Shay looked up from her spot at Milvia and University, trying to see if any of the approaching cars was driven by Anthea. She should have asked what kind of car Anthea drove. Something expensive,
she suspected. She yawned, despite the extra half-hour sleep she’d given herself. She’d been standing on the corner for almost fifteen minutes, having deliberately arrived early so she could stow a change of clothes in the pizza parlor behind her. For some reason she didn’t want Anthea to know she was working two jobs. She didn’t want to explain about her father’s death and suffer any chance of letting other people see how devastated she still was. That was one reason moving and finding roommates was not an option. There was too much pain yet.
A pale blue Acura Legend was pulling up to the curb yes, the driver was Anthea. Obviously she was entering Yuppie-land. She buckled up and answered Anthea’s smile with one of her own. She hoped it was genuine-looking. Maybe they could just forget about that little incident with the truck.
Anthea asked sweetly, “Need a towel for the seat?”
Or maybe not. Shay felt herself flush a little hopefully not enough to redden her olive-brown skin, thank goodness and said, “No, but thanks for the offer.”
“You’re welcome.” Anthea laughed, then said, “Just teasing.” She guided the Legend carefully out into traffic. It accelerated evenly and in almost total quiet, Shay thought, unlike her own ‘81 Horizon.
“Are you always this cheerful in the morning?” Shay stifled a yawn.
“An old roommate used to say I had obnoxious morning disorder.”
That about covered it, Shay thought. Anthea was goddamned perky. She realized Anthea was still talking.
“In my last car pool,” Anthea went on, “we took turns driving by week.”
“Sounds good,” Shay said. “I’ll make an extra effort to be awake when I’m driving. “
“Well, good, that’s settled,” Anthea said cheerily. “I’ll try to control my good mood in the morning. It’s my best time.”
Maybe she’s an alien, Shay thought. “If you get too obnoxious, I’ll ask you to perk down.”
“That’s a deal,” Anthea said.
God, Shay thought. She was relentless with good humor. But they were already onto the freeway and it was too late to bail out of the car. And, before it seemed humanly possible, Anthea was navigating the interchange to 1-880 and working her way into the car pool lane which began just north of Hayward. The access roads that led to both the San Mateo and Dumbarton bridges were backed all the way out onto the freeway, but their lane whizzed by without a slowdown.
Anthea turned on the radio to get the
Sex had been the only thing that had worked between her and Lois, and that had only worked for a while not that Anthea had noticed nothing else wasn’t working between them. She had thought everything was fine.
She missed stimulating conversation and comforting companionship. She doubted she would get either from Shay Sumoto, who certainly had an attitude. But anything would be better than what she’d been going through. Tomorrow she’d spare a pitying thought for Lois. Feeling pity instead of pain seemed like a step in the right direction.
Shay looked up from her spot at Milvia and University, trying to see if any of the approaching cars was driven by Anthea. She should have asked what kind of car Anthea drove. Something expensive,
she suspected. She yawned, despite the extra half-hour sleep she’d given herself. She’d been standing on the corner for almost fifteen minutes, having deliberately arrived early so she could stow a change of clothes in the pizza parlor behind her. For some reason she didn’t want Anthea to know she was working two jobs. She didn’t want to explain about her father’s death and suffer any chance of letting other people see how devastated she still was. That was one reason moving and finding roommates was not an option. There was too much pain yet.
A pale blue Acura Legend was pulling up to the curb yes, the driver was Anthea. Obviously she was entering Yuppie-land. She buckled up and answered Anthea’s smile with one of her own. She hoped it was genuine-looking. Maybe they could just forget about that little incident with the truck.
Anthea asked sweetly, “Need a towel for the seat?”
Or maybe not. Shay felt herself flush a little hopefully not enough to redden her olive-brown skin, thank goodness and said, “No, but thanks for the offer.”
“You’re welcome.” Anthea laughed, then said, “Just teasing.” She guided the Legend carefully out into traffic. It accelerated evenly and in almost total quiet, Shay thought, unlike her own ‘81 Horizon.
“Are you always this cheerful in the morning?” Shay stifled a yawn.
“An old roommate used to say I had obnoxious morning disorder.”
That about covered it, Shay thought. Anthea was goddamned perky. She realized Anthea was still talking.
“In my last car pool,” Anthea went on, “we took turns driving by week.”
“Sounds good,” Shay said. “I’ll make an extra effort to be awake when I’m driving. “
“Well, good, that’s settled,” Anthea said cheerily. “I’ll try to control my good mood in the morning. It’s my best time.”
Maybe she’s an alien, Shay thought. “If you get too obnoxious, I’ll ask you to perk down.”
“That’s a deal,” Anthea said.
God, Shay thought. She was relentless with good humor. But they were already onto the freeway and it was too late to bail out of the car. And, before it seemed humanly possible, Anthea was navigating the interchange to 1-880 and working her way into the car pool lane which began just north of Hayward. The access roads that led to both the San Mateo and Dumbarton bridges were backed all the way out onto the freeway, but their lane whizzed by without a slowdown.
Anthea turned on the radio to get the
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