Chapter XIV
June 29, 2006
William entered Applebee’s and approached the host station. He let them know he was
meeting a friend. David had come back in town and wanted to catch up. They hadn’t
seen each other in months.
William’s shirt was damp. He had done laundry earlier, but another tenant left
their clothes in the dryer. He waited forty-five minutes for them to pick them up,
checking the laundry room every ten minutes.
He arrived ten to fifteen minutes late. The dampness of the shirt made his arms
itchy.
He spotted David in a booth with an old classmate, Lisa Carter. He hadn’t known
they were seeing each other. As he approached, he saw a third person at the table.
He could only see the back of her head. She had long dark brown hair.
William realized David was trying to set him up with someone. He sighed. He thought
about turning around but David saw him and waved him over.
David thought William had a tough time in the aftermath of Emily leaving for
Washington DC. William believed he handled it well. But David pointed out if he
had, he wouldn’t have kept her toothbrush, tampons, or old shampoo bottles in the
bathroom.
William ended up throwing her stuff away at the end of May when it was certain she