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“Ok, well, the Uber has been out there for like twenty minutes.”
“It’s HUber,” I say. “He’s always there.”
Hubert, which we nicknamed HUber, is a young man who moved in down the street. He goes to school during the day and does Uber in the evenings. Mostly I think he sticks to giving the neighbors rides.
“Yes, but I feel bad he’s been waiting, so let’s get.”
La Casa is a very upscale Mexican restaurant in downtown Charlotte that had been intended to be casual and relaxed as their menu reflected. But because of the authentic décor, standout recipes, and low lighting, it became more of a formal evening experience.
It is actually kind of strange to see everyone dressed so nice, in suits and ties and sexy dresses, all the while eating finger foods and burritos.
Though we missed our reservation thanks to me, a table is freed after only ten minutes sitting standby. Jess orders all of her favorites as always, and begins shoving them in her face as soon as they come. The way she’s eating one would think she was starved, but the truth is that she has never denied herself a food she craves.
She is fascinating to me. I stare at her sitting there, happily eating away, not a care in the world. At least it seems to me that way.
When she finally catches me looking, she smiles and slurps in a bit of cheese, winking as she does.
“How can you eat so much without gaining weight?” I ask her.
“Meh, genes I guess,” she answers nonchalant.
I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah,” I say and take a tiny sip of my expensive margarita. Dear lord, I never do well with tequila! “Should have ordered piña colada.”
She takes a nacho and starts piling steak and beans onto it. “So, what’s up with you? I thought we were supposed to look smokin’ hot tonight. Not that you don’t, you’re always gorgeous. Was the dress too long?”
“Yeah, it was a little long, but it fit nice otherwise. So, remember the red dress I bought a while back?”
“The one you supposedly never wear cause it’s red, even though you agreed to wear mine? Is that why you’re not wearing it?”
“Not really. What I didn’t tell you was that I did wear it. Once. The night Bo and I slept together the first time.” I had told her almost everything, so she at least knew that I’d been with him more than once. But I had left out some of the details, like the fact that I’d never washed the dress, instead sealed it in a Ziploc bag and put it high in the linen closet where Owen never dares to go.
“Okay. So, what does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, when I started walking to your house I kind of ran into Mrs. Jensen and him. I was wearing your dress. I think maybe it reminded him too much of our first time.” I know it did me. That was part of the problem with wearing it.
“And?” She motions me with her free hand to continue.
“He asked me to take it off.”
“What?” she frowns and puts the entire loaded chip into her mouth. “So vut did ju zoo?” sounds like she says around her food.
I chew on my lip before I say, “I fucked him.”
Small chunks of nacho spray at me, and I jump out of my chair, wiping myself. “What the?”
Jess’ face looks like it’s frozen into an about-to-vomit look. She begins to heave without really making a sound, and I swear she’s turning blue right before my eyes.
For a horrifying moment, she looks like something out of the Exorcist and it scares the shit out of me. Then, when I realize this has nothing to do with a spook, I spring to action. “Jess, what’s wrong?” I practically scream, pounding on her back. “Are you choking!”
Her eyes water and she shuts them tight as she slaps her hands against the table, knocking her nachos onto the floor.
“Someone, help!” I position myself behind her, willing to do the Heimlich maneuver even though I never learned, but I had to do something!
“Move lady,” a young kid tells me, couldn’t be more than fourteen. He radiates so much authority I move aside without any argument. In one quick move, he puts his arms around her and pulls.
Next thing I know Jess is bent over the table, coughing, spit coming down in thick rivulets from her mouth. She takes deep breaths and nods. “Thanks, kid,” she says in a broken gravelly voice.
“No problem. My little sister choked once and my dad made sure we all knew what to do in case it ever happened again. Glad I could be of service,” he said with a slight bow and left us to stare after him.
