TNT ... Chicago 14
1 The phone call was as welcome as it was unexpected. 2 That being said, it also was rather short.
3 Zar hadn't really provided any details -- only that he wanted to meet her for a quick lunch. 4 She fully expected that he'd take the time breaking bread together to fill in the blanks as to why he had gone radio silent since that New Year's Eve party. 5 The last she knew, he was on the curb outside that apartment building vomiting.
6 Then nothing from him for three months.
7 Not that she hadn't tried. 8 She had stalked him on social media. 9 She had texted him at all hours of the day. 10 She had left messages for him until she got the automated voice when she called saying that his mailbox was full and was no longer accepting them.
11 Ultimately, she got the message that no message from him meant that he hadn't forgiven her for inviting his nemesis J to that New Year's Eve party.
12 As she walked in to the fast casual restaurant in the hip part of town she wondered why he hadn't set up the meeting closer to where they lived -- in the "up and coming", "soon to be gentrified" neighborhood. 13 If nothing else, *that* could be the conversation starter.
14 She scanned the eating establishment and didn't see him sitting alone at one of the booths or the tables. 15 She immediately started to deal with more questions. 16 Would he be a no-show? 17 Should she order and take a seat seeing as how she was the first to arrive? 18 What *was* the soup of the day?
19 With that last thought creeping in, Marta realized that she was as hungry for lunch as she was for information and a re-connection with her bestie. 20 She *would* order, and, if he didn't show, she would at least be able to cross lunch off of her list of things to do.
21 One question was very quickly answered. 22 The soup of the day was chicken noodle. 23 Hot and hearty soup on an early spring day in Chicago when the winds blew off the lake to remind the citizens that winter was only in hiding and not yet banished from the kingdom would be most appreciated.
24 Marta stood off to the side waiting for the employees to dish up her meal and for her number to be called, and she passed the time gazing out to the hustle and bustle on the sidewalk outside of the place. 25 That's when she saw Zar walk past ... not once ... not twice ... but *three* times before he yanked on the door and walked in.
26 She waved. 27 He waved back. 28 "That was a good start," she mused. 29 Then she thought she heard him call out her name, but on the repeating of it, she realized her soup was ready and the girl behind the counter was trying to get her attention.
30 Marta grabbed the tray with her bowl on it and exaggeratedly mouthed to Zar as she got closer to where he was in line. 31 "I'll grab us a booth," she said in a loud whisper, gesturing with her head to the general location where she would be found.
32 Zar smiled awkwardly and gave her a thumbs up.
33 "A good start ... a good start," she repeated to herself as she scouted out a location for the upcoming conversation.
34 "Should she go to a back corner so they'd have privacy?" she wondered as she wandered. 35 "Or maybe out in the open where he couldn't so easily yell at her if he was still upset over her party foul?"
36 She settled on a corner table in the front by those windows. 37 That way, if the experience turned out to be as awkward as his smile had just been, she could use the outside world passing by as a distraction. 38 Besides, he only got mean and yell-y when he was wasted and it was only lunch time. 39 Surely he was mostly sober at this time of the day. 40 She didn't have to force things to be out in the open.
41 He arrived shortly thereafter with a mostly empty tray and a number, which he fastened to the gadget that was holding the salt and pepper shakers.
42 "They have to bring mine out," he said as he provided an explanation while he took a seat across from her.
43 At practically the exact same time, they said the exact same thing to each other.
44 "So -- how ya been?"
