Up & Out - Ariella Papa [123]
Only Kathy is watching what she eats. They were out of veggie burgers, so she got a plain turkey sandwich on white toast. She looks great, but I feel like she is living in constant fear of gaining an ounce. She eats about a quarter of it and orders a white wine after her beer.
“We just ran 6.2 miles, Kathy—you could use a sandwich.”
“Well, I wish they had whole wheat. I’ll have a salad when I get home.” She looks at her watch. “And actually, I have to go. I need to call a couple of the vendors and I shouldn’t be out late.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m getting married,” she says condescendingly, as if there is any way I could forget.
“In two weeks,” I say, equally as annoyed. She rolls her eyes at me. I don’t want to make a scene in front of everyone, so I don’t say anything else.
“I have to catch a cab to Grand Central,” she says.
“Well, are you sure you can’t just wait until Ben gets here?” I really want to introduce him to her. I’ve told him all about the issues we’ve all been having lately and I know he is excited about getting to know the Big Three—Kathy, Beth, Lauryn.
“Oh, Rebecca, I can’t,” she says, acting genuinely apologetic. “I don’t want to miss this train.”
On Saturdays the trains to Kathy’s town run every half hour. Late nights the trains run even more sporadically, sometimes every hour. In the past missing a train meant we could hang out and drink and have more fun. Those days are over and I realize that. I am going to have to stop comparing our friendship now to what it was in the past.
“Okay, I’ll walk you out,” I say. Kathy says her goodbyes to everyone and even gives Nancy a “looking forward to seeing you at the wedding” comment.
We go outside the bar. I start to hail Kathy a cab.
“So, she seems really nice, right?” Kathy asks.
“Yeah, she’s cool,” I say. “I don’t think it would be easy no matter who it was.”
“But you’re okay?” I am touched that Kathy cares so much about my feelings. I am almost feeling guilty about being annoyed that she isn’t going to meet Ben, until she adds, “There is not going to be any drama at the wedding, is there?”
“No, there isn’t going to be any drama.” I am annoyed again. Where is the supportive, cheering friend who hugged me when I crossed the finish line? “Is the wedding all you care about?”
“Of course I care about you, Rebecca.” She is growing exasperated with me. “I just want it to be a special day.”
That’s the same thing she said to Lauryn when Lauryn expressed concern about all of us wearing matching eighty-dollar costume jewelry necklaces.
“It’s going to be special. I was just hoping you could meet Ben.” She nods like I’ve reminded her of something.
“You know, I hope he realizes that you are going to be very very busy that day.”
I shake my head. “Kathy, I haven’t even decided if I’m bringing him, but if I do it won’t prevent me from being at your beck and call.” She tips her head at me like I’m being a mischievous child.
“Rebecca, don’t be so dramatic. Look, here is my cab.” Her cab comes at the perfect time for her to make her escape. She kisses me perfunctorily on the cheek.
“Hey.” I turn to see Ben and back to where Kathy’s cab has already turned. He is never going to meet any of the Big Three.
“Hi,” I say. I kiss him, then I kiss him again because I can and it feels good. I always forget how attracted I am to him until the moment I see him.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I just got Kathy a cab and was reminded that she is getting married.”
“Nice,” he says. “Are you ready for your men to meet?”
“I guess so.” Tommy happens to be in the bathroom when we get back to the table, delaying a possible release of my tension even longer.
I introduce him to Janice, John and Nancy. Janice winks at me when she thinks no one is looking, but John is. He shakes his head at her and then winks at me. Ben goes up to get a drink, since there isn’t any server in the front of the bar unless you get food. So of course he is waiting for his drink at the bar when Tommy gets back to the table. It’s like some sort of French farce. It’s too much for this girl