The Girl He Had To Marry- An Arranged Marriage Story

Chapter Nineteen: The Restaurant I

After some walking, Penny got a text back from Addison. She was free for lunch! Penny hurriedly texted her friend back saying where she was, suggesting that she met the redhead where every she was. Addison understood the meaning of the text and suggested a great "hole-in-the-wall" Mexican place very close. She sent over the address, which was a street away from Penny. 

When she walked into the place, the smell of cumin and fried tortilla chips waft into her nose. Because the restaurant was on a lower level of an apartment building, it was fairly dark inside. Dark meaning that there is no natural light. Instead, the walls and ceiling is filled with bright red, yellow, blue, and green lights, giving the atmosphere a very festive and fun attitude. Near the back of the room was a bar and around the walls were a mix of high booths and high tables. To Penny's left and right was a salsa bar. The center floor had tables scattered around. It was still a little early, so the bar was empty, but some tables were filled with people and friends. 

I am going to be one of those people, sitting at lunch with friends. 

A young waitress, younger than Penelope, walked up and asked, "Just one?" She pulled out one menu and looked behind her for a table. 

"Actually," Penny was quick to respond, "two...I am waiting for the other person in the party."

The waitress nodded her head and looked back, reassigning her decision to sit Penny. With another menu in hand, she took the single girl to a high round table on the side. Penny sat facing the entrance. She stole quick glances at her menu, but didn't really have a chance to pick out something she wanted. Her eyes were focused on the entrance, just waiting for her friend to show up. 

What if Addison doesn't show up?

Penny couldn't help but wonder. The waitress came back with a bowl of chip and asked for her drink. She didn't know what drinks they had, she didn't look at the menu, "Just a water."

"Okay, I'll come back when the other person in your party comes."

Penny waited fifteen minutes. Penny is usually very patient. She could wait forever on certain things and never be bothered, like waiting in line at the grocery store or listening to some random person on the bus telling her a story. At that moment in the restaurant, Penny was checking her phone almost every minutes. When the bells attached to the door chimed, Penny (if she wasn't already) glanced towards the door to see if it was Addison. Every time she would force herself to go through the menu, her eyes would drift to the entrance. She barely made it past the quesadillas. 

Penny wasn't obsessive. She just didn't want to be alone. 

Finally, rushing down the stairs with her long blonde hair swishing side to side, Addison arrived. Appearing next to the salsa, she quickly found her friend and rushed to the table. She was a pretty short girl, so she did a little hop and climb to get into the seat. 

"You're here," Penny exclaim. 

"And late!" Addison shrugs off her jacket and turns to hang it across the seat. "I'm sorry. This place was a little far from where I was and you know New York traffic."

Penny gave her friend a look. Actually, she didn't know New York traffic. For one, she hasn't driven in the city and two, Penny is still new to the city. 

"It's okay. You are teaching me patience," she smiled at her friend. In reality, it is teaching her to trust others. They each take to the menus, glancing over each section and meal. Penny was overwhelmed with the amount of food. They had everything from Chimichangas to sizzling fajitas. Penny never really have Mexican food from a restaurant like this. Sometimes her college food court had Mexican-American food and also Ms. Birdie sometimes cook tacos. She decided to look at the young woman in front of her and ask, "You seem to know this place pretty well, what do you recommend?"