“Not nearly enough.”
I opened my mouth to respond when a large group of people came in and sat a few rows in front of us. Their hushed giggles and whispered conversation were enough to distract Brody and me from our conversation.
“Thanks for taking me tonight,” Brody piped up after a few minutes of people watching.
“No problem. I wanted to see this anyway, and now you can finish it.”
“Next time it’s my treat, okay?” he said, repeating what he said earlier.
“Sure. If they have anything that looks interesting in the previews.”
The lights started to dim, signaling the previews were about to start, and I settled down lower in my chair to get more comfortable. I reached inside the bucket, and my fingers brushed against Brody’s as we both made a grab for the popcorn. I chuckled as I pulled my hand back and shoved the snack into my mouth. I wiped my hands on the napkins, trying to rid my fingers of the excess butter and grease.
“This one looks good,” Brody said as he leaned closer to me.
“Yeah, it does,” I agreed though I hadn’t been paying a bit of attention to the previews.
We had similar tastes in movies, though, so if he liked it, then I would, too.
Finally, after a few more previews that didn’t hold any of our interests, the theater darkened, and the movie began. I could see why Brody was anxious to see how it ended since it had a compelling story with plenty of action to balance the love scenes. And when it was over, the popcorn bucket only held unpopped kernels, and our sodas were down to melted ice.
“So, what did you think?” Brody asked as we made our way down the steps to leave.
“It was great. I’m glad we came to see it.”
“Me, too.”
I was about to suggest something to Brody when a feminine voice spoke up behind us. “I just wanted to tell you guys that you make the cutest couple!”
Then with a giggle, she brushed past us with her group of friends and practically ran out of the theater. Brody and I stared at her retreating form before bursting into laughter. It wasn’t the first time we’d heard that, and I doubted it’d be our last. If only they knew the truth. Brody was a serial dater, I was okay being alone, and we were just best friends. And that’s all we ever would be.
Three
Brody
“I’ll be back in a little over an hour. You have my number if you need anything,” I told my two baristas, Chad and Erin, before I headed out.
“We’ll be fine,” Chad replied as he grabbed a rag to start wiping down the counter.
“Enjoy your lunch and tell Solomon I said hello.”
I pursed my lips, debating whether to correct her about my lunch date. Rather than say anything, I just nodded and turned to leave. I was meeting my new date at a deli the next block over, and it was a beautiful day, so I opted to walk there rather than drive. When I arrived, I looked around for a man wearing a purple T-shirt and sporting curly, brown hair. With that combination, he should’ve been easy to spot, but the deli was already crowded, so it was hard to find him in the throng of people.
I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick message on the app letting him know I’d arrived, and his reply was almost immediate.
Paul: Sorry, man. Got held up with work, so I’m a bit late. Can you order for me? A Reuben with extra sauerkraut with a side of coleslaw?
I read, then reread his message to make sure I was seeing it correctly. Not only was he running late, but he wanted me to order his food? Who did that on a first date? My first reaction was to order something for myself and leave, but I decided against it. I was being too picky. Maybe he was more relaxed about dating etiquette than I was, and by having me order, we’d have more time to sit down and talk.
Me: Sure. What would you like to drink?
Paul sent back his response, without a thank you, and soon it was my turn to order. I wasn’t sure if he wanted any condiments added to his sandwich, so I asked for packets just in case. After getting the drinks, I grabbed some napkins and then went to find a table. Our food would be delivered to us, so all I could do was sit there and wait.
I sipped my soda and watched the patrons coming and going, and the entire time I never spotted a man with curly brown hair wearing a purple T-shirt.
“Turkey club and a reuben?” a deep voice asked beside me.
“Oh, yes. Thank you,” I told the waiter, handing him the number on a plastic card that represented my order.
I put Paul’s food in front of the empty chair across from me, and then stared down at my food. Did I go ahead and start eating? Or wait a few minutes to see if he’d arrive? My growling stomach was the answer I needed, and I was on a time constraint. Picking up my sandwich, I took a hearty bite.
“Brody?” a familiar voice said beside me.
“Solomon? What are you doing here?” I asked as I glanced around to see if Paul had arrived.
“Taking a quick lunch break. I didn’t realize this was where you were coming on your date.”
I glanced at the empty spot across from me, where Paul’s lunch was waiting for him. “I don’t even know if we’re having one. He said he’s running late and asked me to order, but the hour is almost over.”
Solomon wrinkled his nose. “A Reuben? Interesting choice.”
“With extra sauerkraut. What are you getting?”
“Um, who orders extra sauerkraut on a first date? Does he really want to turn you off by having bad breath? And I got the ham and swiss.”
“I guess he didn’t take that into consideration.”
I glanced down at my phone and saw the time had ticked away until I had only a few more minutes left before I had to leave. Not only did I have to spend my lunch break alone, but I was also forced to smell that offending sandwich I’d wasted money on since it wouldn’t be eaten. “And it looks like he’s not coming.”
“I’m sorry, man. Maybe he had something come up at work and couldn’t get away? I’m sure he’ll message you with an explanation.”
The waiter approached the table again to hand Solomon his order in a to-go bag. “Well, since I have my food, want me to drop you off at work?”
I shoved the last bite of food into my mouth and wadded up my trash—along with Paul’s untouched food. “That’d be great.”
After disposing of the trash, I followed Solomon to his car and got inside with a sigh. I checked my phone again to see if I had any missed messages, but there were none. Clearly, Paul had written me off, and rather than be upset over it, I was a bit relieved. He had been nice—nice enough for me to meet up with him—but something about him felt off. Not only did he eat extra sauerkraut for lunch, but he didn’t seem to have any aspirations. He lived in his mother’s basement and spent most of his time playing video games online. That wasn’t someone I could see myself hoping to build a future with. A quick fuck was probably all we could give each other, and considering his living situation, it’d have to be at my place.
“Did I tell you I’m painting my dining room this weekend?” Solomon asked, jarring me from my thoughts.