Scarlet Rose

A 37-year-old woman sits outside a local cafe. Her back is to a light-colored coarse wall that acts to contrast with her smooth golden-brown skin. The sun strikes her face just in the right way to accentuate pronounced cheek bones. Her five feet-seven inch trim body fidgets in the chair. She is agitated as she looks around. Cass Westfield is expecting a close friend to talk over something important, something she is not sure her husband would understand, more of a woman-topic. She takes a small sip of coffee but does not recognize the taste since she is preoccupied with something more important. A cool breeze tosses her short brown hair slightly into the air. Dark sunglasses block the anxiousness in her deep brown eyes. She gets jumpier as seconds tick away. She wonders how long she will need to wait before her friend shows up. She is about to text another message, but then she spots Iris. Immediately the strain in her face lessens. She sets the coffee cup on top of the black metal table and calls out. "Over here!" Cass waves towards Iris. "I'm over here!" She pinches her lips tightly together. Iris is the same age as Cass. Her shinny long black hair that is pulled back provides a sharp distinction to her close friend. Her long slender legs gracefully pick up the pace to find out what is troubling Cass. Iris waves back. She forces a smile to conceal worry about her dear friend. Before Iris is able to take her seat, Cass says, "Here, I bought you a latte." Cass moves the cup closer to Iris as her friend pulls the chair away from the table to sit. "I'm so glad you're here." Her voice quivers slightly. "I came as quick as I could." Iris is slightly out of breath. "Your text sounded urgent." She removes her sunglasses. Her dark eyes stare towards Cass, unblinking. "There must be something wrong" She sits in the empty chair, not interested at the moment in the beverage. She swallows, wonders what is so important. "You're such a dear friend. I can always count on you." Cass pats Iris' hand. "Thanks for coming on such a short notice." "Yes, yes, don't worry about that." Iris pauses and then continues. "What's this about?" Cass looks away, and tips her head downward. "Are you and Charles splitting up?" Cass turns to face Iris and then straightens her body. She is surprised. "Why would you say that?" "Please. Unless you've been making up a bunch of stories, what else should I think?" Iris cocks her head to the side and then she clarifies. "He's been out of work for some time now. You've told me he's grumpy all the time, not to mention any sex in your life, and he's driving you so crazy that you've become a work-alcoholic." She stares at Cass as if her answer is intuitively obvious. Cass turns away again and then resets her face towards Iris. "No, we're not separating or anything like that." "Then what's it about?" She smiles. "I've made a decision about something." Her voice is now resolved and upbeat with enthusiasm, a quick change from just seconds ago. Iris frowns as she waits for her friend to continue. The pause in conversation enables her to take a sip of latte and then to return the cup to the black metal table top. "OK, are you going to tell me, or is this a guessing game?" Cass clears her throat as if she is about to lecture to an audience. She takes in a deep breath of air and slowly lets it escape. "Remember when I told you I wasn't going to my class reunion?" Iris nods, yes, but the frown on her face says something else. She is confused about the importance of a class reunion. "I thought that was all settled, but go on." She shrugs her shoulders. "Well, I've changed my mind." Cass settles back into her chair. A slight smile creases her face. "I'm going to attend. It's final." Creases appear on Iris' forehead, now doubly unsure of the importance of the decision. "I don't get it. Is that why you asked me here, to tell me you're now going to your class reunion?" She shakes her head sideways, puzzled. Cass smirks as if she is about to say something mischievous. Iris pushes for an answer. "Enlighten me." "I leave in two days. I can't wait." There is definite excitement in her voice. "I haven't seen anyone for quite a while. It’s going to be great!" Iris remains baffled. She senses her body tense up a bit and a thin film of anger inside rising. She remains confused about the urgency of the meeting. "There's more to this, you can't fool me." Iris' stare is intense. Cass places her sunglasses on the table. Her eyes are wider than normal without saying a word. She feels all wound up in side. Iris continues. "I still don't get it. Is Charles going with you?" "No, he's not interested." Her voice settles down a wee bit but her look remains enthused. "He thinks reunions only get people depressed. He's staying home." Iris still is baffled why her friend seemed so desperate to talk with her, yet she goes along with Cass' conversation. She wills herself to relax. "Too bad, they can be a lot of fun if you have the right attitude." Cass is too animated to notice Iris' puzzlement. "Yeah, I agree." She grins. "It's all in the attitude." Iris takes a small sip of latte. "There's more. Come on, what really is happening?" She leans closer to Iris as if she is about to let on a big secret. "You won't believe whom I heard from." Cass' voice is drenched with excitement. "I'm waiting." Iris pauses, "Come on, tell me, who was it?" She slowly gets inspired to listen to more. "I got an e-mail from someone whom I haven't seen or heard from in a while." She is all wound up with enthusiasm. "I hope I'm not going to hear what I think you're about to say." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'll wait to hear from you first, go on." "He used to make me laugh." Cass pauses and takes a deep swallow. "I can't believe I feel so young again." Iris cautions her friend, "It's what I thought you'd say." "Don't look so worried." "It's not me whom I'm worried about." Cass frowns. "You're worried about me, what for?" Iris explains. "You're getting all worked up over him. Remember, you're a married woman." Cass puckers her lips. "I know that. You don't have to remind me." However, at the same time, Cass' eyes tell another story. Iris shakes her head, doubtful that this is all there is to it. "Tell me about him, what was so special about this guy?" Cass is still keyed up. She speaks rapidly without taking a single breath. "He was tall, probably a little over six feet, brown eyes, black curly hair, and olive complexion. He had the best smile ever. The first time we met during a freshman mixer we were attracted to each other." "That was a long time ago." "Yeah, I know, but I still feel it."