Paul Lerner had
thought that, with his three sons safely married, his days of going to weddings
were thankfully over. Then came the invitation from his wife
Sallys college roommate; her daughter was being married in
Florida. Why not go, asked Sally, then take a Caribbean cruise that
just happened to be leaving at that time? Paul indicated his lack
of enthusiasm but knew that once Sally had made up her mind there was no use
arguing and so the arrangements were made.
Paul was sitting
by himself at the wedding reception, hundreds of people swarming around him,
and Sally off somewhere talking to old friends. Hed noticed
that Sally, who was originally from Georgia, had taken to talking in a Southern
accent she never used back in California. He saw the tall,
dark-haired woman hed noticed before standing by herself at the
bar. She looked to be in her forties, was quite attractive, wore a
stylish suit in contrast to the frilly dresses around her and seemed to be
observing the activities with amusement.
Paul made his way to the
woman. Hi, he said. New York?
Boston now,
but brought up in Manhattan. And you?
The
Bronx. Hunter College?
Ah,
hah. Maybe Ive seen you before. Football weekends
at Yale.
Maybe. Lots of parties.
I
wouldnt have been there. I was scholarship. I probably
served you in the dining room.
I remember
one uppity waiter.
Could have
been me. Whats in Boston?
My husband,
before we divorced. Now a law firm. Youre not
still in New York?
California. Went out many years ago. I work for
the State.
And with
three sons. My wife went to college with the mother of the
bride.
Im a
cousin of the grooms father. One of the
Yankees.
The band started
playing, slow music for once. Dance? she said.
When the dance was over, Paul found Sally
by his side. I saw you dancing, she said. I was
surprised.
Uh, this is
my wife Sally, Paul said. Im sorry, I never asked your
name.
I want my
friends to meet you, Sally told Paul.
Right. Nice
talking with you, he said to Grace. And dancing.
As Sally led Paul away, she said, I
thought you didnt dance.
I was
standing right next to her when the music started. What else could I
do?
Paul remembered that when hed met
Sally in San Francisco, he was attracted by her soft Southern voice, in
contrast to the harsh nasal tones of the girls he knew in New York.
But if
hed met a girl like Grace he might not have gone out to California.