“How did you know I was thinking about it?”
“Your face is better than a flashing billboard. At least to me,” she added, laughing.
We had started toward the parking lot when I suddenly heard someone just behind me shout, “Diane? Hey?”
Even though my name wasn’t Diane, I turned and stopped walking.
The young man hurried to catch up. For a moment, I thought he was going to join someone else, but he came directly toward me. I recognized him immediately. Ava stepped up beside me. She either didn’t remember him or wanted to get me to ignore him, but he was too close.
It was the young man from Dante’s Inferno, Buddy Gilroy.
“Hi,” he said. “Remember me? Buddy Gilroy. You go to school here?”
“No,” Ava said. “We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses delivering the Watchtower. C’mon,” she said, tugging my arm.
“Very funny,” Buddy said, walking along. “I had a feeling I had seen you before when we met at Dante’s,” he told Ava.
She glanced at him. Suddenly, she stopped us, looked at me, and then turned to him. “What do you want?”
“Hey, I’m just saying hello. I didn’t mean to blow your cover or anything,” he replied, holding up his hands.
“You’re not blowing any cove
r,” she said. She thought a moment. “Where are the rest of your bosom buddies, Buddy?”
“Around,” he said. “Where are you heading?” he asked me.
I was afraid to speak.
“We’re going to Papa’s for some pizza.”
“Honest to God,” he said, raising his right hand. “I was heading there myself. Can I walk along with you?”
“Did you get your flu shot?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind,” Ava said. “Walk along.”
“Thanks. So what year are you?” he asked me.
“She’s only auditing today,” Ava answered for me.
“You’re not enrolled?”
“No,” I said.
“You didn’t tell us where you were from, Buddy,” Ava said.
“You didn’t ask.”
“Let me guess,” Ava said, pausing again. “Hemet or some other small California town?”
He laughed. “No. Born and raised in Long Beach.”
“Keep talking,” Ava said, continuing to walk. I realized what she was doing. She was making sure Buddy Gilroy was no renegade.
“I’m the oldest of three boys. My father is a dentist, and my mother works as his receptionist now. My father was a dentist in the navy.”