Some things never change, Shelly rued, lighting a cigarette.  Lloyd had raced from the table an hour ago and she was left in an embarrassing social situation. 

She hadn’t seen Lloyd for sixteen years.  She’d come to meet him pool side at the Hilton, thinking…maybe.  
The conversation was rolling nicely, the food just placed on the table, when he got the call his brother was checking in, and raced from her side to assist.

Kelvin was older that Lloyd; much older.  He should be able to manage the task, but then, he, all the other brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews of Lloyd never had to learn how to manage anything. Lloyd would do it.

More years than she wished to count,  realising that everyone vaguely connected to Lloyd would take priority, she’d left him.  It wasn’t a dramatic denouement, she just let time and space and lack of communication take over. Her life, Lloyd’s life had run in their diverse directions. 

Now he was back in the city for a niece’s wedding, rang her up, and she came running.

Her memories were sweet and tender, all the recalled discussions crisp and bright, and she thought, maybe. Until his brother was checking into the hotel, and Lloyd had to race from the table to the lobby.

She had picked at the food, waiting. Waiting. Then as the minutes ticked, the bill was placed on the table.

There was a time Shelly would have paid the bill and stomped out.  Today, mellowed, disaffected, she waited for one hour, then rang Reception, had them connect her to Kelvin’s room, asked for Lloyd, and calmly told him the bill was on the table.

Her voice was dull and soft. She didn’t remonstrate as she would have those years ago when she and Lloyd were together. She wasn’t even angry.  She accepted the discomfort with the familiarity of an old pair of slippers.

After speaking with Lloyd, Shelly lit the cigarette. With a sense of salvation she muttered, “Some things never change”, congratulating herself for knowing, even then, when she was young and inexperienced, that no one and nothing would ever take precedence over Lloyd’s family, and leaving.

Leaving him then as she would leave now, just as soon as he came to the table and paid the bill.