“I’m going to take a break too, so I’ll keep you company.What can I get you?”
“A BLT would be great, thank you.”
“Would you like soup or chips with that?”
“What’s the soup of the day?”
“Vegetable soup.”
“I’ll have the soup.”
Chris asks one of her staff to prepare lunch for us, then gestures towards an empty table.
“So what’s new?”she asks as we sit down.
“Everything’s as usual.”
“Do you have a long shift ahead?”
“Twenty-four hours.”
“Oh, fuck.”
I laugh.I like that Chris has no filter.Talking to her is easy.She’s a wonderful person — sincere and with a big heart.If I could fall in love with a woman, it would be her.
“What about you?How do you feel now that Jamie is back home?”
She smiles a little sadly.“I miss her.It was nice having a baby around the house.”
“You could always think about it, or is your Mr Muscle not that useful?”
“Shut up!”
I shrug.“Does Homo Erectus object?”
Chris can’t help but laugh.“You’re impossible.”
“I am what I am.In all my glory.”
“You’re an idiot.And you need to stop being so mad at Ryan.”
“I’m not mad at O’Connor.”
She raises an eyebrow.
“We just don’t get along.”
“You don’t even try.”
“He doesn’t want me around.He’s threatened by what I’m still trying to understand.All he does is mark his territory.I hope he doesn’t pee on the furniture at home, because that would be embarrassing.”
“See?You’re doing it even now!”
“You’re right, but my life is so boring that I have no choice but to intrude on yours just to have some fun.”
“There are other ways to have fun.”
The girl who works with Chris brings us our lunch.We thank her, and I stir my soup to let it cool while Chris immediately bites into her sandwich.
