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Meg doesn't often wind up in Milliways in the morning. But she did today, and she ran into Laura, and it seemed high time they called their own bluffs and actually went to see a play, instead of just talking about it for months. Meg's roommates aren't awake yet, so there won't have to be any awkward explanations of how Laura suddenly arrived in their apartment, it's a beautiful fall day . . .

The only slight wrinkle is that it's a weekday, and Meg has classes. But it's easy enough to say that Laura is a prospective student, visiting McGill to see if it's a place she'd like to enroll. People do it all the time -- Meg did it, the year she applied. There are tours with students, and brochures about programs, and admissions couselors who are happy to answer questions, chances to eat in one of the dining halls, and Laura can even sit in on a class, if she likes.

Then there's a very quick not-quite-a-dinner before the play. "Just a snack, really," Meg says. "Alain's going to meet us back at the apartment for dinner after." (He's seen this production somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen times already, and he has work to finish that evening.)

They have good seats, especially considering Meg only called to reserve them this morning, and the play goes well -- Meg's heard the horror stories about the night the understudy for Goneril forgot half her lines, and the ones about the night the power went out in the middle of the storm scene. There's just time to introduce Laura to Luc afterwards before he has to run, and they have to get back to Meg's apartment to meet Alain.

Meg steps out onto the sidewalk in front of the theatre, pulling her hair free of her jacket. "Do you want to walk? It's not that far, really, and I don't think we'd save much time by taking the Metro."

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"Elle est très jeune," is what X says in response. "Ce n'est pas trop mal."

She accompanies this with a very slight shrug, then makes her way back to the kitchen table.

And her sandwich.

"She's the same age we are," Alain says.

"Alain," Meg says, with a slight let-it-go shake of her head.

"I do not think that matters," X says.

"Most of the time."

Alain opens his mouth to say something, looks at Meg, and then closes it again.

"So, that was Olivia," Meg says to Laura, probably rather unnecessarily.

"She is interesting," X offers.

Carefully.

This is very true!

"She is," Meg says.

She just kind of treats dating like they're all on a teen soap opera.

"Though I really can't quite believe she traded numbers with the waiter."

X considers that, head tilted very slightly.

Then --

"I do not think I am surprised."

After all, she just saw it happen!

"I probably shouldn't be," Meg say.

"I'm not," Alain says.

"But it's . . . it's kind of a quick moving on, even for Olivia."

X considers that for a few moments.

"Roy was -- "

She hesitates.

" -- her boyfriend? For a long time?"

"Not . . ." Meg trails off, thinking. "Boyfriend would probably be too formal a term. Carrie calls whomever Olivia is dating her PADJ."

"For petit ami du jour," Alain says.

"Roy was around for a couple weeks," Meg says. "She doesn't really date anybody for more than about a month."

"And then there's a scene like the one you just saw, and then she starts over," Alain says. "Chris, this time, you said it was?"

"Yes," X says. "Chris."

Beat.

"There is a requisite time to wait after -- "

There is a fractional pause.

" -- breaking up?"

Speaking of things X does not know.

"There's no hard and fast rule," Meg says. "It depends on a lot of things. How long you'd been going out, how serious it was, why you broke up. It's more about . . . when you feel ready again, I guess."

"When I broke up with my first serious girlfriend, I didn't go out with anyone for five or six months, not on a date," Alain says. "And then I met Meg."

"And I'd only broken up with Brian about three weeks before I met Alain, but Brian and I weren't serious. And he was, as you pointed out at the time, a jerk."

"Oh."

X considers that very carefully.

Then --

"It is the same as deciding to start dating."

Well. Similar, anyway. That, at least, she understands.

"Right. Because you have to make that decision again after every time you stop dating."

"I understand," X says.

And maybe she even does.

Or will.

"All that having been said, though," Meg says, "three minutes is still not much of a break."

"Maybe it was just not official?"

X pronounces that sentiment carefully. (She cribbed it from someone else.)

"The breakup. Outside of her head."

"Who can tell, with Olivia?" Alain asks.

"Well, maybe Chris will be The One," Meg says. "Or at least make it to Christmas break."

X flicks a look toward Olivia's closed door.

"Maybe."

She does not mean to look dubious.

Probably.

"I guess we'll see," Alain says.

He completely means to look dubious. And then glances at his watch. "I should probably go. But it was very nice to meet you again, X."

Edited 2010-11-10 03:30 (UTC)

"Yes," X agrees.

And then, just a little belatedly --

"It was good to talk to you again, too. Alain."

"I'll call you tomorrow," he tells Meg, leaning over to kiss her on his way to the door.

"I'll get Olivia to answer it when you do," she says, and then laughs.

"No, you won't," he says.

"Probably not, no," she concedes.

"Good night," Alain tells them both, and lets himself out.

"I like him," X says, after Alain is gone.

Just in case that needed to be restated.

"I'm glad," Meg says.

Laura's opinion is important.

"I like him, too."

A lot.

X doesn't quite smile.

"I know."

It's good.