“Hi,” he greets her.
“Hi,” she says breathlessly as she puts her phone down. “Can I get something to eat at the bar?” she asks him.
“For you,” he says, “we’ll make it happen.” I about roll my eyes and watch him flirt with her.
“Aren’t you the sweetest?” She laughs. “Can I have a menu?”
“Coming right up,” he says to her and then instead of minding my own business like I should be, I hand her mine.
“You can have mine,” I tell her. “I already know what I’m having.”
“Thank you.” She takes the menu from me and then looks down at it while her phone buzzes on the bar. She ignores it as she reads the menu, and it goes off about fifteen more times.
The bartender comes back with a menu, and I see he even undid another button on his black shirt and rolled up his sleeves. “Here you go, gorgeous.” He hands her the menu, and she takes it and turns her smile toward me.
“It’s only right,” she tells me, “that you take this one.”
I grab it from her and then she turns her face back to the bartender. “Can I have a glass of wine, please? A pinot.” She puts the menu in her hand on her lap and leans in. “A big one.”
“Of course.” He nods and turns to walk away from her.
“That kind of day?” I ask her, instead of shutting the fuck up and minding my own fucking business.
“Considering I just spent the last four hours sitting on a plane on the runway, with no air-conditioning, and then being told the flight is cancelled until tomorrow.” She shrugs. “It’s the least I deserve.” I nod at her and take a sip of my own drink. “Was your flight cancelled also?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Came home to a busted pipe and a flooded house.”
“Okay, fine.” She rolls her eyes. “Your day is suckier than my day.” I can’t help but laugh when she says that. “But if you think about it,” she turns to face me and her oversized sweater falls off her shoulder and to the middle of her arm, showing me her white tank top that swoops low in the front and molds to her chest, “I bet tomorrow will be better.”
“Yeah,” I agree, putting the glass on the coaster, thinking about how the news of me taking over as head coach will be everywhere tomorrow.
“I mean, it should be, but it could also suck even more.” The minute she says it, I can’t help but bark out a laugh. “I mean, think about it. A flood today, termites tomorrow.” She holds out her two hands, palms up, as she moves them up and down like she’s weighing the options.
“Can we not put that thought out there?” I turn to look at her. She takes in the way my shirt is tight against my chest, and I see her giving me a very approving once up and down. “Let’s think good thoughts.”
The bartender comes back and puts her drink on her coaster. “There you are, beautiful,” he flirts and I side-eye him. “Have you decided on what you are going to have?”
“I’ll take a cheeseburger with bacon, hold the tomatoes,” she orders. He gives her a grin and then starts to walk away as I hold up my finger. “And my friend here,” she adds and puts her hand on my arm, “will have,” she looks at me, “the same thing.”
“Sure,” I agree, “that works.” He nods at me and walks toward the system to put in the order.
“Thanks,” I mumble as she picks up her drink, holding it up in her hand.
“I aim to please.” She smiles at me and it’s not a fake smile. Not one that someone who is being polite gives you. No, this is a smile that fills her face and goes straight to her eyes.
“Well, to a better tomorrow.” She holds up her glass and I take an extra second looking at her, not sure what to do. “This is where you pick up your glass and we toast to a better tomorrow,” she tells me, and I reach for my glass. “For a smooth flight home for me and no termites for you.” The smile on her face is never-ending. “And hopefully good fries; it would suck after the day we had if the French fries are meh.” I can’t help but chuckle as I clink my glass with hers. “You have to say it,” she informs me. “You have to repeat what I just said or else it doesn’t work. And then we’re cursing tomorrow. Do you want that? I don’t!”
“I’ve never heard that before in my life,” I tell her and the smile fades from her face.
“Do you want to be the one who tempts fate?” she questions dramatically. “Wow, I guess you don’t care about termites in your house, but I care about a safe flight. So can we maybe not throw bad juju into the universe?”
“I would hate for bad juju to go into the universe,” I reply when I know she isn’t going to take a sip of her wine until I repeat what she says. “To a safe flight and no termites.”
“I mean, it’s not the same since you didn’t say it with feeling, but I’ve already had a long day, and it sounds like it’s going to be longer if I don’t take this sip of wine.” She clinks her glass with mine and takes a big sip before putting it down. “If those fries are floppy,” she looks over at me, “that is going to be an indication as to how tomorrow goes.” She holds up her hands beside her and crosses her fingers. “Please be good.”
“That excited to get home?” I ask her and she looks back over at me.
“Yeah, it’s been a week, and my bed is probably wondering where I am.”
