‘‘Jill had to cancel out at the last minute.’’ ‘‘It seems Janice can’t attend, either.’’ Hearing the other woman’s name, the woman Mark loved, had a curious and unexpected effect on Shelly. Her heart sank, and she felt a sharp pang of disappointment. She rebounded quickly, however, forcing a lightness into her voice, a blitheness she didn’t feel. ‘‘Listen, there’s no need for you to miss the play. I’ll call the ticket office and see about an exchange.’’ ‘‘No, I will,’’ Mark offered. ‘‘That’s ridiculous. Jill really wanted to see this play and—’’ ‘‘Would it really be so terrible if we both decided to attend the same performance?’’ ‘‘Uh…’’ The question caught Shelly unprepared. Mark was the one who’d suggested they avoid each other. ‘‘What could it possibly hurt? You have your ticket and I have mine. It’d be absurd to let them go to waste because we’re afraid of seeing each other again, don’t you think?’’ Forming a single, coherent thought seemed beyond Shelly at that moment.
