A Midsummer Night's Romp Read Free Page B

correspond with you.”
    Unreasonably, I lashed out with anger that had built up for the last few months, ever since we found out that the scumbag had given Sandy HIV. “I don’t know what sort of a religious order won’t let their initiates talk to people for two freaking months! That’s just wrong!”
    â€œIt’s not wrong for them, and I can understand that they want us to focus on healing without outside distractions.” Another pause. “Lorina.”
    â€œWhat?” I snapped, alternately wanting to slam down the phone and burst into tears.
    â€œBe happy. And hopeful. I am.”
    â€œIt’s not right,” I said, slumping back in my chair, the anger draining out of me and leaving me as limp as a three-day-dead cod. “We should be going after him for what he did.”
    â€œVengeance is mine? No, sweetie, I can’t. But I have written to him telling him what’s happened.”
    â€œAnd how did he take it?”
    She was silent for a few seconds, then admitted, “He said . . . he said some pretty harsh things, as a matter offact. Threatening me if I said anything about it to anyone, and . . . well, he was quite abusive about it. I’ll admit it was ugly, but you know, Lorina, people strike out like that when they’re hurting, especially if they know they’re guilty of harming someone else.”
    â€œOh, come on! Paul doesn’t give a damn for anyone but Paul, and you know it.”
    â€œI do not know that. He is basically a decent man—he’s just had some bad breaks, and chosen to go down a path that isn’t, perhaps, the wisest.”
    â€œI have no problem with him making his own hell—my objection is the way he’s dragged you into it as well.”
    â€œWe all have to take responsibility for our actions, myself included,” she said softly. “I am at peace with my decisions, and have to trust that Paul will rectify his ways and seek help.”
    I said nothing, knowing that it was of no use. We’d had
that
argument all too often in the past. “So this is it, then? I lose the best friend and roomie a girl ever had without a backward look?”
    â€œThat’s not fair,” Sandy chided. “Lorina—”
    â€œIt’s OK,” I lied, making an effort to send her off with a smile, not that she could see it. “I’m just being hormonal and cranky and sorry for myself because I’ll have to spend my free time interviewing a new roommate, and you know I’d rather hack off my arm with a grapefruit knife than do that.”
    â€œThen take off and go do something fun. You deserve a break after looking after me for the last five months. There’s a dig in Egypt that I know needs volunteers.”
    â€œSandy Fache,” I said sternly. “The very last thing I would ever think of doing is going to an archaeological dig.”
    â€œWhy not? You were jealous every time I went off to one, or at least you claimed to be.”
    â€œI would think the answer would be obvious,” I said with more than a little acid.
    â€œBecause of Paul? Pfft.” She dismissed that objection. “He’s just one man, and there are a lot of digs you could volunteer for this summer. I heard from Mom that there’s even going to be one at Alice’s castle.”
    â€œWho, now?”
    â€œAlice, my foster sister. You met her once or twice when she came to see me at college.”
    â€œI vaguely remember her. Didn’t she leave right after that?”
    â€œYeah, not long after. She’s about half a year younger than me, and when she hit eighteen, the foster system kicked her out into the world. We’ve kept in touch over the years, although mostly just via Christmas cards. Anyway, she married a baron a couple of months ago.”
    â€œLike a land baron? A tycoon?”
    â€œNo, silly.” Sandy’s chuckle was warm and just hearing