"So why did you stand me up last week" the short dark-haired girl asked her blonde companion. They seemed an unlikely pair. Renata, the dark haired questioner wore no make-up, her outfit black except for the splashes of dried, brightly colored paint on her workshirt. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her only jewelry were rows of steel plugs that started at her earlobes and went up, outlining the outer ridge of her ears. Her friend, Anne, was, in contrast a tall blonde with perfectly coiffed hair, matching pearl earrings and necklace and a prim white blouse and gray flannel skirt that made her look like she had just come from hosting a benefit lunch at the country club.
It was hard to believe that the two would have anything in common, but, in fact, they had been closest friends since elementary school. They had attended the same high school and then applied to, and were accepted at, the same college where they were roommates for all four years. Everyone marveled at how two people who were so completely different could be so close, but the two were inseparable, so much so that their friends all began to think of "AnneandRenata" as being one word. Throughout college, they double-dated. The partners changed, with Renata for a time dating men and later, after admitting to herself and everyone else her real orientation, a number of beautiful young women experimenting with their own sexuality. Anne, had fewer different dates, but each of them seemed to be the men most looked up to on campus. Although the identity of their dates changed, the one constant was the female odd couple of Anne and Renata.
Their friendship continued after graduation and after Anne married Bob,. Renata was, of course the maid of honor. And when Anne gave birth to twins two years later, Renata waited in the waiting room, seething because she had not been allowed to be present in the birthing room because she was neither spouse nor relative. Even after that, the two continued to meet to catch up every Friday afternoon at a funky little tea shop in town. They missed their weekly tea only for the most important occasions and the previous week had been one such week.
"I didn't stand you up," Anne said, "I told you I had to go to that three-day staff conference".
"Oh yeah, I remember. How was it?"
Anne stared into her tea while she slowly stirred it. "It was fine," she said and then slowly continued stirring her tea.
"C'mon, we've known each other for too long for you to try to fool me. What's up".
Anne's mouth tightened and she appeared to be carefully considering what to say next. "Ren, if I tell you something do you promise to keep it completely secret, I mean not tell anybody, anybody at all?"
"Baby, we've been keeping secrets for more than twenty years, I'm not going to rat you out now."
"We'll it's just that I did something kind of wrong and I need to talk about it."
After several moments of silence, Ren tried to break the tension, "C'mon, what'd you do, use the wrong fork for your fish or wear the wrong color shoe for the season."
"Just because you resent the fact that some people sometimes wear clothes that aren't black or eat with something other than chopsticks, don't take it out on me. No, this is serious."
"So tell me", Renata said, staring across the table at her blushing friend who seemed to be struggling to speak. After several minutes of silence, Renata's eyebrows raised and she exclaimed "Oh my God, Annie, are you telling me you fucked a man other than your husband."
Anne hurriedly looked around the restaurant and after she had assured herself that no one had overheard, said "Ren, you know I hate when you speak like that and no, I didn't f . . . . I, I didn't do that!"
"So what's the big secret?"
Anne said, It's kind of a long story."
"Baby, I have all day and I love long stories."
"Okay, well, every two years we have this big staff conference and we have three days of boring seminars. On the final night, there's always a big dinner in the hotel ballroom with a band and dancing. That night, I was sitting next to this new guy named Dan who is just out of college. He doesn't work in my group, but he doesn't get along well with his supervisor so when he has a question or wants to get suggestions about dealing with his supervisor, he comes to me. So I've kind of become a mentor to him.
"I think I see where this is headed," Renata said, "Anne, you cougar."
"Shut up, Ren. Anyway, I'm only four years older than him."
"Four?" Renata asked.
"Okay seven, but I look like I'm his age. Anyway, our relationship was always strictly professional . . . ."
"That is until Anne the cougar went out hunting!" Renata said.
"Shut up, Ren. So he had had a few drinks and was upset because he had gotten a nasty e-mail from his supervisor and, with all of the talk about lay-offs, was really scared. He had just gotten married, right out of college, and both he and his wife had huge school loans so he couldn't afford to lose his job".
"So," Anne continued, "he was telling me about this incident with his supervisor, but the music was so loud we could barely hear each other. We were practically screaming into each other ears and a couple of times, he put his hand on my shoulder to steady himself as he talked. I thought he was being a bit familiar, but I figured he needed to lean over really far to speak with me and I could see why he had to balance himself".
"So, it was hard to speak, either the music was too loud and we couldn't hear, or when, the music stopped, he was afraid someone would overhear so he asked if we could step outside the ballroom to speak"
"Ah, the plot thickens," said Renata. "Tell me, is this guy cute?"
Anne thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah, I guess he is. He's tall and thin with long dark hair. Looks kind of like a nineteenth century poet or something. He's got this vulnerable feeling about him, makes you want to mother and protect him."
