A Note From an Old Acquaintance Read Online Free PDF Page A

e-mail.”
    Wssssshhhhh. Haaaaaaaaah.
    Wssssshhhhh. Haaaaaaaaah.
    Penny’s presence intruded into his thoughts, flooding him with shame. He started to drag the e-mail over to trash. His finger hovered over the ENTER key. One push and this nonsense was over. Another long moment passed; his finger began to cramp. And then he knew it wasn’t over—not by a long shot.
    He sat back, took a deep breath and pushed the READ button.
     
    Dear Brian:
    I’m so glad to hear from you. I must admit that seeing your reply gave me mixed emotions. Anyway, I’d love to have dinner with you. I’m prepping a gallery show over the next couple of weeks, my son, Zack, is gearing up for his Sophomore year in high school (I still can’t believe he’s a teenager), and Erik is immersed in his latest building downtown, so things are a bit busy. But once you know when you’re coming, we’ll work out the logistics. You pick the place, but I’ll warn you, I’m a diehard vegetarian. Bet you don’t remember that. Anyway, please call me, if you get the chance, I’d love to chat with you.
    Best,
    Joanna
    PS—I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Nick passed away about five years ago. Lung cancer.
     
    Brian turned from the computer, blinking back bitter tears. Though the news came as a shock, it was no surprise. He’d half-expected something like this for years, as Nick was never in the best of health. Still, his friend deserved better than to end his days in such a dreadful way.
    They’d lost touch not long after Brian left Boston, their phone calls less and less frequent. And of course, whenever they did speak, Brian always inquired after Joanna. Nick never said much in reply, his answers invariably a mumbled “She’s fine,” or “Haven’t talked to her in a while,” blah, blah, blah.
    It was understandable—all things considered.
    The last time they’d seen each other all those years ago was over an impromptu lunch in a little book-lined café on Newbury Street. During that lunch Nick bared his soul, revealing something that astounded Brian even now, all in an effort to keep him from making what Nick considered to be a grievous error. He’d never forgotten it...and the promise he’d made to his old friend.
    “I know you meant well, Nick. And Lord knows I probably should have listened to you,” he said, with a sigh. “But I just couldn’t help myself, as you well know. I kept my word to you, though. I kept my word....”
    And then there was Erik Ruby, Joanna’s husband.
    He’d nearly forgotten the bastard’s name.
    Memories of that last fateful night pushed Nick from Brian’s mind in a torrent of sounds, images and emotions. His head throbbed in time to the pounding of his heart, and his chest felt as if someone were tightening a steel band around it.
    “Oh, God...Joanna,” he said, his brain reeling. For the briefest of moments he felt as if he might be sick. It was then the flower sitting in the vase next to his laptop caught his eye. It was then he realized just what kind of flower it was.
    A rose—a single white rose.
    Nausea turned to blind fury.
    With a strangled cry, he swept the vase off the desk. It shattered on the linoleum floor, spraying shards of cobalt-blue glass and rank smelling water in every direction. He stared at the mess, blinking, as if not quite believing what he’d just done. Then he rose to his feet and shambled into the cramped bathroom, his hands trembling. The light snapped on automatically, a dead-white fluorescent that reflected off the gleaming ice-white tile, its faulty ballast humming like an angry insect. He stared at himself in the mirror, feeling a mixture of rage and humiliation. His pale, blotchy reflection reminded him of something out of a George Romero zombie movie.
    “What the hell is happening to me?” he said, knowing the answer before he’d asked the question.
    He shook his head, turned on the cold water and splashed it against his face, taking deep calming breaths. After