I was on my way to class with a case of the Mondays when my cellphone rang. It was Governor C., or rather C.'s assistant. C. had “this thing on this boat” coming up and he really wanted me to be there. The catch was that I couldn't be seen with him. But could I just be there while he pretended not to know me?
I jumped at the chance to be ignored by my boyfriend, knowing it meant he loved me. So that afternoon, instead of reviewing for my French quiz, I found myself in my Ford Taurus, driving across the bridge to be not-with C. I had never skipped class before, but attending a state school, C. was technically the dean's boss. So if he said I could skip it must be okay, right?
When I arrived at the boat where the “thing” was and got a look at the smart men and fine ladies attending, I couldn't help feeling a little inferior. I hadn't had
This article appears in May 5-11, 2010.