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hadn’t said more than a score of words to one another. As always he wore a sweater vest over a long-sleeved white dress shirt and a tie emblazoned with cartoon characters. This time the sweater was robin egg blue and the cartoon Marvin the Martian. Armen’s gray hair and goatee were impeccably groomed. From the patient expression on his tanned face, he looked content to stand there until she gave him permission to sit.
    She moved aside her sandwich wrapper. “Not at all.”
    Armen slid his tray onto the table. “I’m not really sure what this is.” He nodded a smiling face toward a mound of mashed potatoes smothered in white gravy. Gray irregular lumps of meat speckled the gravy, giving the mound a vaguely lunar appearance.
    “Have you tried this stuff?” He ran a hand through his hair looking as if he might be afraid of the unsavory meal.
    She smiled in spite of herself. “I’m a vegetarian.”
    “A sad one I think.” He reached a thumb toward her face and gently brushed away the tear.
    He reddened. “Excuse me. I’m not usually so forward.”
    Heat rose to her cheeks. She let her gaze travel the lounge seeing if anyone noticed. Everyone sat ensconced in their own little worlds.
    “I’ll be okay. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
    Armen wrinkled his nose then pushed his lunch to the far side of the table. He turned a mischievous face her way. “I thought perhaps it might only be that mud sandwich you’ve wisely decided not to eat.”
    She squinted at him trying to decide if she would kick him under the table. “You picked a bad time to disparage hummus and pinion nut sandwiches, mister. They’re my favorite. Besides, what are you doing at this lunch? I thought you ate Junior High.”
    “I usually do, but I’m a free man for this entire period. The seventh grade is on an Art field trip, so I decided to see how the big teachers lived.”
    “Are you impressed?”
    His smile returned, this time crinkling the corners of his blue eyes. “I think I am.”
    He’s flirting with me!
    Armen reached out and touched her hand. His fingers were cool to the touch. She thought to pull away but decided not to.
    “Do vegetarians drink coffee?” he asked.
    The question caught her off guard. “What?”
    “Coffee. You know, the brown stuff grown-ups get to drink.”
    She sat back to see if he was making fun of her, but his face gave nothing away. “I can’t speak for every vegetarian, but I’ve been known to drink the occasional cup.”
    “Black, I’ll bet.”
    “Well, yes, how did you know?”
    “That’s how I like it.” He took his hand off hers.
    “Would you have coffee with me this evening? Black, of course.”
    A date?
    She stared at him, too dumfounded to speak. She hadn’t even considered seeing a man socially since her Ben died eighteen months ago. She was fifty-three for heaven’s sake, certainly didn’t need this complication in her well ordered life. Her brain had already settled the issue but failed to inform her mouth. “Where?”
    “I know a place in the Springs, Capulets. Deep up-holstered chairs, antique tables. Can I pick you up at your home?”
    She panicked, thinking of a date coming to her door as if she were some school girl—and then taking her home again. “I’ll meet you there. What time?”
    “Seven?”
    “Seven sounds fine.” What in the hell have I done?

    BONNIE FIDGETED UNCOMFORTABLY ON THE STEEL risers of the gymnasium. All around her, the student body of East Plains Junior/Senior High did the same.
    The normal rise and fall of five hundred collective voices seemed muted, as if no one dared to speak above a whisper.
    Down on the gym floor, an ancient oak podium stood in isolated relief against the purple and yellow paint of the basketball court. The podium sported the screaming image of a Thunder Hawk, the school mascot. Talons extended, the hawk looked as if it had been frozen just moments before it made a kill.
    Followed by Principal Whittaker, Superintendent Xavier