Nicole offered me an escape route, which I was more than willing to take. She insisted she couldn’t possibly eat lunch with the masses today because she needed to keep a low profile after her exploits on Saturday night. She had emptied the pockets of every boy stupid enough to face her in a poker game at the party, and she claimed she needed to avoid her disgruntled opponents at all costs. Nicole was not someone who got nervous about confrontation, so I knew she was doing it for me, and I was grateful.
