Mary Elizabeth Nelson is the oldest child in a conservative Roman Catholic family in a wealthy suburb of San Francisco. As a sophomore at Berkeley in 1983, Mary is discovered by her mother in a "compromising position" with another woman, and she is summarily disowned.<br><br>She moves to New York and works as a waitress. While auditing an Austen seminar at NYU, she falls for fellow student, Betty Anne Elliot. The two foolishly share one night of passion before Betty decides to marry and disappear from Mary's life.<br><br>That is, until twenty years later when she calls still-single, successful writer Mary out-of-the-blue. Can the romance they had that first day blossom into love and passion?

Mary Elizabeth Nelson

I met Gerry about a week before the end of the semester.He and Betty came into my restaurant with another couple.They sat at one of my tables,and Betty introduced me.While I gave her table extra attention,things were too busy for me to pay too much.


In the spring,with our mutual class over,I did not see Betty.She spent more of her free time with Gerry,often up at Columbia.We did not talk much since I was working most nights and weekends.Just an occasional and usually brief call on one of my days off.Then that dwindled as well and I regretted it but I was out of her life even if she would always lurk in mine.It did not matter since shewas now doubly off-limits—straight and engaged.


Chapter 3