For the fifteenth time he checked his watch and sighed.
Of course she could never be on time. It would go completely against her nature. It was clear that her lifestyle had afforded her one unique luxury; the ability to be ten minutes late to a get together that was arranged weeks ago.
"Oh don't give me that sigh babke. I'm not that late."
Marc Molina turned to see someone he hadn't seen in almost ten years. She looked pretty much the same; same dark sparkling eyes, same nose, same cheek bones, same full mouth, same smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks despite her dark color. A few things were different though. There was a tiredness in her posture that had not been there the last time he'd seen her and her dark burgundy hair was longer but still had the same plethora of henna colors streaked through. Both of her ears were pierced three times as was her nose and he was betting she still had her belly ring in. She was wearing her shirtsleeves rolled up to her elbows so he could see she had gotten a new tattoo, though he couldn't read Hebrew he thought he knew who's name it was.
"Lee I'm glad you're here," the high school counselor said standing up and hugging his friend.
Lee smiled her radiant smile pulled her old friend closer, "Thanks for inviting me Marc. I have to say I was a little surprised when I got your call." She still had her British accent even though it had been years since she'd lived there.
"Well when you mentioned you'd like to move to the Western Hemisphere I thought a teaching post at my school would be good for you. Plus you have more than enough credentials to qualify for the job," said the Hispanic man smiling at his friend.
The dark eyed woman raked her hand through her curly tresses and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes and was very strained. "You have no idea how grateful I am for this. How grateful we both are." She absentmindedly rubbed her necklace, the one she always wore now. Its gold surface shone with the slight oil that came from her fingertips.
Marc surveyed his friend for a long moment, he opened his mouth to speak but the waiter interrupted them. Marc ordered his usual and Lee ordered without looking at the menu. After spending three years in Africa she knew her Moroccan cuisine. They also ordered some nice wine to celebrate seeing one another after such a long time.
After their food had arrived Marc decided to ask his friend the question that had been bugging him since his friend had called two months ago looking for work in the US.
"Why are you moving to the United States Lee? You've lived a lot of places the last six years, why now?"
Lee's face closed in on itself, her eyes became blank and her expression defensive and her shoulders rigid.
"Oh c'mon Lee there's nothing you can't tell me. I was there," said Marc giving his friend a look.
The burgundy haired woman bit her lower lip then cursed.
"A brokh. Fine babke you win. It's just that…he is getting released tomorrow and I want to be as far away from him and that night as possible. More importantly I don't want to worry Nevaeh."
"Oh God Laoise I'm so sorry. I had no idea. But wait he-"
"I know what he did, believe I know," cut of Laoise angrily, "but apparently money and good bloodlines still count for something in Jolly Old England."
Marc snorted, "Yeah and so does being the Queen's fifth cousin. Well since you've already lived in Japan I suppose this is the farthest you could get without the chance of him tracking you down."
"Yeah…so now you know," the British woman said softly brushing back her hair.
They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their wine and thinking about all the years that had gone by. Finally Lee stood.
"Thank you so much for this Marc," she said hugging her friend goodbye, "Really, you have no idea how much I appreciate this."
The school counselor smiled and squeezed his dinner companion tightly. "No problem Lee, you know I'd do anything for you. You start Monday by the way."
Lee laughed and the two paid for their dinners and left. And that was the first time in six years Marc Molina and Laoise Amoit had seen each other, but it felt like yesterday.