18
Jeez!” Julia tried to recover her composure outside on the sidewalk. She raked a hand through her hair and smoothed down her sweater. “Man! Court, I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
Courtney grinned. “Are you kidding? I loved it!”
“Really?” Julia laughed with relief.
“Totally! For once, I wasn’t the Angry Black Woman. You were the Angry White Woman!”
Julia smiled. “I couldn’t help it. What a jerk!”
“Right?”
“You think it’s racial? Is that why?”
Courtney snorted. “Duh, and we’re women.”
“Strong women.”
“Hot women.”
They both laughed again. Julia exhaled, feeling looser. “God, I would kill for a decent cup of coffee right now.”
“Here? Good luck. There’s no DD, and the only restaurant around is May’s, in Ashland.”
“Too bad.” Julia could see that the street was practically desolate.
Dingy attached rowhomes lined the block, some boarded up.
There were almost no parked cars, and the sidewalk was broken in places.
Nobody was on the street, and two storefronts were boarded up and graffitied over.
“It really is a ghost town, isn’t it?” The breeze carried a whiff of a bad odor. “Do you smell that?”
“Yes, we’re downwind from the mine fire. There’s an open vent not far from here.”
“A vent? From the earth?”
“Yes. You just breathed toxic gas, but no worries.” Courtney sighed.
“I remember when this town was hoppin’. I used to get Snickers at the Qwik-Mart, and Grandma Kay got my hair cut at Jay’s, there.
” She pointed to the boarded storefronts, shaking her head.
“Only Jacie’s is left, the drugstore. We can get ice cream there. Old-school, not bougie.”
“I can deal with that.”
“Great minds.”
Jacie’s drugstore turned out to be narrow and empty, with flickering overhead lights and a jaundiced linoleum floor.
There were four aisles of white metal shelves half-full of dusty products, with old signs like FEMININE ITEMS. In the back were refrigerated cases of beverages and a case of ice cream novelties.
Julia looked through the frosty glass at Strawberry Shortcake bars, Bomb Pops, Fudgsicles, and Nutty Buddy cones. “Are we in finals again?”
“Yes, and you’re my Nutty Buddy.” Courtney glanced over with a smile, her pretty face illuminated by the lights from the case, and Julia’s heart lifted to see her happy, even briefly.
Later, they sat on a bench in front of the drugstore. “Okay, this is delicious,” Julia said, eating her ice cream sandwich. “All we have in Italy is gelato.”
“Poor you.”
“Seriously, this is better.” Julia wasn’t kidding. She licked the side of the sandwich.
“You can’t beat Strawberry Shortcake.” Courtney raised her bar, embedded with pink and gold bits.
“What’s the stuff on it, anyway?”
“Straight-up carcinogens?” Courtney winked. Her phone rang, and she checked the screen, brightening. “Good, it’s Paul, probably at the airport.”
“Put him on speaker so I can say hi.”
Courtney pressed the button. “Hey, honey, how are you?”
“Bad,” Paul answered, sounding miserable. “I missed the flight.”
Courtney grimaced. “How?”
“I got held up at the conference, then traffic sucked and the Uber driver missed the exit.”
“When’s the next flight?”
“There isn’t one. There’s connections, but I won’t get there in time.”
“What?” Courtney’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t miss the funeral.”
Oh shit. Julia’s heart sank.
“I can’t help it, babe. I’m sorry, I really am—”
“Paul, you can’t.” Courtney frowned, hurt.
“Maybe I can make the lunch after? Is there a lunch?”
“Then don’t come.” Courtney snapped, hanging up. “Do you believe him?”
The phone rang again, but she silenced it.
Julia felt terrible for her. “It’s not like him.”
“It is now, Jules. You remember College Paul. You don’t know Asshole Paul.” Courtney fumed. “You associate him with Mike. He’s not Mike, he was never Mike. They were both basketball players, but they were different men. Mike was the scholar-athlete, and Paul was the dumb jock.”
“No, don’t say that. Paul’s not dumb.”
“I have a dumb husband. I know it.” Courtney sighed, pained.
“He can’t miss the funeral. Grandma Kay loved him.
She was so good to him. She treated him like a son.
She deserves better from him.” Her eyes filmed with bitter tears.
“You know, I manage sales reps. When the lousy ones want out, they don’t say so, they just screw up.
That’s Paul. If he were my rep, I’d fire his ass. It’s like he wants to get fired.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Julia worried that things were worse than she’d thought.
“No rep of mine would miss a flight.” Courtney shook her head. “It’s ironic when you can rely on your employees more than your husband.”
“You don’t want to fire him, do you?”
“I don’t fucking know.”
“You’re upset now. Let yourself cool down.”
“Right, let’s let it go for now. We have things to do.” Courtney finished her ice cream, subdued again, and Julia could imagine how hard this was for her, with her grief so fresh.
“Do you still want to see Shenandoah Preservation? If you don’t, I get it.”
“I do, I want to.”
“What is it anyway?” Julia finished her ice cream. “I can’t believe he told you not to look at your phone.”
“I know, right? I have a constitutional right to google.” Courtney read from her phone.
“‘Shenandoah Preservation is a coalition of local conservation districts, watershed groups, and the mining industry. Our mission is to reclaim and redevelop land that was harmed by the past practices of the mining companies. Anthracite, semi-anthracite, and bituminous coal fields mark northeastern and north central Pennsylvania. Abandoned minelands and polluted mine drainage are all over the Susquehanna region, one of the six major watershed basins in the Commonwealth.’”
“Sounds good. What’s the contact info?” Julia folded up her sticky wrapper. “We can go meet the guy if he’ll see us.”
“Oh, he’ll see us.” Courtney’s gaze shifted slyly. “He was my first boyfriend.”
“Whoa!” Julia burst into astonished laughter. “Really?”
“Yes.” Courtney’s eyes lit up. “Remember I told you about the guy from Penn State? The one with the long hair?”
“He’s the Nittany Lion?”
Courtney snorted. “Don’t tell him I call him that. His name is Alex Dudek.”
“Let me see his picture.” Julia tried to grab the phone, but Courtney held it away.
“No, keep your hands to yourself. It’s not on the website.”
“Google Image him.”
“No, I refuse. Chill. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Is he married?”
“I don’t know. I finally stopped stalking him online. He never posted anything personal anyway.” Courtney smiled. “Not gonna lie, I loved the guy. It wasn’t just a fling.”
“Not ‘summer lovin’, had me a blast’?”
“Don’t make me sing.” Courtney grinned. “You know I want to.”
“So do I.” Julia grinned back. “Were you hopelessly devoted?”
“Hopelessly.” Courtney sighed theatrically. “We parted friends when he left for college. We wrote each other for a while, then let it go.” She perked up, startled. “Uh-oh. If Alex runs the clean-ups, he must’ve known Grandma Kay.”
“Did she ever mention him?”
“No, but she didn’t know about us. We snuck around.” Courtney pursed her lips. “His uncle had a hunting cabin in the woods, and that’s where Alex lived. He was doing volunteer work, collecting samples of the watershed.”
Julia gave her a playful shove. “So the Nittany Lion got your Strawberry Shortcake?”
“Grow up.” Courtney shoved her back.
“Does Paul know Alex was your first?”
“No, I told him I didn’t have sex till I was eighteen.” Courtney smiled. “It’s sex math.”
Julia chuckled. “What’s sex math?”
“You add to the age you lost your virginity. You subtract from the number of lovers.”
Julia laughed. “Not me.”
“No, because you were a nun. Now leave me alone, I’m calling Alex.” Courtney stood up and stepped away from the bench, raising the phone to her ear.
Julia waited on the bench, watching Courtney talking on the phone.
They’d been through everything together, and she couldn’t even remember them fighting, except for this one time in college.
She flashed on it now, thinking of the time they’d been studying at a table in Hesburgh Library, which was watched over by Touchdown Jesus.
Julia noticed a guy at another table looking over at them.
He was handsome, with reddish-brown hair, dark eyes, and nice smile, and he had a preppy look in a brown sweater and jeans.
Julia glanced back at him, shyly. She didn’t have a boyfriend, unlike Courtney and every other girl she knew, and her gaze kept straying to the guy.
Courtney nudged her, then whispered, That guy keeps looking at you.
Julia reddened. I think he’s looking at you.
No, it’s you.
It could be you. Crazier things have happened.
No, they haven’t. I’m a virgin for life.
They both laughed, but Julia wished she were kidding. She and Courtney were both pretty, but Courtney was the extrovert, a typical Leo. They’d met in drama club in high school, and there was a reason Courtney was the stage manager while Julia painted sets, literally behind the scenes.
Jules, he’s definitely looking at you. Courtney chuckled. Dude, take a picture, it’ll last longer.
He’s so cute.
You think? Courtney wrinkled her nose. I don’t.
Are you nuts? He looks like Zack in Saved by the Bell.
So? Mario Lopez was hotter.
I’m Team Zack.
Anyway, forget this dude. He can’t be your first. I’m Quality Control.
Julia stole another glance at the guy, and he was closing his textbook, slipping it in his backpack, and beelining for their table. Holy shit. He’s coming over, isn’t he?
Yes, he’s coming for you. Look alive.
No, he’s coming for you.
They’re never coming for me.
This one is. Bet me ten bucks.
Julia’s mouth went dry when the boy arrived at her side of the table.
Go Birds, he said, flashing a dazzling smile.
What? Julia asked, flustered. She looked into his eyes, which were a thoughtful brown, if that were biologically possible.
You’re wearing an Eagles shirt.
Oh, right. Julia looked down at her rumpled T-shirt, wishing she’d dressed better. All her friends dressed up to study, like the library was a display case. Julia usually tried to look nice, too, just in case she met somebody. Unfortunately, she’d picked the wrong day not to dress just-in-case.
I’m from Radnor. Went to the Haverford School.
Oh, cool, Julia said, becoming aware that she had no game whatsoever.
My name’s Matt Winger. What’s yours?
Uh, Julia Pritzker, she answered after a moment, like she forgot her own name.
I’m in the business school. How about you?
I’m, uh, only a freshman.
Undergrad? Wow, you look older. Matt’s eyebrows lifted, and his dark, shiny bangs feathered against his forehead. I’ve seen you here before.
You have?
Yes, you study here, don’t you?
Right, of course, I do. Julia studied here all the time. She couldn’t get it together.
Meanwhile, Courtney was scribbling on a piece of paper, ripping it out of her notebook, and handing it to Matt.
Dude, this is Julia’s number. She’s too shy to give it to you. Call her. She likes you and she’s totally free.
Julia burst into astonished laughter. Courtney!
Thanks, will do. Matt grinned, palmed the paper, and walked away, his backpack hanging on his shoulder. Bye for now, Julia.
Courtney winked, grinning crookedly. You owe me ten bucks.
Why’d you give him my number, if you didn’t like him for me?
I gave him a fake number, rookie.
Julia came out of her reverie, looking up as Courtney pocketed her phone and came over with a grin.
“Okay, we’re good to go. Ready to meet Alex?”
“Totally.” Julia could see Courtney was excited, which lifted her spirits.
“And don’t call him the Nittany Lion.”
“Don’t tempt me.”