Silent No More(9)
I remove my hand from her shoulder. “I really am hungry and I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning, so I’m going to put clean clothes on and go down to Mint. Do you want to join me for lunch or not?”
“Fine,” she says, sounding resigned. “After that, I have to go to the station to get ready for work,” Stacy replies.
“Thanks,” I say. Only Stacy would need at least four to five hours to get ready to tell the weather on the six o’clock news. I don’t say my thoughts out loud. I know she would be offended as well as pissed off. She didn’t speak to Allison for a week once when she called her a “weather girl”.
I hear a knock at the door and assume it’s housekeeping bringing my clothes and undies back. “Are you expecting someone else?” Stacy asks as I’m walking to the door.
“I sent my dirty laundry to housekeeping a while ago. Hopefully they’re back with my clean underwear,” I tell her as I open the door a fraction of the way and take the garment bag from an older lady, thanking her as I shut the door. Walking over to the bed, I dump the contents out then grab the bag Stacy brought and dump everything out of it as well. I grab a black short-sleeve fitted shirt, a faux fur vest, a pair of skinny jeans and the pair of black riding boots.
“I just need about twenty minutes to get myself presentable. Will you go down to the restaurant, get us a table and order the drinks?” I ask.
“Absolutely,” she replies with a smile while heading for the door.
* * * * *
Half an hour later, I’m sliding into the booth across from Stacy while picking up my glass of diet coke. Not exactly the drink I would have chosen, but I’m not complaining since I didn’t tell her what to order.
“What, no wine?” I joke.
“I have to work so I can’t drink this early, and if I can’t drink, I’m certainly not going to sit here while you do,” she deadpans. I know she is serious. Stacy is the life of every party and has been since I met her our freshman year of college. She’s the person who broke me out of my shyness, making me open up and trust people.
She likes to force me out of my comfort zone. She can talk me into almost anything, and she has gotten me to do things I wouldn’t normally do on my own. I’ll have to thank her for that one day; although, I’ll never explain why that means so much to me. People enter our lives for all different types of reasons, and I’m very glad I met the woman sitting across the table from me.
I won’t let my mind wander. No need in thinking about the past. The past needs to stay just there, in the past.
“I’m just messing with you. I have to go to the gallery after lunch to finish everything for my meeting tomorrow morning at LP.” I pick up the menu, scanning all the food.
Just as the waiter is walking up, I decide on a cheeseburger with fries. Fatty, greasy food is just the pick me up I need. I give the waiter my request and he turns to Stacy for her order. She’s eying me in disgust.
“I’ll have a grilled chicken salad with light ranch dressing. No cheese, please,” she says in her soft flirty voice to the young waiter who is probably five years younger than she is. Not that she’s old. She and I are the same age.
The waiter leaves as I’m rolling my eyes at her. “You know, if you didn’t eat shit food, you could probably fit into my clothes,” she tells me while lifting her diet coke to her lips to take a sip.
“Whatever! I like to enjoy food. I’m not going to limit myself to grass.” I take a sip of my own drink. Setting mine back down, I continue, “Besides, I’ll never be a size two or whatever size it is you are. I don’t have the small frame you do, and I’m quite happy with my body the way it is.” It’s not like I’m fat and I do work out four days a week; although, I missed my morning boxing class today.
“Well, didn’t you just get over the flu or something? You were sick for like three weeks. Maybe you should be eating something light.” Stacy and concern isn’t something I’m used to. She tends to be selfish and only think about herself. She never once bothered to call me or bring me anything to eat while I was sick. I, on the other hand, have played nursemaid to her on several occasions back in college.
Maybe she’s the one who’s getting sick.
“It was two weeks, but I’m fine now, and I’m ready to eat decent food again.” I pick up my diet coke, taking a large gulp.
Within ten minutes, our food arrives and I sink my teeth into my burger. Sitting it back on the plate, I remove the bun and toss on some fries and a hefty amount of ketchup before taking another bite of the mouthwatering burger and fries combination.