Rapture

Then Georgianne was back on the sidewalk, coming in his direction. Jeff turned to face her.

"Georgianne," he said clearly when she was less than ten feet from him.

She stopped and stared. The blank look on her face changed to one of amazement. The shock of recognition, Jeff thought happily. But she hadn't put it together enough to say anything yet.

"You look beautiful," he told her, smiling broadly and stepping closer.

"Jeff? Jeff Lisker? My God, it's you!"

They threw their arms around each other, hugging and kissing. Then they stepped back a pace and looked each other over once more, as if to make sure they weren't having a hallucination. And they hugged again.

"Oh, Jeff, how are you?"

"I'm just fine. And you?"

"Fine. Stunned."

Jeff smiled. "You look great," he said, gazing at her with deep affection.

"So do you." Now Georgianne laughed. "I still don't believe this. That I'm standing here talking to you."

"Well, you are," he said. "It's great to see you again. It's been so long. Too long."

Georgianne was truly beautiful, somehow much more so than he had either remembered or expected.

"I thought you were living out in California."

"That's right. I've been there ever since college."

"And you're back now for a visit."

"Several things," Jeff said vaguely. "But before we get into that, where are you going right now?"

"I was just on my way home. I live about ten miles from here, in Foxrock."

"Well, no," Jeff told her. "You're on your way to lunch with me, instead."

"Great. I'd love that."

"Okay. Let's see. The restaurants probably don't open until noon. How about a Bloody Mary first?"

"Sure," Georgianne said. "Do you know Danbury?"

"Not a bit."

"There's a fairly decent cocktail lounge just around the corner. I don't know how the kitchen is, but they serve lunches and dinners, too."

"Let's give it a try."

Jeff couldn't take his eyes off her as they walked. Georgianne had more than doubled her age but she seemed to be immune to time. Her face was still unlined. Her hair, shorter now, was thick and lustrous, the blond having mellowed into a rich honey color that glowed in the sunlight. She was radiant, her skin not rosy but almost golden. Jeff had found what he'd come looking for-the girl in the very long dream.

"How long has it been?" Georgianne asked. "Not since we-"

"More than half our lifetimes ago," Jeff said, and he was immediately annoyed with himself for sounding so pompous. "Twenty years, to be exact."

"Twenty years. Is there a reunion?"

"Other than this one? Not that I've heard of."

They entered a tidy, middle-class bar. The furniture was dark-stained wood and there were prints of country scenes on the walls. It was unpretentious and, at this time of day, empty. They sat at a banquette and a waitress appeared to take their orders.

"Well, to us," Jeff said, raising his glass, when she had returned with the drinks.

"Why not," Georgianne said, smiling warmly. "To us." She touched his glass with hers.

Jeff already knew he wanted to spend the entire day with this woman. She was glad to see him, to be with him. Nothing awkward or embarrassing about it. He was sure now he hadn't made a mistake in seeking her out.

Georgianne's eyes, which Jeff thought he remembered as being green, now seemed to be silvery gray. But there was no denying the sparkle in them, the fire of life. He tried not to stare at her too much, but he was still on the high of simply seeing her and being in her presence. She met his gaze with no hint of self-consciousness.

"Tell me," she said, "what are you doing here in Danbury? How did this happy accident come about?"

"It's not entirely an accident," Jeff replied. "I had to come home for my father's funeral."

"Oh, Jeff. I'm sorry."

"I would have been coming back anyhow," he continued. "I have some business with Union Carbide in Danbury, and the two things just happened to coincide, more or less."

"I see."

"Anyhow, I was on the New Haven Road the other day and I saw the For Sale sign outside your house. Somebody told me you were living in this area, so I thought I'd see if I could find you while I was here. And then, this morning, almost as soon as I get here, who do I see walking toward me on the sidewalk?"

"It's amazing, it really is." Georgianne shook her head slightly, smiling. "And what are you doingyour work?'

"Computers," Jeff explained. "I have my own company, just outside Los Angeles. We design special systems for-well, for whoever needs them."

"That's fantastic. And you're doing a job now for Union Carbide?"

"Not yet. We're still in the talking stage and it may or may not come off. It's a very complicated deal."

"How exciting!" Georgianne said, evidently impressed. "But we always knew you'd do well at something like that."

"Yeah, but it's just work," Jeff said, "and it seems that's all I do. I can't tell you what a treat it is to see you. This is the first time I've been away from the office in years, and if it weren't for you, the whole trip would have been nothing but the funeral and business."