Mark.
In a panic, she tried to swallow again but only sputtered, instead. She couldn’t get the food to go down.
The smell of his cologne filled the diner. It reminded her of the hallway in the apartment building. Only this time instead of cute duck boxers he wore a short-sleeved maroon polo and dark blue trousers. Shorter than the last time she’d seen him, his hair fell just above his ears. A disarming smile spread across his face, but it didn’t quite reach his weary eyes.
He looked as if he could have almost anything he wanted.
His eyes lit on sight of her. “Are you going to be okay, or do I need to come over the counter and help?”
She wanted to wipe that look of bemusement right off his face, but for now she’d settle on just breathing again. “I’m fine,” Jennifer finally managed as the lump slid down her throat. “I haven’t seen you in months, what are you doing here? I mean, how are you?”
“I’m doing well,” Mark said in a polite and still amused voice. “Did I come at a bad time?”
Jennifer looked longingly at her sandwich, but held off from taking another bite. “No.”
He stared at her.
“Are you meeting someone?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes. A very beautiful woman.”
Her heart pulled in four different directions and threatened to snap in her chest. He had to be meeting Rebecca. Or someone else equally amazing. Taking a gulp of milk, she tried to stall for time. Why’d he have to meet her here? And even if it wasn’t Rebecca, was he just rubbing it in that he’d found someone else? She looked up from her glass and decided to take control. Her eyes didn’t waver from his in what seemed like a nonverbal game of chicken.
He broke first. “You look different somehow.”
Heat rushed to her face.
“Your face is fuller. Are you eating more? Taking care of yourself?”
Ouch. “Do I look fat?” Even as she said it she watched his eyes focus on her bosom. Apparently that was not the case at all.
“No. You look healthy, vibrant. Almost glowy.”
She didn’t want to look glowy in front of a man who’d knocked her up and then disappeared for almost eight months. In her mind she knew it wasn’t fair to be angry at him, but her heart thoroughly disagreed. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him. Typical man. “You know, Mark, it’s been a long time. You knew where I worked, why didn’t you say ‘hi’ before now?”
“You know where the hospital is. You could have done the same.” He looked at Sally. “In fact, that’s exactly what your friend over there did.”
Jennifer looked over just in time to see Sally look away from Mark. She made a note to throttle her after their shift ended. It’d be nice to do it before, but she just couldn’t handle the dinner customers by herself anymore. Sally’s demise would have to wait for at least a few hours.
“And, in fact,” Mark continued, “after the way you acted the last time we saw each other, I didn’t think you wanted to see me again. You weren’t very friendly when you left. You didn’t even bring back my shirt you’d been wearing, and you told me you would. It was one of my favorites.”
Her mouth gaped open, then shut. Of all the nerve! How dare he? “Your shirt? Your shirt? That’s what you’ve been missing?” Red flashed before her eyes, a bull ready to barrel through his smug, arrogant ass.
The anger only made her voice go higher. She let him have it. “Mark Stanton, you have no right to talk to me like that. You have no idea what I’ve been doing over the last few months,” she all but shouted, “and you have no right to judge me.”
Mark put his hands up in surrender. “Perhaps it was a bad idea to come.” Without glancing at either woman he turned to walk away just as the diner door rang again.
A Lilliputian woman with cotton-candy pink hair, brandishing a cane and a larger-than-life smile, walked through the door. Her cat’s-eye glasses slipped halfway down her nose. She wore a long blue-jean skirt. White orthopedic sneakers peeked out the bottom. She glanced around the diner and her eyes settled on the counter. Her cane ticked against the floor as she bee-lined toward them.
“Mark.” She pulled him down to kiss him on each cheek. “How are you, my handsome one? I thought I heard screaming in here. The TV must have been up very loud.” She looked over at the turned-off TV. “I guess I was mistaken.”
“I’m fine, Ruth.” He glanced between her and Jennifer. Closing his eyes for a moment, he plastered a smile across his face before opening them. Again, the smile did not reach his eyes.