Oh... how have you been?

There's nothing better than the uncomfortable dance two people perform when they recognize each other as past acquaintances and are mortified at the thought of exchanging idle pleasantries.

I saw this girl I knew from college in the airport terminal. I had a brief affair with one of her friends. It was forgettable. But at least it was brief. Oh, the decisions I make. And seeing this friend of the friend launched me into a slideshow of old and unfortunate memories.

For her part, my face was an equal portal to past happenings that were better left for dead. She had dated one of my best buddies from college. It had ended badly. Or maybe sadly. Probably both.

Either way, neither of us wanted to engage in spoken word. I don't care how she is doing and she could care less that I am still breathing the good air. But, if cornered, we would have asked and laughed and shrugged and smiled the painful smile of courtesy while our insides decayed.

So we averted our eyes from each other's direction. Of course, she was on my plane. And her bag was next to mine on the luggage carousel. But, by sheer force of will, we managed to direct our vision ranges at opposing angles. Enough so that we could have plausibly denied that we ever saw each other. And that's all that matters.