Chapter Eleven

Glen & Rachel do lunch

 

The weather was worse than Glen expected.  As he walked to Libero’s, the Italian restaurant where he was to meet Rachel, it had started to lightly snow.  The flakes fluttering down began to coat the sidewalk and the road.  He slipped but caught his balance before he fell.  “Lucky,” he thought, “I have to pay more attention to where I’m going.”  That was easier said than done, however, and as he walked a bit farther, he fidgeted with the film in his pocket while his thoughts again began to drift.  He still hadn’t figured out how he would explain all of this to Rachel, but he knew that he had to.  He had a strange feeling that he couldn’t go the rest of the way alone.

 

Glen was surprised to see a normal weekday lunch crowd gathered in the restaurant when he arrived.  Waiters and waitresses navigated the small spaces between tables balancing trays of food and drinks, sometimes one on each arm.  The din of conversation and clinking of silverware permeated the average sized dining area.  Glen nervously approached the hostess station while simultaneously scanning the room for Rachel.  Already seated at a booth by the window nursing a martini, she waved him over.  He moved carefully toward the table and hung his coat on the hook on the side of the high-backed booth.  As he slid into the seat opposite Rachel, he couldn’t help but notice how much nicer she looked in normal clothes.  The waitress’ uniform she wore at the diner was definitely not flattering, and her face, devoid of makeup while she worked, was now slightly colored, giving her a glow that was almost beautiful.  

 

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked, genuinely concerned.

“No, I just got seated about 10 minutes ago.  I thought I’d get here early to make sure we had a table.  This place gets pretty busy in the afternoon.”

Glen looked around, shocked at all the full seats, “I didn’t expect it to be this packed.  It’s almost 2:00”

“Yeah, I know.  A lot of the businesses in the area take late lunches.”  Rachel sipped her martini, creating an uneasy pause in their conversation.

“So”, Glen started, “Was work busy last night?”

“Not really”, she said while glancing at the menu.  “The bar crowd is what makes that place.  During the week it never gets too busy.” 

 

The waiter approached, asking Glen if he’d like a drink.  He ordered a scotch and soda, thinking to himself how badly he needed a drink to break the ice.  Quietness ruled the table for a few minutes, as they each looked over their menus.  His drink arrived quickly, and Glen thanked the waiter.  Looking back at Rachel, he said “I hear they make great Marsala here.”

“Hmm…I’ve never tried it here.  I usually get something simple.  The lasagna is out of this world.”

 

When the waiter came back for their orders, Glen decided to try the Chicken Marsala, while Rachel opted for her old favorite, lasagna, extra sauce.  The silence between them was palpable, both too nervous to begin speaking.  Deciding that now was as good a time as any other, Glen broke through the quiet.  “Rachel, I know we just met the other night, but there’s something I need to talk with you about.”

Rachel thought she knew what he was going to say, “Honey, you don’t need to explain what happened to you any more than you have already.”

“It’s not just that.  I wasn’t exactly honest about what happened to me.  In fact, I’ve never told anyone what really happens when I black out like that.”

Confused, she asked, “What do you mean?  You said you were tired, and sometimes it hits you pretty hard.”      

“These blackouts happen no matter how awake I am.  They happen when I focus my attention on someone too much.  It’s been happening since I was a kid.”

“So what was it the other night then?”

“Honestly, I couldn’t stop looking at you.”

Rachel paused, letting it all sink in, “So I caused it, the blackout I mean?”

“No, not at all!  I don’t know what I was thinking, maybe that you’d be flattered.  I don’t know.  Forget it.”

“No”, she insisted, “I just meant, I mean, I am flattered” Rachel blushed and forced a quick, uncomfortable smile, “but it makes me worry about you, that’s all.”

Glen nodded, gathering his thoughts, considering how to proceed “I’m in kind of a difficult situation right now, and I could definitely use a friend.”

“You’ve got one here, sweetheart, whatever you need.”

 

Their meals arrived and both ate quietly, turning to much lighter between-bite conversation.  “Are you working tonight?” Glen asked.

“No, I work the weekends, so I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off.”

“That must have its benefits.  You make more money when it’s busy, right?”

“Definitely”, Rachel giggled, “All the drunks make it a pain in the a*s though.”

“There are certainly more of those on the weekends!”  They both laughed, softening the mood at the table.  “And I bet you have some great stories.”

“Oh, God, I could keep you up all night with all the stories I have from work.”

“I’d like that.  We’ll have to try it out one night.  I’ve got some pretty crazy stories myself, you know.”

“I’m sure you do, honey.  I’m sure you do.”

 

When they were finished eating and the waiter was sure they didn’t need anything else, he left the bill on the table.  Glen leaned forward to get his wallet from his back pocket, when Rachel reached across the table and gently held his other hand, “No way sweetie, I asked you out, remember?  Lunch is on me.”  Despite all of his protests, she insisted on paying the tab, leaving a very generous tip as well.

 

Glen’s thoughts drifted back to the film in his pocket.  He had no idea how he was going to explain all the things that had happened recently.  He was afraid that she wouldn’t believe him, that she would see the film and think he was some kind of voyeur, a peeping tom, or worse, a stalker.  He had to make her understand that none of this was intentional.  Especially considering he had film sitting on his kitchen table showing images of her.  That complicated things.  Despite all that could have gone wrong, more than anything else, he knew he had to trust her.

 

As they left the restaurant together, Rachel reached out and held his hand.  As surprised at her boldness as Glen was, he could sense the bond forming between them.  She cared for him.  Whether it was born of worry or a genuine enjoyment of his company was immaterial.  They strolled over to where Rachel had parked her car.  Hands still clenched, he pulled her closer and embraced her.  Then, in full view of anyone who cared to notice, ignoring the snow falling on their hair and shoulders, he kissed her passionately.  She leaned back on the door of the car and pulled him even closer, losing herself completely in his kiss.  Glen knew then that all his worry was pointless.  Rachel would understand.  She would understand everything.         

 

 

   

 

 

Reviews

[Alexander W. Quinn]

Will she?!
You've got quite a situation going, and I'm eager to see how it pans out. I'm glad you didn't just have Glen drop this huge bombshell on her at lunch...at least this way he can ease her into accepting it. I foresee one hell of an interesting conversation between these two coming up. :)

[AlleyCat34]

Oooooooo Interesting, hes got a girlfriend now, is he going to tell her the secrets hes held his whole life? Will he take the chance? Or will he chicken out in the end? Will she believe him or walk away in disgust? Seems to me like you still have a ways to go with these two! Nice job!!