# Does anyone recognize this short story I read in the late '90s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285 "2026-03-07T22:49:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285/1 "2026-03-07T22:49:17Z")
It was presented as a reading exercise in one of the books used to teach English as a foreign language (probably _ **Headway** _) . In it, a man probably in his early 30s, bumps into a former girlfriend who had walked out on him years before. Trying to put on a brave front, they agree to sit down for a coffee and a chat. It slowly comes out that they both regret what happened years before, but are too afraid to admit it. Some of the lines I remember are: She says “Oh Michael, I don’t know why I left that night.” He replies “We were both very young,” in an attempt to imply it’s all water under the bridge. But it’s clear that neither has fully recovered, and they’ve drifted from one doomed relationship after another over the years. Finally, just as we think some progress has been made, the man suggests they get together for coffee again sometime. He writes down his phone number and she puts in in her purse, promising to call him soon. The final line of the story is: “But of course, she never does.” The story reminds me of The Human League’s song “Louise,” which I listened to this afternoon. If it helps stir anyone’s memory, it was printed together with a photo of a couple at a cafe, and I’d swear the woman was Margaret Colin. I’d like to know the title of the story and who wrote it, if possible. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285/2 "2026-03-08T06:02:42Z")
Did you check copies of Headway and similar works? There are copies available on Internet Archive which you can read online, for example: > **[Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music &...](https://archive.org/details/inlibrary?tab=collection&query=Headway++Student%27s+Book)** ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285/3 "2026-03-08T06:42:54Z")
Not much help, I’m afraid. Though I do remember now that it was a combined reading and listening exercise. So it should be on tape as well. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285/4 "2026-03-08T06:56:00Z")
Sounds rather like the lyrics to “Taxi.” There was not much more for us to talk about Whatever we had once was gone So I turned my cab into the driveway Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns And she said, “We must get together” But I knew it’d never be arranged And she handed me 20 dollars for a $2.50 fare She said, “Harry, keep the change” Well, another man might have been angry And another man might have been hurt But another man never would have let her go I stashed the bill in my shirt ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2026, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-recognize-this-short-story-i-read-in-the-late-90s/1028285/5 "2026-03-08T07:47:08Z")
Sort of.