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“Must have been fun”

“H with Charlie And he asked me to move in with him”

Then she shakes her head as if she doesn’t want to remember She downs the rest of the martini I order us another couple, and hand them both to her All the better to loosen her up She was fuzzy headed that night She needs to be fuzzy headed now

“Drink up,” I urge

She gratefully tips the secondat that section of the pub, a fixed look on her face She sips the third drink as if she is barely aware of it in her hand

“Rachel was there,” she murmurs She walks over to the spot as if in a trance, and I follow Theanyway I take India’s hand and spin her in a circle

She gasps “Rachel says she’s sick She doesn’t feel well We’re going out of the bar That way” She points to a door A different one than we came in by

I take the cocktail glass out of her hand and put it down on a nearby table I guide her towards the back door She follows lazed I push open the door and we go outside It is dark now and the alley is not so well lit as the other street had been The streetlamps are spaced roup of people are standing on the street nearby, beer glasses and cigarettes in their hands, all chattering, oblivious to us

I take two of Rachel’sand hand one to her I light the She takes a long drag I take one too, because I a

“What were you and Rachel talking about?” I ask her “Was she bored? Did she want to go home?”

She is looking atRachel instead of ain, all the better to let her see the red dress

“She’s telling me I shouldn’t ry because Jacob shouldn’t have told her I wanted to tell her myself”

“Isn’t she happy that you’re going to move out?”

“She’s mad She doesn’t want ood I’lad I’ out She won’t have to be squashed in the same room with me anymore She won’t have to pay the rent and the bills for me anymore”

“And she says she doesn’t care about that, doesn’t she?” I say “She doesn’t care about the money She doesn’t want you toher time to fill in the blank