CHAPTER TWENTY TWO, PART TWO: Two Girls In A Bar

The following day..

Antonio’s Grill.

“Excuse me, Miss?”

I shake myself free from my thoughts and gaze up at the waiter hovering near my table. A wave of embarrassment washed over me. Fuck, how long have I spaced out this time? “Yeah?”

“Your phone is ringing.” He points out politely.

“Oh!” I exclaim, the familiar tune finally registering in my mind. “Thanks.” I mumble, quickly accepting the call before it got transferred to voicemail. He steps away and gives me my privacy, attending to another customer vying for his service. “Hey baby!” I cooed, allowing myself my first genuine smile this afternoon.

“Are you busy?”

“No..”

“I’m not interrupting anything important am I?”

“You? Never.”

“Why, cause nothing is as important to you as I am?” She teases playfully.

“No.” I shake my head, joining right in her game. “Cause everything else in my life might be deeply meaningful, but you’re the only thing that I consider important.”

“Ooooooooooohh..” We both oohed at the same time and then chuckled, acknowledging the cheesiness of it all. “Nice one Porter.”

“Why thank you Kennard. Did it make you melt?”

“Like butter on a waffle.”

“And the score on the judge’s card?”

“A perfect 10.”

“Amazing, huh?”

“Take a bow.”

“I already curtseyed.”

“Excellent.” She giggles, the melodious sound tickling my ears. I can see her smile in my mind’s eye, but its her giggle that elicits a similar grin on my face. “Are you at the office?”

“Nope.”

“Where are you?”

“Antonio’s.”

“Have I been there?”

“Not yet. I’ll take you here sometime. Its a popular resto-bar downtown.”

“Do you have a meeting?”

“No.”

“Its three in the afternoon..”

“It is.”

“And you’re in a restaurant..”

“I am.”

“Are you having lunch just now?”

“No.”

“Porter.”

“I’m not.”

“You already ate lunch?”

“I did.”

“Where?”

“At the office.”

“What did you eat?”

“Food.”

“What kind of food?”

“The edible kind.”