Unexpected

Back to life

I pull out my work laptop from my desk drawer and begin researching the law driving the contract that's due this week.  Instead of calling Lori, I text her and ask her to come by with lunch if she has time.  She says she'll be here at noon so I immerse myself in work until it's almost time for lunch.  I decide to wait and call Andrew a little later to give him time to finish with his packing and errands.

In the kitchen, I pull a couple of plates out of the cabinet and take some flatware out of the drawer.  Lori will be a few minutes late because it's virtually impossible for her to be on time for social occasions.  She does high-end event planning and is punctual in her business so she has the ability to be on time when she wants to.  It's a mystery, but this is how she's always been since I've known her.  I met her in college and we've been best friends ever since.

Lori is happily married to a cardiologist and they have a daughter and a son who are still in high school.  Her daughter is a senior and her son a sophomore.  She lives in a neighboring subdivision which is mostly how Meghan and I ended up out here when we moved from Los Angeles.  That and the schools are exceptional.  Because she only takes on three or four jobs a year, we're able to spend quite a lot of time together during the day, mostly lunching or working out.

I hear a knock and I glance at the clock on the microwave.  Only ten minutes late today.  Not too bad.  I open the door and she greets me with a couple of bags which I relieve her of.

"Welcome back, Fae."  She insists on calling me Fae as though Faith isn't already short enough. 

"Hello, there.  What's all this?"

We walk into the kitchen and set the bags of food on the table next to the plates I'd already set out. 

"Since you've been somewhere that isn't exactly known for their cuisine, I figured you probably needed some good, down home Texas food.  I brought ribs, brisket, sausage, beans, and collard greens."

"I don't know why you keep trying to force me to eat greens.  You know I hate them."

"Which is why I brought some green beans too."  She sticks her tongue out at me.

"This is a lot of food, Lori, but sounds great."  My mouth is watering from the smell of it.  I only had coffee today, so I'm past ready for lunch.

We make our plates and bless our food, then dig in.

We eat in relative silence at first partly because I'm so hungry, but mostly because the food is so good.  "Gosh, this is nirvana, Lori.  Great idea."

She smiles coyly then says, "Speaking of nirvana, I've been following your escapades on Twitter this week.  Imagine my shock when I check your feed and all these pictures start showing up of you and Ian himself."

I should have known she'd be all over it.  "You know his name is not really Ian, right?  That's a character."

"Oh, I know all too well, but do most of his fans know?  My goodness, the vitriol they're throwing your way is almost to Yoko Ono levels.  I hope it dies down soon now that you're back.  What's the deal anyway?  You basically haven't seen anyone more than one date in the last four years and I see you and this movie star together for at least three or four days in a row."