Free Friday Mornings at Nine by Marilyn Brant Page B

firing back a reply.
    Jenn: She’s gotta like Wings. Everybody liked them.
    She hit return and began to type a new line. She got as far as Or what about John Len —before her message was interrupted by his.
    David: Nope. Not “Silly Love Songs.” Not Lennon’s solo stuff. She called “Imagine” BORING once.
    Jennifer didn’t know what to say to this. How about: That’s what you get for leaving me after nearly three years together, running away from our future plans and marrying a little twit five years younger than you. Tempting as it would be to fling this back at him, she refrained.
    David: Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work. I wanted to run some places on campus by you, but I’ve got a better idea now.
    She waited as he typed a new line, literally holding her breath and wondering what his “better idea” would be.
    David: Mitch e-mailed me a list of possible bars, restaurants, dining halls and stuff. But it’s been a while since I visited C-IL-U. Have you been there recently?
    Jenn: No.
    David: Maybe we could check it out together. It’s been so long, I’m not sure what’d be good anymore. Plus, it’d be nice to catch up in person before the reunion, maybe even take a trip to Russia.
    Translation from David-Code: Visit their restaurant. The Winter Palace. The one that served the best Chicken Kiev west of St. Petersburg.
    Oh, God. Go back to campus? With HIM?
    Jenn: Is it still there?
    David: I think so. I HOPE so. I know it’s a lot of time to be gone in one day, but if you’re able to, I’d really appreciate your help. Your husband wouldn’t mind, would he? You hanging out with an old friend for a few hours?
    Michael wouldn’t be aware of the degree of danger—that was what she thought . But that wasn’t what she typed .
    Jenn: No. Would Marcia?
    David: Nah.
    The reply came back perhaps too quickly, and she was confused by the turn their messaging had taken. It was followed by a line far more confounding, however.
    David: It’s just an innocent get-together to scout locations. And we could meet somewhere we both know well. At the front doors of the library, maybe. How far of a drive is it for you? 2 hours?
    Jenn: A little less. You?
    David: About 3. But it’d be interesting to see some of those campus hot spots again.
    With her?
    Jenn: Well, yes…
    He didn’t wait for her to construct an excuse.
    David: What are your Fridays like?
    Jenn: Not good. I have yoga.
    David: Yoga? WTF?!
    Even in text form, he couldn’t disguise his shock. In his defense, she’d been pretty anti-floor-exercise in college. Unless he counted the number of times they’d had sex on his sleeping bag in his parents’ basement.
    Jenn: It’s for health reasons.
    She didn’t bother explaining she’d had to do something to counterbalance her techie side. She lived so much of her life in her head. And, besides, her doctor had ordered her to do it to “manage her anxiety,” which she always tried to keep hidden. But her blood pressure told the truth, so she’d had no choice but to sign up for classes.
    Jenn: I’ve been going every Friday morning for the past couple of years. It’s a nonnegotiable part of my routine.
    This, of course, wasn’t strictly true. She met her friends an hour before yoga was set to begin. She actually left the Indigo Moon Café in time to make it to the gym only about once every third week. But her ex-boyfriend didn’t need to know this, particularly since her husband didn’t.
    David: Well, you always were flexible.
    She swallowed and tried to push away the memories that pummeled her at these words, not to mention his insinuations. She didn’t answer.
    David: So, okay—not Fridays. How about a Thursday then? Not next week. I’ve got a presentation scheduled, but maybe the next one?
    Jenn: Bluetooth?
    She was, of course, aware that even though he wasn’t living in California he was still working full time in the high-tech computer world. But she could only guess at what, specifically,