Percy walked back to the restaurant to find Lena standing outside, waiting for him.
“Who was she?” Lena demanded as soon as they were face to face.
“An old friend,” Percy responded. Even as he said the words, he realized his voice betrayed him. He’d never been able to remember Anna as just a friend. She’d always been far more to him than any term like “friend” or even “girlfriend” could encompass.
“Do you chase down all of your old friends and hold their hands?” Lena demanded with tears in her eyes.
“No, I don’t,” Percy sighed. Once he looked into Lena’s eyes, it was obvious she sensed the truth about his feelings for Anna. Even though those feelings sprang to life after a long dormancy, they were too strong for him to hide at the moment. He desperately hoped they’d be dormant again by the end of the night. “She’s actually my ex-girlfriend,” he admitted. “The one Jamie told you about. Tonight was the first time I’d seen her since the day she left me four years and eight months ago.”
“She’s the one you lived with for three years?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you ever mention the fact that she was black?”
“I don’t know. Should it matter one way or the other?” Percy asked in shock.
“It matters to some people,” Lena replied with a frown.
“Why?” Percy challenged her.
“You got up and ran out of here! You left me behind to go chasing after her.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she raised her voice at him.
“It wasn’t like that, Lena. I hadn’t seen her in years, and I just wanted to tell her hello. That’s all there was to it,” Percy said in what he hoped was a reasonable tone.
Lena shook her head at him and hissed, “That was humiliating! You jumped up to chase a black woman when you had me sitting right in front of you.”
“Why are you so hung up on the fact that she’s an African American woman? Would you be okay right now if Anna were some blond haired, blue eyed all American girl next door type?”
“What do you think?” Lena asked through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know Lena… I honestly don’t know. I’ve never seen you act like this before. I can understand you being upset at my rudeness, but you seem to be a little too hung up on Anna’s skin color.”
“So what if I am? I wouldn’t be the first one with my priorities in line. If you could live with a woman like her, then I can obviously do better than a guy like you. Women like her have no idea how to treat a man. They have no class, and no idea how to behave properly in society. My daddy had to put me in a private school so I didn’t have to be exposed to people like her when they started getting bused into my old public school. You wouldn’t believe the complete lack of breeding, manners, and even personal hygiene skills in women like that. And don’t even get me started on how much the crime rates go up when they start moving into our neighborhoods. I can’t believe you lived with her. Thank God we never slept together! I just know Daddy wouldn’t approve.”
Percy stood straight and stiff as an iron rod while he listened to Lena’s full-on tirade about all the reasons she thought she was so much better than Anna. He’d already figured they’d be parting ways tonight, but as he listened to her hate-fueled speech he sincerely hoped that he never ran into her again. A large part of Lena’s anger obviously stemmed from sheer jealousy, Anna was a beautiful woman after all, but Lena dealt with her jealousy in the most egregious way. When she finally stopped spewing racial insults and stereotypes, Percy had his response armed and ready.
“The woman you seem so intent on insulting did absolutely nothing to warrant such treatment. I am the one who was rude to you, not Anna. You assume that she can’t possibly be intelligent, or well spoken, or have manners based on prejudices you have, and not on any actual experiences with her. I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that her intelligence far surpasses your own. She was the only African American woman in our graduating class at Yale Law School, and throughout law school she was the one to beat. She graduated summa cum laude with honors, and she is a member of the Order of the Coif honor society. She accomplished more in five years than you’ve done with your entire life, all without the help of a rich “Daddy” spoiling her like you’ve had. She has more class in her little toe than you could ever dream of having.” He heard the crack of Lena’s palm against his cheek a split second before the pain registered.
“I suggest you find another room for the night, and don’t you ever try to contact me again,” she gritted in outrage. In the next breath, she was stomping toward the rental car and saying, “By the way, the check is waiting for you!”
As she sped off, Percy felt a huge sense of relief. He’d always felt guilty for not liking her as much as she seemed to like him. He’d never been pursued by a woman before, and he’d let flattery and physical attraction count for too much. The funniest part of the entire situation was that Percy literally couldn’t have cared less that Lena dumped him. At that moment, the only thing he cared about was figuring out a way to see Anna again.