Camille saw it as a good omen. To Camille, this display of affection, where so many people knew us, meant that you and I were either in a serious relationship or headed for one. Coming from someone who prided herself on skepticism, this seemed starry-eyed, but I kept my mouth shut; I wanted her to have faith in you.
My heart broke for you, knowing you must be worried about a visa denial, and I worried about the possibilities between us, which now, right when I felt we should be getting closer, seemed at risk.
Immediately you assured me: once the visa was approved, everything would be fine! Your assurances felt false and forced. Docked permanently in the old Alameda Naval Air Station, the Hornet had, in its glory days, been an aircraft carrier. Sandy, a spunky law student with a twisted sense of humor and a soft heart, had recently met the man of her dreams, and she wanted Nick, Angelo, and me to meet him.
And she wanted to meet you. I was relatively over my fear of initiating communication with you, so on an otherwise ordinary work day I texted to see if you wanted to join, presumably as my date.
But almost immediately you respondedβyou had plans to ride your motorcycle to Los Angeles that weekend for a dance festival. The party was to be held the weekend before Halloween, and though Angelo would be out of town, Sandy, her boyfriend, and Nick and I made dinner reservations at Speisekammer, a German restaurant in Alameda.
