She was ".She was "...almost forty, and no, I'm not worried about it," and she had two kids that were attending college. Her husband was in international trade, and they had been married for more than twenty years. "I hope your marriage lasts at least as long as mine," Margot smiled. I smiled back, thinking, "If Margot only knew..." We talked about the joy of being newlyweds, and she playfully warned me that I had better keep treating Victoria well. Dinner was ready in a fairly short time, and the three of us continued to blab through the meal. I cleared the dishes after dessert while the women smoked and talked some more. Victoria came into the kitchen after a few minutes. She grabbed me from behind, wrapping her arms around my chest. "Do you like our new friend and neighbor?" she asked quietly. I hummed affirmatively while I finished drying a plate, and she gave me a little squeeze. "She is very nice lady." There was a pause after that, and I waited for the "but" I sensed was coming. "Is sad. Her husband is away very often now. She is lonely." "Honey, you didn't..." I said quietly, fearing that my wife had bitten one of our neighbors. "Nooo," Victoria musically protested. "Some things you just need to be a woman for," she said cryptically. She opened another bottle of wine, saying, 'We will be in the living room when you are finished." Once the kitchen had been cleaned, I rejoined the women as requested. Margot certainly didn't seem depressed or lonely; she told some hilarious stories about her kids. It was an entertaining conversation, probably helped along by the three bottles of wine we shared. Eventually Margot left for home, leaving Victoria and me alone. Nothing happened that night, because _Victoria_ had to get up early. To prepare for cooking class. As she put it, "When you live on blood for 90 years, who needs to learn how to cook?" Friday, we went out to dinner, then dancing afterwards. |