Summary

The narrator of “The Shared Patio” is a woman who lives in a duplex with a shared patio. The occupants of the other unit are a married couple. The narrator describes the husband as a man of Korean descent. His name is Vincent Chang. Vincent’s wife is named Helena. The narrator works as a floor manager for an industrial print shop. The shop’s main clients are special-interest magazines, such as a magazine for people living with HIV. The narrator is attracted to Vincent. She finds him physically attractive, and she also likes his kind, sensitive personality. Vincent works as an art director for a magazine, but the magazine is not one of the print shop’s clients. One day, the narrator and Vincent are using the patio at the same time. They make pleasantries and...