Summary

In Chapter 11, Victor waits at the bar, chatting with a man he does not know well. He thinks of Fitzpatrick and wonders what kind of man he would have been if he had stayed in his hometown. Later, Fitzpatrick does arrive. Victor considers leaving, but he knows that Fitzpatrick “had me cornered” (134). The bar fills up with “the loose group of other men” (134). The men start to tease Fitzpatrick about his ex. Fitzpatrick then reveals to the other men that Victor was once married to Rachel Carey “off the telly” (135). After they realize who Rachel is, Fitzpatrick explains that he and Victor went to school together. Immediately, Victor likes the other men and wants to be a part of their circle. He thinks, “I wanted this thing I’d missed out on, even a late glimpse of it” (139). He thinks the men are...