16/11/2001 - 4:21 p.m.

Part 8

"Well, it's absolutely wonderful to run into you again, Mike," she gushed.

Lisa stared. Who the hell was this circus freak? She saw Michael glance at her and stopped staring. Whoever she was, she looked like a cheap hooker: short skirt, green hair, make-up she'd applied with a shovel. Lisa focused on her napkin, to keep herself from laughing, and listened to her rattle on.

"I just got back in town the other day, and I thought, maybe I should call up Mikey, we might go out for a drink or something, who knows? But something said, Paula, you don't know what it's been like for him since you've been gone, you shouldn't do call him up, you don't know what he might be doing, and the last thing I want to be is a nuisance. So, obviously, I changed my mind but now, here you are tonight. Isn't that just fantastic? How have you been? I've been fantastic, enjoyed the vacation very much, except for that whole thing at the airport, which, well, I'll tell you that story later, but oh, it was a nightmare. Is something wrong Mike, you haven't said a word to me? Are you worried that I'm upset, because I'm not. Now Michael, I just want you to know, I don't hold a grudge against you, I wouldn't have spoken to you at all if I did. I've forgiven you, and if you'd like to stay friends, that would be just great, but if you don't... Well, as long as that's settled, are you here with anybody?"

"She's sitting right there," Mike said, motioning to Lisa across the table.

Paula hooted with laugher. "Oh, I'd miss everything if it weren't pointed right out to me. I'm sorry dear, I'm Paula, I'm the ex. You're a sweet looking thing, what's your name?"

Lisa replied very graciously, she thought, considering the circumstances.

"Lisa, well, that's a nice name. It's German, isn't it? All right, well Mike, I've got to be going, I abandoned Janine (you remember her) at the table, and so I'll just see you around. Give me a call sometime, OK?"

She kissed Mike, stood, and retreated to her table. Lisa glanced at him.

"What was that?"

"That is just as she says. Her name's Paula, and she was my girlfriend for a while." Lisa stared. "I was a very different person then."

"Obviously," she replied.

He continued, "And, well, I broke up with her, and she left for Greece. I thought it was permanent, but obviously, it wasn't. It's rather a releif to discover that I picked up good tastes in the past year. I have no idea what I was thinking before."

Lisa knew it was probably a lie. It had probably been very dark, and he found himself committed the next morning, but it was nice to hear he hadn't been with anyone in a year.

Go to Part 9

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