Chapter 2: The Return: Orion

Orion

It didn’t take long for my eyes to find where she was sitting with Eliza.  I stood near the entrance at the hostess desk for a bit taking her in. "She's really back" I whispered to myself.  Her face is plain of makeup, or maybe she has but very light.  She still looks delicate. Her figure is complimentary to her height.  She’s smiling at something Eliza said.  “Sir, how many in your party” I heard the hostess ask.  “They are already here” I replied.  The hostess nodded and didn’t continue to engage in a conversation.  Is it bad if I want to get to know a friend’s ex-girlfriend?  It’s been many years since she left, so it shouldn’t be a problem.  Right?  Everyone should have moved on. Right?  Do I even care what anyone would think?  My eyes slowly started to refocus, and I see Eliza waving at me.  I put my hand up to wave back.  She continued to look my way with a smile.  My feet start moving towards their table.  As I got closer, Eliza says “hey, I’m glad you made it.”  I bend my head down and give her a kiss on her cheek.  I don’t want to have her get up because of her pregnant belly.  I notice that Lara is watching me with a closed expression but still looked quite pleasant.  She isn’t as open as when I was watching her and Eliza talk together. I wonder why. Did she close up because of me? I turned to Lara and said “Hi” then continued to give her a kiss on the cheek also. She was a little startled, however, she didn’t object.  “Hi” she reciprocated.  “It’s been a long time.  How have you been” I asked her.  “I’ve been ok.  Life is a little slow now.  I needed a change” she replied.  “Do you need us to get the waitress or are you going to eat from what we had already ordered” she asked me.  I was kind of surprised for a bit because I was not expecting her to share food.  It’s not like we were ever close, but I accepted the small plate she was handing me.  Both of my eyebrows rose on my head.  Sharing food with Lara.  Ok, I am ok with this, I thought encouragingly to myself.  Do I really want to share food?  It doesn’t disgust me.  “Um, sure if you are willing to share” I asked hesitantly.  “Nate has always said my eyes were always bigger than my stomach” she said.  Well, since she’s so comfortable talking about him, maybe it’s not so bad that I get to know her?  Like water under the bridge? Great, I have questions but no answers.  “I have to agree with him, I always order too much, and never finish.  So, I don’t think it would be bad for me to share” she continued.  “Thank you” I replied.  “Yes, take from mine too, this is too much” Eliza added.  “So, what were you two talking about as I walked up” I asked.  “Oh, well, Lara was telling me that she’s going to work at the hospital.  Want to guess what she does” Eliza said cutting a mischievous glance towards me.  All I had was a blank face like a dumb idiot.  I shake my head slowly.  “She’s a vampire” Eliza added with a laugh.  I chuckled then said, “Ah.”  “And she is working the graveyard shift” Eliza continued.  I looked at Lara and asked, “when do you start?”  She didn’t answer right away because she took a bite of a mozzarella stick as soon as I asked the question.  She looked at me around the food in her mouth then said, “in two nights.”  I nodded my head, and said, “that’s great you got a job as soon as you moved back.  Is that what you did in Hawaii?”  She looked at me then nodded her head.  I thought, what is it about her that I want to get to know her more.  I mean, she’s average looking, with a shapely body. Let me expand on that thought because that just sounded a bit shallow.  She has an hourglass figure.  She’s not super skinny, but slim.  The clothes she wears complement her figure.  It’s not tight but fitted.  Her hair, well, she has a lot of it.  I remember when she would go to Nate’s place in between shows her hair was full like a soft cloud that glided behind her.  Tonight, it was soft and wavy.  “I take it you like doing that,” I asked.  She just shrugged her shoulders, then pushed the sampler to me.  I looked at it and took a couple of potato skins and fries.  I dipped a fry in the ranch dip and popped it in my mouth.  “If you don’t like doing that, why are you doing it” Eliza asked.  I wanted to ask that question too but took the hint and didn’t push.  So, in my head I thanked Eliza for asking it.  Lara exhaled long then said, “I didn’t say I didn’t like it.  Doing that is just something I am good at.  I like that talent. It makes me feel that I am helping someone heal.  On the other hand, sometimes I see the worst in people because their family member is in pain and said family member is desperate, angry, and helpless, so they think it’s ok to lash out at the staff.”  The table was quiet for a bit then she continued with, “the threshold of a person’s pain tolerance varies from patient to patient.  For example, most woman aren’t afraid of getting blood drawn, whereas most men are terrified.  I’ve been cussed at and had to reassure more men than women that it will be ok.  From my experience, men would make more of a scene and say belittling things to the phlebotomist because they are in terrible pain or start to be filled with anxiety.  So, to answer your question again, I like having this talent, but do I like the job, it changes from patient to patient.”  I nodded my head and thought about what she just said.  Eliza then adds, “I agree.  I’m fine with blood draws.  I may be a little nervous but it's not so bad.  But when Patrick needs to draw blood, he is shaking and sweating so much.  It’s annoying.”  I smiled at her comment.  Then she continues, “I mean, he’s a guy.  According to society, aren’t guys supposed to be stronger and braver.”  I took a mozzarella stick and shoved it in my mouth.  Then popped a fry in my mouth too, however, it became a bit quiet.  I looked up.  Lara and Eliza were staring at me.  “What,” I said.  “I asked, according to society, aren’t guys supposed to be stronger and braver,” Eliza replied a little exasperated.  “Honestly, I don’t have a problem with getting my blood drawn.  But Crown hate’s it”, I responded emphasizing the word hate.  I noticed that the corners of her mouth turned up a little.  Why did that action make me feel satisfied.  Before I could stop myself, I asked, “so why come back here?  Couldn’t you have gone anywhere to do that?”  “Oh yeah, good question.  Don’t get me wrong, I love you being here, but you could have gone anywhere” Eliza added.  “I don’t know, I remember being happy here.  But I don’t know if it’s only because of Nate, or because I really loved living here” Lara said.  I wondered if she came back for Nate or other reasons.  It’s good that Eliza invited me, I can see if she may be attracted to me or not.  “Do you want to get back together with Nate” Eliza asked lightheartedly.  Yes! I thought.  I really want to know this answer.  But before she could answer, her eyes cut to me.  Then she shrugged.  What the hell was that.  “’Kay wait, you are here for Nate” Eliza asked more pointedly.  I was a bit confused at Lara’s response too.  Or lack of response.  She cut her eyes back to me.  “Why do you keep looking at me” I asked.  “I would rather not say because I know you are friends with Nate.  And I remember how much you guys would talk to each other” she responded.  Well, hell, I did not expect her to say that.  I wonder if there is more to what she was saying.  I don’t remember insulting her, but some of the others did make fun of Nate because of her.  I wonder if Nate told her.  That could be the reason she never really came around much.   However, I never really went around much either, only on game days.  “I understand where you’re coming from, but whatever you have to say is ok.  It’s not going to bother me” I said to reassure her.  She looked at me for a few seconds then said, “I am not here because of Nate,” she answered.  “Then why did you hesitate at the question” I probed.  She sighed.  I furrowed my eyebrows at her.  What is going on?  “I don’t want him to know that I am here,” she finally said.  My eyebrows shot up.  “What do you mean” Eliza asked.  “It was a painful breakup for me.  I don’t know if I still have feelings for him, however, I rather not put myself in that position” she stated.  “Hey, I get that, he won’t hear it from me” I said.  “Me too, plus he is married” Eliza said.  “That’s not necessarily a problem” I heard her mumble softly right before she popped a fry in her mouth.  And I kept watching said mouth as she chewed her food.  Eliza and I looked at each other.  “Anyways, I couldn’t compete with Nate’s friends.  I always came in second place.  On top of all the girls that were your friends before I came into the picture” she said as her voice trailed off.  “What do you mean” I asked her.  “I was the new person to your group, so I was a little insecure. I don’t know how I put up with that, but I did” she said.  “But you danced at that Hawaiian place, how could you be insecure” I asked.  “Doing dances of my culture on stage is different.  I feel and look beautiful.  The people see me as beautiful because of the fantasy the restaurant creates.  Each customer already imagines what they want to see.  So, when the customer comes into the restaurant, he or she has a filter over their eyes.  They see and hear what they want.  When I step out of that, I’m just plain little me” she answered.  I would have never thought that about her.  “If it makes you feel better, I thought you were cute off stage” I said.  Idiot!  That wasn’t supposed to come out of my mouth.  Lara and Eliza froze in place, with food halfway to their open mouths.  “Um, thank you.  Believe it or not, I also created an image that I wanted the customers to see.  Outside of that environment reality sets in” she said however her voice and face looked a bit shocked.  I just kept talking hoping she would not notice.  “What do you mean” I asked for clarification trying to get a better understanding about her job back then.  “When I get ready, such as, putting my makeup on, stretching, getting warmed up and so forth, I mentally prepare myself and I become a different person.  When I am in that state, I feel free and happy” she said with a smile on her face.  I wonder if she missed it. “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be back” Lara stated as she got up and left.  As soon as I could no longer hear her footsteps, I banged my head on the table.  The plates and cups clanked.  I took a deep breath and looked at Eliza.  Her face still frozen with shock.  “When did you start thinking that” she asked.  “Think what” I answered, not really committing to my previous comment because I was somewhat embarrassed.  Mockingly, Eliza lowered her voice an octave and said, “I thought you were cute.”  Then her eyes narrowed while looking at me.  I chuckled hoping she would let it go, but I know her to well, so here it comes in 3, 2, and…  “Do you like her.  I mean, did you like her” she asked with glee all over her face.  The great thing about Eliza is that her questions are direct and there is no way to interpret it any other way.  Unlike some people I’ve met, they talk in general. However, now that I’m older, being direct is better.  Cut through the crap and get straight to the meat of what I want or need to know.  “No.  Yes.  I don’t know” I replied.  “I was even a little attracted to her back then. When I spoke to you earlier today, I was surprised that you were going to meet up with her.  Since you invited me, how could I resist.  Plus, I wanted to see if she may be, a little, kind of interested” I added, feeling sheepishly.  “Is this a serious inquiry or are you looking for a plaything” Eliza asked me skeptically.  I was kind of offended because she knows I don’t sleep around.  However, I understood where she was coming from.  “It was just a thought.  Lara and I never really talked much before.  But with what little I did talk with her maybe.  So, if she is not seeing anyone…” I said.  “Really” she looked at me then continued, “you never were around much back then.  How could you have” she trailed off.  I just looked at her, without saying anything.  “So that” she pointed to where Lara disappeared to, “is the reason you didn’t come around much back then.  And you even left when she came.  Oh, my goodness, why didn’t you say anything?  It’s been years” she said with a smile on her face.  It’s getting hot in here again.  “Are you blushing” she asked.  “Mind your business” I said with a scowl on my face.  “I don’t blush” I added.  Eliza, not caring, laughed out loud.  “What’s so funny” I heard from behind me.  I turned to see Lara just approaching my chair, then passed me to sit in the chair she was previously sitting on.  The smile on her face was a bit contagious.  Just when I was about to say something, Eliza’s phone rang.  She excused herself while she answered the phone.  Lara’s lips were moving.  My eyes were focused on them.  Then, I looked at her eyes.  She’s not smiling anymore.  Her lips moved again; however, I wasn’t really paying attention.  She’s really pretty.  Beautiful even.  Ouch.  She kicked me under the table.  What the hell!  “What was that for” I asked.  “I was talking to you, but you weren’t listening.  So, I kicked you” she responded.  Ah, I was little irritated from the kick. Geez!  She was talking to me.  So, what did she say, I thought trying to recall any of her words but failing miserably.  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.  Can you repeat it again” I asked. Wow, she let out a really long breath and she looks pissed.  Dang, did she just roll her eyes at me.  “I asked you if you keep looking at me like that, I am going to kick you.  Since you didn’t avert your eyes and didn’t hear me, I figured why not.  So, I kicked you” she said with a smile being all mischievous. I smiled at her.  She’s kind of, well I can’t put an exact word to it.  But I like it.  However, her eyes were in slits now, and she looks even a little more pissed.  “Actually, I asked you what it is do you do.  For a living” she asked.  “Oh, sorry.  I’m still wrenching” I answered.  “I didn’t know you were a mechanic.  Did you always do that” she asked.  “Yes, and I still do it” I replied.  “Do you enjoy it” she asked.  I thought about that a lot.  Did I really enjoy doing that?  “To be honest, I really don’t know.  I like doing it.  And I am good at it.  I never thought of doing anything else” I said.  “Do you see yourself doing that for the rest of your life” she asked.  “Well, since I have my own company, it’s not so bad” I said.  “That’s great to hear.  It’s not easy running your own business.  There’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be done.  It’s probably more than doing the actual job” she supplied. “That’s a true story” I said while I nodded my head.  Then I continued eating.  “So, what are you two talking about” Eliza said as she sat back down.  “Nothing really, just catching up” I said.  “Okay, that’s good, because my hubby called.  The baby is fussing, and hubby needs help” Eliza said with a little chuckle.  “Um, okay, you can go, I’ll pick up the tab” Lara said.  “Oh okay, thank you.  We’ll do this again.  My treat” Eliza stood up and gave Lara a hug.  She then waved to me and walked out.  When Eliza left through the restaurant doors, I turned back to face Lara.  It was then I was at a complete loss.