“Well,” he said, “my dad’s a dentist, my mom’s a nurse, and my sister’s a lawyer.”
“Are you from Oklahoma City?”
“No, Clinton, about 150 miles west. Halfway to Amarillo.”
“I don’t even know where that is,” she said. “Isn’t that awful? I’m from Lubbock and I have never been to Amarillo.”
“I understand that,” he said. “We rarely went west of Clinton.”
Delight burst onto his face when the enchiladas came. “These look fabulous. A red stripe, a white stripe with a black olive in the center, and a green stripe, the Mexican flag! They smell scrumptious.”
There was quiet as they ate. He caught her eye several times. She finally paused to talk. “I love these. They are so good. I always promise myself that I’ll try something else, but I can’t resist.”
He had to chew and swallow to respond. “Yes, they are spectacular. I see why you like this place.”
He insisted on paying the bill, left a tip on the table, and the two headed for the door.
“See you tomorrow,” she said without any gesture. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Hey, wait.” He handed her the rose.
She headed down the street and turned at the first corner. He got in his car, circled the block, and saw her walk up the sidewalk to an elderly duplex. He made a mental note of the location.
Josh drove the ten minutes to his apartment, thinking about the running attire. He dialed Ricky. “I don’t know if I told you, but Faith kicked her husband out,” Josh said after greetings and small talk. “We had a nice dinner at Padilla’s tonight.”
“I didn’t know that. So now’s your chance, right?”
“I thought so. I bought her a yellow rose, but I don’t think the message got across.”
“No,” Ricky said. “She’s kind of a nerd and things like that might go over her head.”
“Do you think she knows I organized the party?”
“I heard Peggy tell her.”
“Oh, good.” Josh paused. “She didn’t say anything about it tonight.”
“That doesn’t mean much. It was a big day for both of you. The evening might be a chill time, no mental strain, no deep messages, no heavy life philosophizing.”
“She came in a running suit,” Josh said. “She has a nice body.”
“If you just figured that out, then you’re dense.”
“I just can’t get over how beautiful she is, in more ways that the eye can see.”
“She is.”
“She didn’t go for her run, I don’t think, unless she was stopping in for an iPhone or something. She had two liters of beer.”
“That would do it,” Ricky said. “Did you drive her home?”
“No. She took off walking. It was only two blocks plus a couple of houses. She lives in a little duplex.”
“Now that you mention it, I might have known that. I think Haley knows the lady that owns the duplex and lives in the other unit.”
“Speaking of Haley, what are you planning?”
“I don’t know. I am not rushing it, and she isn’t either. We are both busy right now.”
Josh chuckled. “I wish I had some planning to do. First I have to get a message across.”
“A billy club? An M80? Maybe a greeting card?”
“I’m tired. I think I’ll turn in.”
“Tired. You had two liters of beer also, right?”
“Right.”
Chapter 12
As the resident group developed into a congenial unit, they fell into healthy habits, and learned to work as a team. Occasional evenings became their social time. Padilla’s little restaurant was close, cheap, clean, had good food — and Taco Tuesday. Over pitchers, chips, cheese dip, and guacamole, the group gathered just shy of seven in the evening. This night was dark, nippy, and sprinkled with bright stars as only New Mexico winter sky can be. Faith found Haley, Ricky, and Josh already established. Others joined them filling a long table finally growing to ten. A huge tray of tacos appeared.
“You didn’t order anything?” Ricky asked Faith, acting alarmed.
“I always get the same thing. They will bring me Negra Modelo. I like Tacos.”
Ricky leaned over to Faith and whispered so everyone could hear, “Are you and Josh going out?”
Faith blushed.
“That’s good enough for me,” Ricky exclaimed, proudly fist pumping. “Good catch, Josh. Try to keep her.”
“Are you getting a divorce?” Haley asked. The entire table immediately became silent, eyes on Faith.
Josh held his breath.
“I haven’t decided.” She tried to joke about it, “I was hoping Brian would file and pay for it.”
“Wait a minute!” Ricky said. “What Brian are we talking about?”
“What do you mean, Ricky?” Haley said. “Her husband’s name is Brian.”
Ricky made a theatrical face, “Is your Brian our Brian?”
Haley said, “Wait! What?”
“Are you married to Brian Yankton?”
Faith produced a sheepish, “Yes.”
For a moment there was silence. Haley, of course, was first. “How did we not know this?”
“We?” Ricky asked, “how did you not know this, Haley?”
“I swear. I didn’t know.” She turned to Faith, “How come you didn’t tell us?”
Faith shook her head, “Would you be proud? Look at how he argues at rounds and wants a phone call every time we go to the bathroom. He argues and degrades you and Ann in front of us at rounds.” Directly at Ricky, “How does everybody know about Josh and me, anyway? Was it in the newspaper or on TV or something?”
Ricky held his hands in the air, innocently. “Hey, I heard it from Haley.”
“Shut up, Ricky.”
Faith couldn’t think of how Haley came up with divorce. She didn’t think she had mentioned it to anyone. She wasn’t even sure she had thought seriously about it. It was always amazing what Haley found out, but more amazing she hadn’t made the Yankton connection.
More tacos quieted the group. Cordial banter followed, but with silent Faith. Since many of them were tired, it broke up early. Ricky and Josh talked, silent Faith listening, Josh hoping the whole time Ricky would go home.
“Did you tell Haley about the divorce?” Faith asked Josh as soon as Ricky was out of earshot.
“Oh, absolutely not. I don’t tell her anything. Besides, I didn’t know. More than that, you didn’t tell me Brian Yankton was your husband. And I’ve been badmouthing him to your face!”
“I’m not proud of it. Listen to the talk about Brian. Would you want to be connected? If they knew, they would clam up, I would be an outsider, and you wouldn’t have dinner with me in the cafeteria.”
“Wrong. I like you because I like you, not because, well—”
She drank the last of her second beer and looked at the ceiling.
“It explains a lot about things you have said and conversations you have avoided.” Josh finally said. “I don’t know where they came up with the divorce thing. Maybe it was a good guess on her part. I doubt it was from Brian since Haley didn’t know Brian was your husband.”
She calmed. “I just hope you didn’t tell.”
“Faith, I had nothing to tell. Honestly. You haven’t said anything to me about divorce, and I didn’t know our Brian was your Brian, as Ricky said.” Josh finished his beer. “Do you want to talk about Brian?” If she didn’t, he did.
She looked around the restaurant, now nearly empty. “Maybe.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything. It’s up to you.”
“Josh, what do you want to know?” He sensed her two liters of beer.
“Well,” he stammered, “I don’t need to know anything. I was just giving you a chance to vent.”