boyfriends, was there when she graduated from college
with honors.” Alfred almost sounded like a proud father.
“And what about you, Alfred? What do you do?” Cindy
asked lightly.
“I’m a graphic designer,” Alfred replied. “I design
graphic horror novels .”
“That’s very impressive,” said Cindy.
“Thanks,” he replied. “Kara loves my work, too. She
always encourages me.”
“Were you ever boyfriend and girlfriend?” Cindy
couldn’t help but ask. “She had to get the question out there and see what
happened.”
“No, we never were,” said Alfred. “We didn’t need to
be. We were more than that. “
“More?” asked Cindy. “What’s more?”
“Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go, but really
good friends are there for a lifetime. Kara and I talked about it lots of
times.”
Cindy was fascinated by him and his relationship
with Kara. “You’re fortunate that Rowley feels okay about your friendship,”
Cindy couldn’t help but comment.
“Of course he feels okay, why shouldn’t he?” Alfred
was offended. “It was never romantic between Kara and me, ever.”
“Still, some men could have trouble with their wives
being so close to another man,” said Cindy.
“Sure, some guys could,” Alfred conceded, “but Kara
would never have gotten involved with someone like that. I’ll tell you one
thing right now. She would never, ever, ever let anyone get between her and
me.”
Cindy swallowed hard. Alfred’s feelings for Kara
were extremely intense. “And how do you feel about Rowley?” she went on.
“He’s okay.” Alfred turned and looked at Cindy with
a rumpled grin. “Rowley makes Kara happy, so I have to like him.”
“But do you like him, really?” asked Cindy.
“Rowley’s not someone I’d choose myself,” Alfred
continued. “Did you look at his Facebook page?”
“Not yet,” said Cindy, startled to realize that she
hadn’t yet done it.
“No big deal,” Alfred went on casually, “but when
you look at his page you’ll see that it’s full of pictures of all kinds of
women, with messages from them, too. The women like this guy and everyone knows
it. It’s his reputation. But still, Kara doesn’t mind at all.”
“How could she not mind it?” asked Cindy as they got
to the end of the block and stopped in front of an outdoor café.
“Want to get some coffee?” asked Alfred before they
turned the corner.
“Definitely,” said Cindy, more tired and thirsty
than she realized.
*
The café was open and inviting and it was wonderful
to sit down. Cindy ordered a latte and Alfred had the same. It was good that
the two of them felt so comfortable with each other, thought Cindy. Alfred was
obviously a treasure trove of information about Kara’s life.
Cindy decided to pick up right where they’d left
off. “Why didn’t Kara mind that Rowley was a ladies’ man?” she asked as they
waited for their coffee.
“Why should she?” Alfred was surprised. “Kara knew
that Rowley was totally, madly in love with her. He’d do anything for her. It
made her confident.”
The coffees came and Cindy took a long, slow drink
of hers. It was warm, spicy, and delicious.
“Was Kara right to have that kind of confidence in
Rowley?” Cindy asked as she put the glass back down on the table.
Alfred left his coffee untouched. “I always thought
so,” he said, “but how can you be sure? And besides, it’s never so good for a
woman to think a guy is totally, completely in love with her, either. It makes
him putty in her hands.”
“Was Rowley putty in Kara’s hands?” Cindy shot back,
intrigued.
“Yeah, of course he was,” said Alfred. “And how
could she really respect a guy like that? It had to backfire sooner or later, I
always thought.”
“Did you tell that to Kara?” Cindy was fascinated.
“Yeah, sure I told her,” said Alfred, “but she only
laughed. She said it wouldn’t backfire, that she liked it. She was glad Rowley
never
with honors.” Alfred almost sounded like a proud father.
“And what about you, Alfred? What do you do?” Cindy
asked lightly.
“I’m a graphic designer,” Alfred replied. “I design
graphic horror novels .”
“That’s very impressive,” said Cindy.
“Thanks,” he replied. “Kara loves my work, too. She
always encourages me.”
“Were you ever boyfriend and girlfriend?” Cindy
couldn’t help but ask. “She had to get the question out there and see what
happened.”
“No, we never were,” said Alfred. “We didn’t need to
be. We were more than that. “
“More?” asked Cindy. “What’s more?”
“Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go, but really
good friends are there for a lifetime. Kara and I talked about it lots of
times.”
Cindy was fascinated by him and his relationship
with Kara. “You’re fortunate that Rowley feels okay about your friendship,”
Cindy couldn’t help but comment.
“Of course he feels okay, why shouldn’t he?” Alfred
was offended. “It was never romantic between Kara and me, ever.”
“Still, some men could have trouble with their wives
being so close to another man,” said Cindy.
“Sure, some guys could,” Alfred conceded, “but Kara
would never have gotten involved with someone like that. I’ll tell you one
thing right now. She would never, ever, ever let anyone get between her and
me.”
Cindy swallowed hard. Alfred’s feelings for Kara
were extremely intense. “And how do you feel about Rowley?” she went on.
“He’s okay.” Alfred turned and looked at Cindy with
a rumpled grin. “Rowley makes Kara happy, so I have to like him.”
“But do you like him, really?” asked Cindy.
“Rowley’s not someone I’d choose myself,” Alfred
continued. “Did you look at his Facebook page?”
“Not yet,” said Cindy, startled to realize that she
hadn’t yet done it.
“No big deal,” Alfred went on casually, “but when
you look at his page you’ll see that it’s full of pictures of all kinds of
women, with messages from them, too. The women like this guy and everyone knows
it. It’s his reputation. But still, Kara doesn’t mind at all.”
“How could she not mind it?” asked Cindy as they got
to the end of the block and stopped in front of an outdoor café.
“Want to get some coffee?” asked Alfred before they
turned the corner.
“Definitely,” said Cindy, more tired and thirsty
than she realized.
*
The café was open and inviting and it was wonderful
to sit down. Cindy ordered a latte and Alfred had the same. It was good that
the two of them felt so comfortable with each other, thought Cindy. Alfred was
obviously a treasure trove of information about Kara’s life.
Cindy decided to pick up right where they’d left
off. “Why didn’t Kara mind that Rowley was a ladies’ man?” she asked as they
waited for their coffee.
“Why should she?” Alfred was surprised. “Kara knew
that Rowley was totally, madly in love with her. He’d do anything for her. It
made her confident.”
The coffees came and Cindy took a long, slow drink
of hers. It was warm, spicy, and delicious.
“Was Kara right to have that kind of confidence in
Rowley?” Cindy asked as she put the glass back down on the table.
Alfred left his coffee untouched. “I always thought
so,” he said, “but how can you be sure? And besides, it’s never so good for a
woman to think a guy is totally, completely in love with her, either. It makes
him putty in her hands.”
“Was Rowley putty in Kara’s hands?” Cindy shot back,
intrigued.
“Yeah, of course he was,” said Alfred. “And how
could she really respect a guy like that? It had to backfire sooner or later, I
always thought.”
“Did you tell that to Kara?” Cindy was fascinated.
“Yeah, sure I told her,” said Alfred, “but she only
laughed. She said it wouldn’t backfire, that she liked it. She was glad Rowley
never
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