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Hungry for More
“Thanks for another great workout, Mario. Now, I gotta go find some grub because a brother is starving,” I said as I tossed my backpack over my shoulder.
“Yo man, I hear they have good food at that new joint, The Tavern. Want to go check it out?” Mario asked.
“Only if you can leave now. My breakfast was too light to wait on you slow footing around. If you can roll in the next two minutes, let’s do this. If not, I’ll have to leave you behind.”
“Aight man. Calm down. I know you get cranky when you’re hungry. I’m coming right out now. Just let me grab my wallet.” Mario reached under the counter to unlock a door to retrieve his wallet. “You driving?” he asked.
“Nah, you might as well grab your keys, bro. You’re driving today,” I said.
“That’s cool. I didn’t want to be cramped up in your little car anyway,” he said of my BMW i8. “We’re riding in a man’s vehicle,” he said as we walked toward his truck parked in his parking space by the entrance.
“You know you love my car,” I retorted, hopping into his Ford F-150 that glided through Atlanta traffic like it owned the roadways. Within minutes, we pulled up to The Tavern—a nice, swanky restaurant that I noted was jam packed once we entered. “Man, I don’t feel like waiting hours to be seated and to get my food. If they say it’s going to take too long, I’m just going to a burger joint.”
“I know you’re not up in here talking about burgers to your physical trainer,” Mario said.
“I sure as hell am,” I said as a hostess approached us. “I can have a burger. My abs are tighter than yours. You’re the one that needs to watch what you eat.”
“How many?” the waitress asked interrupting before Mario could reply with a quip.
“First, how long is your wait?” I asked in a grouchy tone.
“Oh, it’s only about fifteen minutes on food today. We’re busy but the kitchen is moving fast.”
“Cool. It’s just the two of us then,” I said and blew out a sigh of relief. My stomach took that time to release a roaring grumble.
“Greedy ass,” Mario said under his breath as we followed behind the hostess. Suddenly, he stopped walking and stood looking toward the back of the restaurant. “Dear God, you have sent me an angel. This must be my lucky day,” he said as he raised his hand to his mouth and blew into it. He took a whiff and smiled in satisfaction of his findings.
“What do they have a buffet?” I asked and trained my eyes to the edge of the room that he was staring in.
“Look to the right, second table. I’m about to go holler at the one in the blue dress and see what’s up,” Mario said and motioned his hea
d toward a table in the center of the restaurant where, no doubt, a magnificent woman sat with a very pregnant woman.
“Aye,” I tried to catch Mario. He rubbed his hands together and dapped off like a reincarnated Superfly from the 70s. Mario was already at the table talking to Lissa by the time I caught up with what was happening.
It was the Monday after our date. I thought about her all day Saturday and Sunday. I recounted the jokes she told and laughed at them over and over again as I spent the long weekend reflecting. Now, my homeboy was trying to push up on her. I must admit, it was a pleasure to see her smile nervously as she talked to Mario.
I hung back just to see how she responded to him. She was cordial. However, she didn’t look interested in taking him up on anything he offered. That was evident by the way she shook her head with her eyes squinted like she was trying to figure him out. He placed his fingers on his chin and rubbed at the stubble growing there as he tried to get her to lighten up. He looked like he was sweating in the hot seat, and I relished every minute of his torture.
“I couldn’t help but notice you two beautiful ladies sitting here peacefully until my friend decided to badger you. I came over save you from him. He’s really just a nice guy who knows two beautiful ladies when he sees them,” I said and Mario smirked at me.
“Well, hi there Montie,” Lissa squeaked out then stood to hug me. “So good to see you, again,” she added before she returned to her seat. “We would love it if you would join us like your friend, Mario, already has.”
“Nah, you two ladies enjoy yourself. Mario and I would hate to interrupt your lunch date,” I said, knowing Mario had already intruded.
“No, you’re perfectly fine,” the pregnant woman said as she sent questioning gazes from me to Lissa. “If you’re a friend of Lissa’s, you’re a friend of mine.”
“Montie this is Shayla—Shayla, Montie.” Lissa introduced us. “And she’s right, we don’t mind you joining us.”
I shook Shayla’s hand and introduced Mario. “This is my friend Mario.”
“Oh, we’ve met Mario,” Lissa giggled.
“Hi Mario,” Shayla said, checking us both out. She studied Lissa who was having as much trouble as I was hiding her attraction to me. Wild, heated glances passed between us whenever our eyes locked.
“Hey,” Mario answered. The enthusiasm he had when he strutted over to their table in full confidence that he would be picking Lissa up had fizzled away. It was obvious by the bun in Shayla’s oven that she was taken. That left Mario without anyone to score.
