Chapter 19

Jasmine figured that her friend had probably been out for more than an hour, and still, there was no sight of her. The program was ending in ten minutes, of which her friend merely listened to a seven-minute lecture before excusing herself to God-knows-where. She thought she was going to ease herself, although she didn’t tell her exactly where she was going.

The session ended yet there was no sight of Mary. She dialed her number but she wasn’t responding.

Where the fuck was she? Where had she gone? Why was she not answering her phone? Did she get a man who lured her into following him? No. That would never be the Mary she knew. She couldn’t remember hearing her talking about any man. And even if she had any, she couldn’t leave her without notice.

Something must be wrong somewhere.

She weaved through the crowd, looking at people’s faces, searching for her friend. She checked the convenience rooms, including the men’s, the parking lot, and the nearby buildings.