HGP3

After composing myself, I muttered my congratulations, which were not received very well either. She took a long drink of her ice water, and then regarded me with an icy gaze. “I do not wish to discuss such personal matters any further.”
To which I nodded my understanding, though inside I was seething with anger and frustration. Why? Why did she insist we come to these functions so that we could ‘get to know one another’ when we are not permitted to discuss personal matters? What were we supposed to do? Sit there and stare at each other?
And though it seemed that things could not get any worse at that point, they did.
“So, Krissy, tell us about the wedding,” Constance said, apparently wanting to change the subject, a look of hopeful expectation on her face. Goes to show how close we are. The wedding was scheduled to take place four months ago.
“Well, it, uhm, was cancelled, we uh, didn’t exactly see eye to eye.” On the issues of faithfulness and monogamy, I added to myself.
“Didn’t see eye to eye? Well, by God, my dear girl. Do you think that anyone in this whole country would be married if they waited until they ‘saw eye to eye’? Marriage is all about compromise,” Horrace said with a laugh. I looked at my Chardonnay with longing. Damn you for being so close yet so far away. I wondered vaguely how much compromise there really was in the Jacobson marriage but suppressed the thought.
“Yes, I suppose,” I answered flippantly, not really wanting to get into the details. And that was pretty much the end of that. There was no more conversation: just a few strained words here and there. We ate our meals quickly and quietly, and immediately afterwards I excused myself. Never to return again.