The Organization Read Online Free

still. Calm.” She felt a twinge of self-consciousness and looked over at Joanna, whose face was lit by the street lamps and from which she inferred that her own face must be hidden in the shadows.
    “Did you want to be alone?  I didn’t mean to bother your… calm.”  Something in Joanna’s voice hinted of teasing, but she gave Charlotte a small, kind smile.
    “Truth is, I’m not accustomed to a lot of company. I usually eat alone. And then I go home and I’m –”
    “Alone?” Joanna asked.
    Charlotte nodded, and added, “Not that I’m opposed to the company, mind you.”
    They were quiet for a moment, both looking at the river, before Joanna said, “I do hope you’ll join our football team.”
    “Thanks, but… I don’t know.” Her mind raced to fabricate a reason for why joining the team would be a bad idea, but she came up short.
    “It would be good for you. You could meet some people. I’ve got some good friends who have signed up for another season, and I think you’d like them.”
    “Listen, Joanna.  I appreciate it, but –”
    “But nothing. Give them a chance. Meet them. I’m having a dinner party on Thursday night and a bunch of people from the team will be there. Will you come?” Joanna’s eyes sparkled with excitement, the streetlights shining on her pupils.
    Charlotte hesitated, and Joanna added, “Don’t say no.”
    In a careful, quiet tone, Charlotte said, “You hardly know me.  Why do you care?”
    Joanna’s face relaxed into an easy smile. “I’ve got a good feeling about you, Charlie. So will you come? Thursday night at my place?”
    A chilly wind blew and Charlotte hugged her jacket closer around her body.  “I’ll think about it.”
    Joanna poked her in the ribs. “You’ll come.”
    Charlotte gave a short laugh, surprised at her lack of resistance. “All right, I’ll come.”
    “Cheers,” Joanna replied with a grin.
    #
    Charlotte tied a purple ribbon around the neck of the bottle of non-alcoholic Merlot. Her parents would have turned their noses up at the bottle, but these days the genuine item was very rare indeed. The government’s campaign warning for everyone to be “ever vigilant, ever ready” also discouraged the drinking of real alcohol.
    Charlotte felt the sleeve of a black button-down dress shirt that was hanging to dry on a line in her apartment. Satisfied that it was dry, she pulled it down and put it on. She looked through her several pairs of pants for the pair that had the fewest patches and obvious signs of being mended, and settled on her oversized cargo pants that she wore most days. At least they passed the sniff test.
    She wasn’t entirely happy to go to Joanna’s dinner party. She knew she couldn’t make an excuse to leave early since both Joanna and she had work immediately afterward and would probably walk there together. She also admitted that the idea of walking to work with someone, with Joanna, didn’t make her entirely un happy. She hadn’t made any new friends in a long while. She had made a habit of keeping people at a distance.
    As Charlotte pressed the buzzer to Joanna’s flat, she felt a sudden impulse to flee. She hadn’t always been anti-social, but the war had changed her. It had changed everybody. For Charlotte, the issue wasn’t just the crowd, but the chance of being found out, and then mistreated and derided for who she was.
    The door opened. Joanna was dressed somewhat formally, in a pressed pair of black slacks and a flowing lilac shirt. Charlotte recognized the design of the shirt as one she had seen in the shops this season, and felt a tinge of intimidation stemming from how Joanna could afford new clothes.
    “Charlie, I’m so glad you came,” Joanna said, kissing her once on each cheek.
    “Thanks for inviting me,” Charlotte replied.
    As she followed Joanna into her flat, the sounds of the other guests rose in volume. In total, the apartment was filled with a dozen people: ten of Joanna’s friends,