Denial

The Jeep pulls away, passing the 4-wheel-drive pickup, the women inside carefully not acknowledging one another.

A few seconds earlier, shirts were tossed on with harried explanation, “She’s coming! Less than ten minutes away!”

Exiting the truck, she asks, “Who was that?”

“A friend. We had dinner. You and I talked about this, our having separate lives.”

She looks down, considering something.

“Call her. I want to meet this ‘friend’.”

I hesitate.

She looks away.

“Are you attracted to her?”

How does she know? “Yes.”

Her brown eyes flash, meeting mine. “Did you kiss her?”

How does she know? “No!”