Dark Night

Where there's a Will there's a way

Once safely inside, I went around a corner in the hall and whipped out my phone.

Delia: Guys. Guess who I just saw?

Zayna: Somebody famous?

Carol: Must be big. Sebastian Stan?

Delia: LOL, no. I wish, tho. No.

Keshondra: Well, damn, share with the group.

Delia: Will.

Dead silence. I pried myself off the wall, the shock from Will's sudden reappearance fading a bit now that I'd shared my news. I started toward my office; there was a good forty-five minutes before office hours started. I was settled into my office before the shock wore off in my friends as well.

Keshondra: Diamond Will????

Cass: NO WAY. What's going on????????????? The others also flooded me with questions.

Delia: He quit after that concussion during the playoffs, apparently. So now he's learning how to be a sports agent, I guess.

Maya: You guess???

Delia: He's taking me to dinner Friday night. Will know more then.

Carol: Why so far off?

Delia: Scheduling. His and mine aren't matching til then.

Zayna: Scheduling. Is that what they're calling it these days?

I laughed. Delia: Yeah, there's none of that unless/until I get more answers.

Keshondra: ??? Answers to what? It's WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Delia: Why didn't he tell me he was going to be back? I don't even know how long he's going to be here, what he's doing, even where he's living. And how did he know where I'd be and when? Has he been stalking me? Even if it's Will, that's creepy. He could have texted, it's not like my number's changed.

Maya: But at least he's not married.

They joy I'd felt at seeing Will was faded a little with these questions. It had taken a long time to get over him, and I had no intention of letting him play with my emotions again. I checked email, then opened up for office hours earlier than posted, looking forward to distracting myself with student questions.

The days between the encounter with Will and dinner kind of dragged, but I dealt with it by not thinking about it. At five on Friday, I shut the door to my office, changed to a pretty dress and heels, fixed my makeup and hair, and drove to Water Grill downtown to meet him for dinner at six. It was a clever choice; the food was really good but it wasn't one of the expensive, high-profile places that are so important in LA. It was special, but not over the top. He was early, waiting for me at the podium, and we were seated immediately. There wasn't much conversation until we'd ordered (seafood fritters to start with, and I had scallops with rhubarb, fiddleheads, radishes, and a citrus reduction, he had cioppino [I wouldn't have dared, I would have been worried about spilling the broth down my front, so kudos for the bold choice, but maybe guys didn't worry as much about that kind of thing?])

"So how've you been?" he asked, sitting back and swirling his scotch. I sipped my martini. Yum. "I've followed your Instagram, but it's pretty much about your travels. Which look amazingly fun, don't get me wrong."

"It's been interesting, my research is fascinating, at least to me," I said. "And the opportunity to travel has been wonderful. I especially love going places with my grandpa. I still surf, and now I've surfed at different places around the world too. I've had a good time."