Dropping my suitcase, I swung the door open.
"Jessica, looking pretty chipper tonight!"
It was a tall girl standing there.
"Mandy!"
My heart leaped—my best friend had come.
I yanked her inside and poured out everything that had happened tonight.
She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with feigned shock, then burst into laughter, shaking uncontrollably.
Finally, she pointed at me, laughing, "Jess, are you out of your mind?!"
My puzzled look prompted her to explain, "Wondering why I'm here?"
"Your husband sent me! He felt bad about not popping the question in style and wanted to set up a memorable proposal tonight. You wouldn't budge, so he sent me to fetch you."
That explained it. But the old woman—what was her deal?
Mandy rolled her eyes, "You're a grad student, for crying out loud. Everyone knows not to chat up strangers."
"She knew our names," I offered weakly.
Mandy scoffed, "Info leaks are a dime a dozen these days! Had you gone with her, who knows? You might've ended up in a real fix. You hear about it all the time—innocent people led astray, ending up who knows where. They'd have you married off in the sticks!" She laughed heartily.
That did make sense.