Workseem to dragged by the following day, every few minutes it seemed Salene waschecking her watch for the time. When noon finally did roll around Salene couldnot clock out any faster. Handing the proverbial reigns to Kevin, shequick-stepped it to her car.
Therestaurant she chose was only about five minutes away from her job. Arriving ontime Salene waited at the bar, knowing Amber would be late. While she waited,Salene tried to rehearse what she would ask Amber first. Why did she ignore allher calls and texts? What the hell happened between her and Breslin or whydidn't she tell her they had separated? There were so many questions she mightneed to prioritize them. Checking her phone, it was twelve fifteen.
"Hey,girlie," the familiar high pitch of Amber's singsong voice pulled herattention from her cell phone.
Justlike the last time Salene saw Amber, she looked radiant as usual. Her platinumblonde hair hung bone straight well past her shoulder blades while her brightblue eyes sparkled with carefree freedom. Salene could not help the bitterthought that her eyes might sparkle just as joyously if she didn't have to workeither. Returning the hug that Amber initiated Salene followed her onto theoutside eating balcony.
"Itis such a beautiful day out let's eat out here." Not waiting for a replyAmber sat at the table near the front.
Actually,it was little hot out for her tastes, but Salene quietly obliged.
"Ohmy God, I have so much to tell you." Amber spread out her hands as ifSalene needed to brace herself for what was about to come.
Thewaitress stopped at their table with a smile ready to take their order.
"Iwill have the Cobb salad and a Dr Pepper." Snapping shut the menu with anextra flourish Amber handed it to the waitress.
Thewaitress turned to Salene expectantly.
"Iwill just have the water." Smiling at the woman, Salene handed her theunopened menu. Looking at Amber's questioning gaze, she answered the unspokenquestion as the waitress left. "I am not hungry I actually ateearlier."
Thatwas a half-truth actually, she was hungry, but she did have a granola in thecar earlier. Payday was next week, and Salene could hardly wait.
"Okayso where to even begin," Amber sighed dramatically. "Let me juststart it off like this, Gabriel overnight-ed me my divorce papers to myparents' house."
Thereality of Amber's words hit her like a stone falling into a lake. So it wasreally happening, her and Gabriel's marriage was really over. Apparently, theheavy news had the opposite effect for Amber as she smiled with a Cheshire grinas if she were telling her a bit of juicy gossip.
"Ohmy God Amber, what happened between you two?" Salene had to know.
"Uggwhat didn't happen," Amber twisted her pink lips in disgust. "Youwere right he was a Neanderthal. It was disastrous pretty much the moment wegot back from Vegas in my opinion."
Forthe next half hour, Amber regaled to her the disappointment and mistreatment ofher marriage.
"Doyou know he just went out and bought a house without even consulting with me?!He actually got mad when I was less than thrilled to live in some nineteeneighties one story out in the suburbs. You know what I always said I wanted tolive in when I bought a new place." Amber gave her an expected look tofinish her sentence.
Stillshocked over the sheer appalling ungratefulness the woman was spewing, Salenehad to force herself to answer.
"Ohumm a loft, right?" Not sure actually since Amber's wants and dream listchanged and grew practically each week.
"Yes!"She exclaimed, a little too loudly causing another table to look over at them."But did he even care, no. He was so busy trying to convince me of thegreat deal his father found in that ugly house and didn't care what Iwanted."
Everythingfrom not listening, to being too controlling, and patronizing her was thrown onthe table with hardly a breath in between.
"Andlet us not even begin with his fucking creepy sex demands, he…"
Salenecould not and would not listen to that, holding up a hand she firmlyinterrupted.
"Iget it, but more importantly, the last time I did speak to you," Salenecould not help but emphasize that last part with a touch of cynicism. "Youmentioned you were speaking to another guy online."
Smilingwickedly Amber pressed her straw to her lips in unhidden glee, her hot pinknails gleaming in the high noon sun.
"Ohyes, he is absolutely wonderful." Amber went on for another fifteenminutes about the recently divorced engineer who she was currently living withnow. "I am just so much happier with Jonathan. This is why I am going tosign that divorce decree as soon as possible in send it back to that bigfucking mistake."
Lookingat her watch, Salene quickly took the break in Amber's talking as anopportunity to escape.
"Ohcrud, I have to get back," doing her best to muster up a disappointed tonein her voice.
"Ohno, that was not enough time at all," Amber pouted. "We didn't get totalk about what was going on with you. Your last few text said you reallyneeded to speak with me."
