She and I were sitting at a table at the big window in the Sanctuary drinking mugs of cold beer. Before the Sanctuary went out of business, it was only a few blocks from the Cathedral of Learning of the University of Pittsburgh. My friend was in her forties and was working on her doctorate. I was in my fifties working on my baccalaureate.
“Sex sex sex,” my friend was saying. “That’s all you men ever think about.”
“It’s not all we think about. But it is what gets men and women together in the first place.”
“No it’s not,” she said. “You claim to know so much about women. And I’ll tell you something else, too. No matter how good the sex is it won’t keep a couple together.”
“Have you ever known a married couple with a lousy sex life?”
“Have you ever known one with no life outside of sex?” she said.
I think we were both a little drunk. “Lay Down” by Melanie played on the jukebox. A nice mix of Pitt students from different countries was in the place. I looked through the big window at the buildings, cars parked along the street and at the people passing by. Inside, the Sanctuary was pleasantly dim and cool. Outside, it was a hot, bright, lovely September afternoon. I didn’t mind being in my fifties. I didn’t mind being an undergraduate at Pitt.
“So,” I said, “what’s the solution?”
“Guy, darling, what makes you think there is one.”
