We’ll Meet Again Someday

Audra wished James would hurry up and go to bed. Sure, it was interesting hearing about his trip, but she really wanted to get on with Riana’s journal once and for all. The curiosity was killing her. “Did you hear from Emma?” James asked. “Yes,” Audra told him. “I got an email a little while ago. Says things are going great. Hayden added a few sentences of her own about how they’re all getting quite a kick out of how psyched Emma is about going to the beach. They’ll be hitting Laguna Beach in a few days, as you know.” James smiled. “Yeah. Guess that kind of excitement is to be expected after growing up in the desert.” After they ate the dinner Audra had prepared, James announced he was heading upstairs to take a shower. “Okay,” Audra said as she tidied up the kitchen. “I’ll just finish up in here, then surf the web for a little while.” “Thanks for the wonderful dinner.” Audra watched him retreat. She knew he’d be too tired to make love that night, and she was okay with that. She finished up as quickly as she could, then hurried over to the laptop and booted it up. “Damn!” she muttered, jumping up a moment later. She’d left the journal site address in her purse. Scurrying back into the kitchen, she yanked the Post-it out and nearly jogged back to the laptop. She sat down again, impatiently waiting for it to load. Once it finally did, she typed in the address and was amazed by what she found. It appeared to be a social network for people to share their writing—journals, stories, poems, and more. They left comments on posts, set up polls, and participated in chat rooms and discussions on every topic imaginable. People, mostly young women, talked openly about their sex lives—good, bad, and boring. They asked questions and left feedback on relationships, health issues, job-related problems, and more. Audra browsed through Riana’s profile. It seemed honest, brief, and to the point. “You have quite an amazing little world here, don’t you?” she whispered. The water stopped running upstairs. Audra glanced toward the staircase like a child afraid of being caught doing something wrong. She decided it was best to keep this to herself. The fewer people who knew, the less chance of it getting back to Riana. She knew she should have told her about accidentally bumping the iMac—or refrained from checking altogether—but decided not to say anything. She didn’t want Riana deleting entries or holding back in future posts. She wanted to learn all there was to learn about her, and this felt quicker and easier than real conversations. People often revealed more to strangers than to those they knew. The bathroom door opened upstairs. Audra saw James’s shadow cross the hall and enter the bedroom. She returned to Riana’s profile. Photos showed Riana, pets, and others who could’ve been anyone. She assumed Amberlyn was in some of them. Riana listed her age, gender, sexual orientation, interests, and hobbies—most of which Audra already knew. The journal entries began shortly after Riana moved into the guesthouse. Footsteps descended the stairs. Audra quickly clicked over to a news site. James reached the bottom of the stairs clad only in briefs. He stretched and yawned. “Ready to be tucked in for the night?” Audra asked, standing. “I sure am,” James said, pulling her into his arms. “Too bad I’m this tired. We hardly ever have the house to ourselves.” Audra smiled and kissed him. “True. But Emma isn’t coming back tomorrow or the next day. Come on, let’s get you into bed so you’re refreshed for work.” “Sure you don’t mind? It’s not even 9:00 yet.” “I’m sure,” she said, nudging him toward the stairs. “Besides, I want to check out some jewelry stores online for my mother’s birthday.” That part was true. Once James was settled in bed, Audra went back downstairs, fixed herself a cup of tea, and returned eagerly to the laptop. She opened Riana’s journal. Sixteen entries, each with a different background color. “How creative and colorful,” she murmured. She clicked on the first entry, And So We Meet Again. Deep violet text appeared against a bright pink background. She began to read. I have to pinch myself just to make sure this is real and not a dream. Yup, I’m really living in the guesthouse behind Audra’s house… The journal explained their history, the apartment complex, Audra’s behavior back then, and Riana’s theories. It went on to cover her life in between and discovering the journal site after moving into the guesthouse. Most of it was familiar. It was the last entry—posted two hours earlier—that left Audra with mixed emotions. She read it again. As I told Audra, I don’t have a problem having a fling with a married woman as long as her husband is okay with it… Audra leaned back, folded her arms, and exhaled sharply. “So I’m old news already?” she muttered. “We’ll see about that. We’ll just see if I can keep things interesting enough for you.” A glance at the clock told her it was nearly midnight. She looked up at the ceiling. “So much for joining you soon, dear hubby.”