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“When I was in the army, I got shipped to Italy. I took a train ride to Croatia and found this little village that looked like something from a postcard. People were friendly. The pace of life was slower. Of course, that’s all changed by now. I’m sure it’s as modern as the net can make it. Every kid probably has a cell phone. I don’t mind that. I have a hankering to sit in a café, sip a beer, and look at the mountains. We don’t have any mountains around here. You might say that café is on my bucket list. Might be if I had one.”
He stopped, leaving me speechless. I didn’t know what to say. Then, he continued.
“I want you to know because I’ll be out of touch for a while. Don’t expect to hear from me. Tell Emily that I’m thinking of her.”
“Is it a woman?” I asked.
He looked at me hard for an entire minute. I supposed he was debating on just how much he could reveal.
“Ain’t it always a woman? I told her I was coming back. And I meant what I said. When I got home, I ran into Wynelle, and I knew I wasn’t going back. I never wrote. I never tried to find out anything about her. I’m guessing she married, had kids, and enjoyed life. I hope she did. I know I did. But I never forgot. That’s the kicker. I never forgot. You ever wonder about dreams?”
“Dreams?” I shook my head. “I suppose I’m as puzzled as anyone, but I don’t wonder too much.”
“In dreams, people you haven’t seen in a long time always look like they did when you knew them. You know they had to change. Time changes everyone. But your memory doesn’t have a current picture if you know what I mean. So, you dream of the old them. I know that she has changed. It’s been a long time. But I still see her as she was. I’m going to be terribly disappointed, aren’t I?”
“I like to think that our connections are deeper than skin. Sure, everyone changes, but they don’t change where it counts. Know what I mean?”
“I want to think like you. But I’m no Pollyanna. I know what to expect.”
“Let me know how it goes?”
“Sure, Jasmine, I’ll tell ya what an old fool does with his spare change.” He laughed. “I’m sure it will chase away any false hopes I may have.”
We went back inside, where Emily was stacking her presents by the tree.
“There are too many to take on the plane,” Emily said. “Grandma is going to send them.”
“That would be very nice.”
We left after that, and I drove to my parents, wondering if Codrin had gone to Arizona to check out some past infatuation. Wasn’t it always a woman?
I worked from my parents’ house for days after Christmas. I talked to Codrin exactly once. He was very busy with his parents, as they had decided to move from their house to a condo. I accepted that as a valid excuse. I wasn’t happy, but then, I had no claim on Codrin. Emily and I returned two days before the New Year. All was well in Chicago. I worked from home. Emily amused herself. I waited for Codrin’s call. I didn’t hang by the phone, and I didn’t check texts or email every five minutes. I was no longer in high school. It was after nine pm when my phone chirped.
“I’m sorry,” Codrin said as soon as I answered. “I just landed. This isn’t the time to tell you about Arizona. I’ll just say it was an experience. Sometimes, you have to experience the future before it gets here.”
“Time moves in one direction,” I said. “Luckily, most of us get too busy to notice every day. If we did, we might change our lives.”
“Amen to that. All right, tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Where are we going?”
“To dinner and dancing, so wear something…provocative.”
“Provocative? I don’t know if I own anything like that.”
“Everything you wear is provocative. Trust me on that. You will be the belle of the ball.”
“Right. If you think people will look at me when you’re sitting there, you’ve been smoking something strange.”
“No false humility, Jasmine. Gotta go. See you tomorrow.”
The connection disappeared, and I stared at the phone. I had less than twenty-four hours to find something “provocative” to wear. My closet was woefully unprepared for such a mission. I tried to think of what might provoke Codrin. Nothing came to mind.
Little, black dress.
The phrase jumped into my head. When in doubt, wear a little black dress. My mother had told me that when I was in college and stressed about a coming dance. Others might opt for sequins and colors, but that little black dress was the real deal. I had one in my closet. It was Wayne’s favorite.
Could I wear Wayne’s favorite on a date with Codrin?
