The French waiter in a French restaurant handed Madam Sienna a menu written in French.
Maeve Sienna laid it aside and asked what the special was. She ordered that as her sister-in-law Roxanne examined the offerings. Roxanne glanced at the waiter to see his response. It would be okay. On other occasions Maeve would say she’d forgotten her imaginary glasses or would simply order what she wanted. That didn’t always work. Roxanne ordered with a resolve that set the waiter back on his heels a little. It should have been a hint as to what would come.
“Did you ever think about going back to school?” Roxanne asked absently.
Maeve’s right hand fell. The table thumped. Her silver charm bracelet clanged. Her mouth fell open, of course. Her black eyes widened and began to tear in the effort to not laugh.
Red-headed Roxanne mistaking her hilarity for offense, gasped in concern. Maeve couldn’t hold it back and a howl erupted.
“Dearie, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was talking about me going back to college!”
As she threw back her ebony locks and flung back her right hand. The laughter that followed made it clear that Maeve was not offended by the question. The color that rose to her cheeks and the way she pawed blindly at her best friend’s hand proved that she was embarrassed for the red-head not for herself.
Roxanne recoiled in offence. Which only made her friend just laugh harder, startling Roxanne. Her shoulders fell and she had to join in the fun.
“I could do well in college.” Chuckled indignantly and unconvincingly.
Still chuckling Maeve began “As I recall you passed a few classes when you were studying political science because your advisor and you-“
“Maeve!” Roxanne burst out, and then started laughing again. “I wasn’t the best student last time around.”
Maeve’s pale white hand patted Roxanne’s ruddier, apologetically. Softly she added. “You’re smarter than me.”
“Oh, dearie!” Roxanne gushed, worried again. As Maeve’s head drops “Oh, dearie!” Roxanne exclaims.
Maeve took a deep breath. Her laughing face had turned stern for a moment. Then she shook her slender frame. “What sort of a degree are you thinking of?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, I can’t see you in a lab coat doing chemical analysis.”
“I can’t see me in a plain white coat, no”. she agreed shaking her dangling earrings and shoulders of her brightly colored gown.
“And theoretical physics? No, you are more of a people person.”
“Definitely, dearie.”
Glancing about at the crowded restaurant, flooded by strong noon time sunlight for a moment, Maeve suggested, “Well you’ve raised two batches of children and five husbands. I think you have a few things to share. How about teaching?
“Really?’ responded Roxanne hefting her ample bosoms in pride. Her right index finger tapped her plush lips in thought. “Actually, “Roxanne said turning to Maeve and raising a glass of wine. “I’m thinking about learning Greek. It’s my husband’s first language and he often uses it he speaks his daughters and back home in the Kaddafi Valley.”
The two friends touch glasses. Roxanne turns to as a crowd of chattering school girls invaded the restaurant.
“Probably have to go to school in Greece eh?” Roxanne mentioned aloud.
“Yeah, their dialect is Pontic. That’s only studied in Athens.” Without even a hint of manipulation. “I’d hate going by myself.”
“Stan has business there. “ Maeve mentioned hopefully.
“Not that much, dearie.”
“What would I do during the day?”
“You could take classes.” Maeve sat up a little straighter. “They have a French language program.”
“I already speak French and I don’t speak any Greek. “
“Yeah. So, no one would notice that you can’t …” Roxanne paused there with a very sly smile on her face.
“You are so sly, sis.”
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