So a couple of years later, my roommate Nevin tells me C's friend told him she was visiting just before Christmas holidays. Nevin also told me that C's friend told him that C got her nipples pierced. This floored me, because it seemed kind of out of character for her. Nevin told me I wasn't allowed to say anything, because C's friend realized it was a bad idea to tell him since it would get back to me, and Nevin promised her he wouldn't tell me. But of course he did. But if I let on that I knew, then she would know my roommate had told me and he'd be in trouble. You follow? Anyway, Nevin and I see C and her friend at the bar and things were great. I'm chatting with C, she's genuinely happy to see me, I'm trying to steer the conversation around to where she'll tell me about getting her nipples pierced. And I also want to see them, because I've never actually seen pierced nipples. In person, anyway. But nothing seemed to be working. Eventually we went back to our house because we were having a party and C and I spent the whole evening together. We were hanging out in my room talking, and Nevin and C's friend were in the room too. Nevin told me later that C's friend was really worried about leaving me alone with her, which I found funny, if only because never in my life have I been the bad boy that women are attracted to in spite of themselves. I'm the generally pretty good guy who sometimes gets screwed over in favour of the bad boy, but that's another story. Anyway, the night wears on, the liquor keeps flowing, and eventually C and I are left alone together, and talk unfortunately returns to what an asshole I'd been, and I felt guilty all over again because it was obvious I'd really hurt her, damaged her self-esteem, and I was trying to reassure her all over again that it wasn't her, that I had been a creep, but everyone knows that sounds like a line, even when it's true, and she actually started crying remembering the whole thing. And then I'm not sure exactly how we got from there to getting naked, but that's what happened. And much to my chagrin, her nipples weren't pierced! After all that! But I couldn't say anything about it, so I didn't; I just did my best to convince her that she's a good person who deserved a whole lot better than I'd give her years ago (which was true). Finally, later that night, she told me that she got her nipples pierced but she took them out because they'd irritated her. I kind of wanted to look really closely to see if there were holes that I could look through, but I restrained myself. And I spent the rest of the evening reflecting on what an asshole I'd been because it still bothered her years later. So I promised whatever I did from then on, I'd never just not call someone. Unless, I guess, I was told I didn't have to or she didn't want me to or something. I have never felt lower than listening to her cry because of how much I'd hurt her; it really taught me a lesson. Well, sort of, because I did get to sleep with her again, but that's not the point. The point is that I understand how low Dan feels right now, and I also envy him for getting off easy with Bobbi here. Apology over, Dan goes back to discussing the basketball. Bobbi smiles -- not a victory smile, but an appreciative smile.