Invitations from Afar

“Nope.” He pulled a delicate leaf out of his salad and held it admiringly. “Believe it or not, it’s this one.” He then gazed expectantly into my eyes. “Okay, what’s the delectable news?” he asked, barely mimicking my word. “This Friday night, we’re invited to a reception at Jack Medwin’s house.” His eyebrows arched and his brown eyes grew darker. “Jackson Medwin, Commander of the First Manned Mars Landing?” “That's Jack.” “You get a summer internship at JSC, and two weeks later you’ve wrangled a choice invitation like that?” “I told you I was doing a good job,” I replied teasingly. “You told me that you finished your entire assignment for the summer in four days. Now, that impresses me.” “Don’t be impressed. Now, I’ll tell you the truth. Somebody grossly overestimated how long the job would take.” “I’d suggest keeping that little gem to yourself,” Alan admonished. “You’re the only one I’ve told. Now, my supervisor doesn’t know what to do with me. This past week, I’ve mostly run errandsbeen a gophergo for this, go for that.” “Are you terribly bored?” “I’m far too happy for boredom. The letter, the one I’ve been waiting for, came over the net this morning right before I left for work. What a morning! First the letter and then at work the invitation to Jack’s party.” “The letter? Was it the one from Houston Aerospace Academy?” “Yes, I’m accepted.” In one spontaneous motion, Alan moved our salads out of the way, stood up, lifted me up, took me in his arms, and hugged me. It was only a bear hug, but we both backed away, seemingly stunned. We were just friends, good friends. “Congratulations, Jana. That certainly puts you on the fast track, early admission to graduate school, and not just any grad school. Houston Aerospace Academy’s very prestigious, where the best astronauts have gone, very expensive, too.” “Remind me to ask you to write my resume. You want the truth. I was the very last person to get accepted for this fall, and that’s only because someone else decided not to attend. I know this because I called the school every day to check on my status. I can’t imagine anyone declining such a school.” I sat down and picked up my salad. “What about a better offer?” Alan asked. Our eyes met. The better offer could be sitting across from me, munching an exotic salad. I shook my head. I needed a clear focus on my future. Alan was so easy to talk to. I could tell him practically anything, but not how I sometimes felt about him. I needed my life uncomplicated, uninvolved, and clearly in focus, at least for now. “What time is the party?” “It’s at 7:00. Now for more truth. My summer internship has nothing to do with why we’re invited. The reason is a little more straightforward than that. Jack and Shirl Medwin are my parents’ closest friends. For years I baby-sat their three kids.” “Your parents’ closest friends? You seem to tell me everything, and still you have more surprises.” “I do tell you most everything.” Reassuringly, I added, “It's just too much like bragging to throw his name around. I’ve done way more than my share of boasting for one day. Sorry.”