And quietly loses herself in art,
Her life is a glorious mess.
I knew I shouldn’t have introduced that song to the band, but everyone seemed to like it, and now we played it all the time. I should have known better than to give myself a constant reminder of Glory Parker.
“Are you still good for Friday night?” I asked Carly, attempting to pull myself out of my bittersweet nostalgia.
“Of course!” Carly replied. “I can’t wait!”
“Good. I’m hoping it will be a really special night.”
Carly’s smile grew so big that it almost hurt to look at. I reached across the table and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. It was time to move on from the girl I had stopped writing years ago. The girl who I had never met. It was time to move forward with the girl in front of me.
Chapter Fifteen: Glory
“Hey Glory, I know you’re about to teach a class, but I really have to pee. Could you cover the front for me for a minute?”
I put down the paintbrushes I was cleaning and looked over at Yvonne, my friend and manager. Her face looked pained and she was hopping from foot to foot.
“I don’t know,” I said lazily. “I think maybe I’ll just let you suffer.”
“Girl, you’re cruel!” Yvonne exclaimed. “Come on! I’ll be really quick! I won’t even wash my hands!”
I raised my eyebrows. “That is against the cafe’s policy. And it’s gross.”
“Glory, you’re killing me! My bladder is about to implode! And then I’ll die, and it’ll be on your hands.”
“Not if I wash them.”
“Glory!”
“Go already!” I laughed. “You know I’m just messing with you.”
Yvonne took off toward the restroom, doing an awkward gallop as she tried to keep her legs together. “You’re the worst!” She yelled.
“Love you too!” I called back. I walked over to the front counter just as a customer came in.
“Welcome to Monet Cafe. What can I get for you?”
The man studied the menu for a second. “Could I get a Picasso Paradise?”
I nodded and went on autopilot, making a smoothie I’d made hundreds of times. I poured it into a cup and set it on the counter. “Anything else?”
The man smiled. “Yes, actually. I’d love your number.”
Without missing a beat, I faked a smile and said, “I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate me giving out my number to other men.”
The customer inclined his head. “Well, let me know if your situation changes.” He paid for his smoothie and then slid a card with his number on it across the counter. I waited for him to walk out the door before I flicked his card in the trash.
“When am I going to meet this imaginary boyfriend of yours?”
I turned around to see Yvonne walk out of the kitchen. “How long were you watching?”
“Long enough to see you pass on a very attractive man.”
“Was he attractive? I didn’t notice.”
“That’s because your lady parts are all shriveled up.”
