Accidentally Yours by Bettye Griffin

alone.”
    At a little after two a.m. Glenda suggested to Vivian that they leave, and Vivian agreed. The function would go on until four, but they had both gone to work that day and were tired. Besides, neither one of them liked the idea of sticking around until the lights were turned on full force and they were ready to close the doors.
    Bernard and Terry were disappointed at their decision to leave. “I guess we’ll be going, too, in a little while.” Bernard said. “It’s been a long day, and I’m not feeling that hot, to tell you the truth.”
    Vivian, suddenly remembering the mishaps that occurred with Gary and Gordon, felt her muscles tense. “You’re not feeling well?”
    “ Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Probably just working too hard. I’ll call you tomorrow, all right?”
    “ All right. Good night, Bernard.”
    The two friends were able to speak frankly once they were in the parking lot. “You either did a fabulous acting job or you were really having a nice time with Terry,” Vivian said.
    “ You know, he’s very nice. Charming, funny, intelligent. What more could a girl ask for?”
    “ Good looks would be nice.”
    “ All right, so he’s starting to look a little middle-aged. But sometimes people put too much emphasis on looks. He’s not ugly, he’s just an average Joe.”
    Vivian personally thought Terry had more teeth than Louis Armstrong, a thought she knew was best kept to herself. “What about Bobby?” she asked instead.
    “ Let’s say I’ve become disenchanted. He’s very unsophisticated, Viv.”
    “ What does that mean? Does he eat with his fingers or talk with his mouth full or something?”
    “ No. He’s boring, I guess. He’s lived in Long Island City all his life, and he seems content to stay there the rest of his life. He seems content with everything as it is, but he’s never done anything. He’s never eaten lobster. He’s never even been on an airplane.”
    “ Why is that, I wonder? He makes good money, doesn’t he?”
    “ Yes, but from what he’s told me I don’t think he did much when he was a kid, never went anywhere, never saw anything beyond Queens and Manhattan. Maybe because of that he never developed any curiosity or interest in the outside world or how people live in other places.”
    Vivian made a face. “No wonder he’s not married. Nobody wants his butt.”
    “ Anyway, since I’m not about to spend my life living in a cramped apartment in Long Island City, I think I’d better cut him loose. Hey, did Zack look good or what? I tell you, it’s not every man who can get away with wearing a red jacket. What happened to him, anyway? The last I saw, you two were dancing together.”
    “ I got sidetracked by Wilma Flintstone,” Vivian replied dryly. “I didn’t see him after that I didn’t see her, either, and in that ridiculous dress she would be easy to spot. Maybe they left together.”
    “ I know who you’re talking about. The zig-zaggy hemline with one shoulder out. Did she actually cut in while you were dancing?”
    “ No, but she must have been waiting for us to stop, because she grabbed him right away.” Vivian sighed. “But Bernard is nice. He’s a stockbrocker; lives in Riverdale.”
    “ Terry has one of those in-law apartments in a private house in White Plains. He’s a systems analyst. He asked me to lunch, since our offices aren’t too far from each other. We’re going on Tuesday.”
    “ You’re doing real good, Glenda. First Bobby, now Terry.”
    Lowering her chin to her chest, Glenda replied, “You sound like you haven’t been busy yourself, or were Gary and Gordon figments of your imagination?”
    “ At least you and Bobby got somewhere…before you found out he’s not interested in going anywhere, that is. Gary and Gordon were duds from the beginning. You’re way ahead of me.”
    “ Don’t sweat it. I’m six months older, remember?”

 
    Chapter 6
    Kind Hearts and Kidney Stones
    T hree weeks