Cardboard Hearts

#2: part 3

Jess pulls her hat down lower over her damp, stringy hair and hugs her raincoat closer to her chest as she hurries into a small Italian restaurant near the airport. Her soaked Keds, spattered with mud, splash through yet another puddle. The reflection of the moon transforms into a thousand tiny flecks of silver as she withdraws her foot.

Jess pushes the door open and a tiny bell chimes. She smiles at the friend she's come to meet, who is sulking in a corner.

"How're you doing, Cora?" She asks as she slides into the booth next to her.

Cora frowns as she brushes her long, dark hair out of her face, revealing her pale cheeks and bright blue eyes. "When I was walking over here some angry redhead pushed me up against a wall and started swearing at me." She begins gesturing with her hands, her eyes wide and scared. "I was gonna start screaming, but this other guy ran up behind us and pulled the redhead off me. If he hadn't been there I don't know what I would've done."

Jess's eyes widen in shock. She reaches across the table to squeeze Cora's hand. "That's awful. Are you okay?"

"I think so." Cora smiles reassuringly at Jess, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well, I know what would make you feel better."

Her friend's eyes widen as Jess pulls a small black box out of her pack and hands it to Cora. "You're not going to propose to me, are you?" she asks with a worried expression on her face.

Jess can't help it- she bursts out laughing. "God, no," she manages to gasp. "That's the last thing I'd want to do."

For a moment, Cora sits silently, watching Jess snort and giggle (and probably thinking she's making a fool of herself), but in the end she can't help it. She starts grinning and soon she's laughing just as hard as Jess.

After a minute of clutching their stomachs and grinning at each other, the two girls manage to settle down.

Cora mutters, "Oh, Jess, why do you reject my love? I thought we were meant to be." They burst out laughing again.

Jess shakes her head and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I gotta step outside for a second. This heat is suffocating me." She slides out of the booth and practically sprints outside. Out there, alone among the stars, she can finally breathe.

When she returns, there is a tall waiter holding two drinks and tapping his foot impatiently at their table. "Are you two ready to order?" he asks as Jess makes her way back to her seat.

Cora immediately sits up straight and tries to assume an air of elegance. "I-uh- I'm not sure..." Jess smirks at her, but says nothing.

The waiter glares at her. "Look, this is a very busy time of year and there are a lot of people patiently waiting for this table to empty. So if you two can't decide soon, you might want to leave."

Cora's face pales a little more with shock. "Oh... Of course, sorry, I'll have a salad, I guess," she says desperately.

The waiter gives her a curt nod and turns to Jess. "And for you?"

Jess gives him a thoughtful glance. "Hmm. Well, since the order I want is very complex and possibly hard for an imbecile like you to understand, I was planning on giving a very large tip. But since you've been so rude, and you even made my friend cry-" she shoots a fiery glance at Cora, who quickly understands  and started sniffling- "I don't think I'll be giving you a tip at all. And since the service so far has been terrible, I think I might be speaking to your manager."