Meeting Max by Richard Brumer Read Free Book Online Page A

her memory too hard, never letting go, still searching for another Dan. She was asking for the impossible, and, as a result, found no one. Rick was no different. He’d idealized his time with Julie over the years, forgetting their bouts of anger and frustration.
    It was late 1979 when he first met Julie in the library at NYU. They were both nineteen. She was a nursing student and he was a political science major with the intention of working for the Foreign Service for the U.S. Department of State. She sat across from him at a solid oak table, immersed in writing.
    She wasn’t beautiful in the popular sense, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her straight golden blonde hair fell behind her like a curtain and came to rest over her shoulders. She wore no makeup and her sparkling blue eyes gave her a wholesome look. He saw her as she was, with an inner smile that lit her face.
    It was fall and the air was crisp and sunny. The windows of the library were open a crack to let in the cool fresh air along with the street sounds of busy Greenwich Village. She peeked up at him with a polite grin, and he smiled back.
    After a while, she closed her book, leaned back, and stretched.
    “What are you reading?” Rick asked.
    “Pharmacology. I have an exam coming up in two days.”
    “You want to be a pharmacologist?”
    “Not really. I’m a nursing student. Pharmacology is one of the pre-reqs.”
    “Nursing, that’s a tough course. You have to be really into it. I assume you like to help people.” He extended his hand across the table. “I’m Rick, Rick Newman.”
    “I’m Julie Phillips.” Her hand felt soft against his. “Nice to meet you.”
    “Same here. What do you like to do for fun?”
    Before she could answer, a female student sitting at the end of the table looked up from her book and turned toward them with raised eyebrows, holding her index finger vertically against her lips. Rick held up his hand, acknowledging her implicit request to keep their voices lowered.
    Julie went on with barely a whisper. “Don’t have much time for fun, but I read a lot, love movies, dancing, cheeseburgers, and exploring the Village.” She covered her mouth, grinning. “That sounded so silly, but I don’t like to define myself. I might become that person, and it may not be me. I don’t know if that makes sense.” She cocked her head, her eyes tired from long hours of studying.
    “I get the idea. I haven’t defined myself either. I’ll keep living my improvised life as I go along. I’m sorry if I interrupted your work. It’s just that, uh…”
    “No, it’s okay. I’m getting ready to leave anyway.”
    “You have another class?”
    “No, I did what I had to do here. It was great meeting you. Maybe we’ll…”
    “Hey, it’s a nice day. Sunny, not too cold. How about a walk? Unless you have to be somewhere.”
    Julie’s face lit up. “No, sounds good. I would like that. I’ve been cooped up here for the past three hours. I need a break. Let’s do it.”
    Soon, they found themselves walking down Minetta Lane, a quaint street in the heart of Greenwich Village. It was a narrow strip, one block long, between a line of small brick houses on one side and empty storefronts on the other.
    It didn’t look like much at first glance, perhaps not even on second glance, but Minetta Lane had its own magic for Rick. Maybe it was because when people stepped off the noisy adjoining street and onto Minetta Lane, they felt the contrast and discovered the comfort of silence. The tops of skinny leafless trees on the sidewalk arched over the roadway and formed a lacey canopy. The air was fresh, the sunshine full, and the conversation easy as they chatted about school and their lives.
    They left Minetta Lane, walked to Washington Square Park, and sat on a bench across from the commanding Fifth Avenue Arch, a short distance from New York University. A musical jazz group nearby played West End Blues with a trumpet taking the lead.