Before my friend arrived, the door to the restaurant opened and the monolithic, almost dinosauric Diane walked out. She spotted me before I realized who it was. That was last week. So far no phone calls. We put ourselves at risk by becoming public personas, of course, even in the puny little way teachers do.
Visibility has unintended consequences.
I do hope the Dianes of the world who are out there understand that we mean them no harm, even though we call their attention to ourselves. But enough of unrequitedness. Enough of petty little crushes. Enough, even, of my own roiling perturbations. None of it is charming, none of it.