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The two stood waiting for the walk to start, neither one making conversation. Veronica took a bite of her danish, the sugary pastry tasting bland in her mouth.
"Looks like Jason isn't here," Nancy commented, looking around at the crowd.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," Veronica said in a monotone.
"I wonder what happened to him?" Nancy mused, glancing sideways at Veronica. Veronica shrugged and took another bite of the danish, chewing it mechanically.
Doug's voice boomed out loud: "Okay everyone, looks like most of us are here! Let's get going!"
Everyone began moving together, naturally breaking off into smaller groups as they chatted among themselves. Veronica and Nancy walked alone together. Veronica looked at the danish and didn't want it anymore. She threw it to the side of the path, onto the fallen leaves. Nancy looked over as it landed and glanced at Veronica, but didn't say anything.
After some time she asked, "So, how are things going with Greg?"
"Fine," Veronica answered.
"Anything exciting coming up? Going on any trips?"
Veronica paused a second before answering. "No, Greg and I haven't been on a trip since our honeymoon, and even that was pretty meager."
"Aw, that's too bad," Nancy said. "I'm thinking of going North to do a little camping soon, before the weather gets too cold."
"Good for you," Veronica replied, staring straight ahead.
Nancy didn't respond for a few minutes, but instead started the conversation up again on a different note: "So, that Jason guy ... you two seemed to be getting quite chummy together, huh?"
Veronica's heart sank again and she swallowed.
"No, not really," she said.
"No?" Nancy replied. "I mean, I remember seeing you two walking together more than once, and a few times I could've sworn you two were missing from the group. At least, I wasn't able to find you."
"No, we talked a few times, but it turns out that we didn't really ... mesh," Veronica ended lamely.
"Hmm, that's too bad," Nancy said. "So I'm assuming you never told Greg about him, then?"
Veronica looked over at Nancy for the first time since they start
ed walking.
"Why would I tell Greg?" she asked.
"Oh, no reason. Just to catch up on your day. You know, 'hey, I met a new person at my walking club', that type of thing."
"Oh," Veronica said, looking forward again. "No, it never came up."
"Hmm," Nancy replied, but she didn't push the topic any more.
They kept on in silence for the rest of the walk. At the break the group stopped to sit at some picnic tables. Veronica and Nancy grabbed a seat together at a table. Veronica looked over and saw a copse of trees which she and Jason had used as cover during one of their romps. She stared at it, sullen, and Nancy glanced at her, expressionless.
The break ended and the group got to their feet to continue walking. The walk seemed to be going forever. Veronica just wanted it to end and get away from this place with its memories and its people. But she couldn't right now. She had to keep going, surrounded by happy people, by people who didn't have the kind of trouble that she had. Nancy had given up trying to start a conversation, and the two simply walked in silence, Veronica staring straight ahead while Nancy glanced sideways at her friend from time to time.
Finally, thankfully, they had reached the parking lot again. Veronica felt relieved, and she turned to Nancy.
"I'm sorry I wasn't very good company today, Nancy," she said.
"Oh, that's fine," Nancy replied. "We all have our off-days."
"Mine might be an off-life," she tried to joke, but Nancy didn't smile. After a moment, "Well, anyway, I'll see you later."
