AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Slightly less psychotic than that. I’m unarmed, by the way” Gael smiled and held her hands up in mock surrender. “But I was really nervous. It’s been a long time.”
“How are you feeling right now?”
They locked eyes.
“Calm. Safe. Like I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Alex nodded. “That’s good, then.”
The waiter took Gael’s drink order and refilled Alex’s water glass.
“Are you not drinking? Should I change my order?” asked Gael.
“You’re fine,” Alex assured her. “I don’t drink, but no judgment. Mom had a problem; I learned it’s not for me.”
“Any brothers or sisters?” Gael asked.
“Only child. My father died when I was three. Not really a first date conversation.”
The waiter returned and set a glass of cabernet on the table.
Gael said, “I chose this place because it’s kind of magical. I’m Irish, so not much of a tolerance for the spicy. But this stuff feels much more like comfort food than, I don’t know, mac & cheese. Or fries with gravy.”
“Fries with gravy? Is that a thing?”
“Oh yeah. I don’t believe in ketchup,” Gael continued. “The Iris’s specialty is this thing called Khao Soi. It’s a curry noodle soup. Makes me happier than I’d ever imagined a soup could. I’m not ordering it tonight only because I sweat when I eat it.”
“Can’t have that,” Alex said, hiding a grin behind her menu.
“Even on my darkest day, Khao Soi makes me smile.”
“As long as it doesn’t make you sing,” Alex teased.
“I have a perfectly lovely, if somewhat baritone, voice. No matter what Bella thinks.”
The waiter returned. Gael ordered the salt & pepper shrimp, Alex the stir fry string beans with chicken.
They charmed the interim with small talk. Alex spoke of her job in the Target warehouse, unloading tractor trailers, operating forklifts, running the pallet wrapper.
“That seems like it’d be a really testosterone-heavy atmosphere,” Gael said. “That’s not a problem?”
“I’m just one of the guys, you know? The older guys, they’ve seen it all and are basically cool. Once they saw I could handle the workload and do the job safely, they were on my side. Did have an incident once, but, you know.”
“Can I ask?” Gael said.
“College boy, entitled little prick. Followed me into the bathroom. That was his first mistake. Wanted to prove his theory that a dyke could be cured by seeing ‘a real man.’ He started undoing his fly. I feinted at smashing his nose. While he got his hands up to protect his face, I planted my boot heel on his foot. Down he went, yelling and cursing. I hooked a finger in each nostril, dragged him out to Demetrios, the shift supervisor.”
“Holy shit!” Gael said. “I hate that I have to ask this, but how did you not lose your job over that?”
“Almost did, but Demetrios stepped up for me with HR. I got an official reprimand, sort of a strike one notice. Had to complete an anger management course. Demetrios and the guys strongly hinted to the kid that he should find employment elsewhere. Hasn’t been seen since.”
Their meals arrived and they tucked in.
“Do you see yourself there for the long haul?” asked Gael.
“I have a five-year plan, but money’s tight. It’s starting to look like eight or ten years might be more realistic.”
“What’s the end goal?”
