Linda was going to open her mouth and say "We're not late," but then looked across the street at a tall bank building. A bright sign jutting out from the corner read "7:02," and she realized what happened. As she scampered along after Lauren she said "We forgot about the time change."
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Lauren replied, as she weaved her way past the crowds.
Until then the tall buildings along the river had blocked their view of the coliseum. When they made it to the open area surrounding the arena, Linda gasped at the massive crowd gathered on the concourse all around the building. It reminded her of educational movies she'd seen about beehives during elementary school.
A long, wide wooden stairway led to the concourse, the place where they would meet Lauren's cousins. "There they are!" Lauren said, jumping up and down.
Linda looked up at a two guys and a girl she recognized from the photo albums Lauren showed her. Greg was a stocky, sturdily built guy with a scruffy, round face and a wide grin. Lauren's other cousin Jeannie had fire-red hair, fair skin and green eyes. When Linda and Lauren reached them, she saw that Jeannie also had a light dusting of cinnamon freckles across her face. A much taller guy towered over them, with an angular face and coiffed, rock star hair and a goatee that looked out of place with the military jacket he wore. "You're just in time," Jeannie spoke, raising her melodic voice above the buzzing of the anticipant crowd. "The doors are gonna open in ten more minutes."
"This is my roommate Linda," Lauren said, as she tapped Linda's shoulder. Greg and Jeannie reached forward and shook hands with her.
Jeannie said "And you guys haven't met Seth yet."
The tall guy in the military coat gleefully smiled and reached down for Lauren's hand, kissing it, while Lauren giggled. Linda assumed that she would be ignored or at best receive a cursory "hello" from the charming guy but this time she was wrong. Seth turned toward her and also reached down for her hand taking it and kissing it with the same smooth continental flair.
Maybe he likes dumpy dishwater blondes, she thought.
"We gotta get in there," Greg said, indicating with his thumb toward the doors. He and Seth led the way as they strode aggressively toward the throngs of people surrounding the coliseum doors. As they moved deeper and deeper into the crowd and Linda felt bodies press up against her, she instinctively breathed in. Lauren, who was a few inches taller, stood beside her, stretching on tiptoe to see above the shoulders beside them.