Plus One - i
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
Ever since she could remember, Ara’s brother, Phoenix has always been a very big part of her life. Knowing he was happy with his fiancée, Georgia made Ara feel confident that he was in good hands. It was about time he found someone to make him believe that there was nothing wrong with commitment. She smiled as she thought about how perfect things fell into place when the two finally realized what they had going was worth pursuing.
The only downfall of the big move was that she missed her brother so much. He was her only family in town. The house she currently lived in was paid for, so she never had to worry about the roof over her head. Their Granny had left it to her only living grandchildren when she passed away about six years earlier.
"Earth to Ara!"
A hand waved back and forth in front of her face to grab her attention.
Her face flinched and eyes adjusted to see the owner of the hand.
"What do you want, Charlie?"
"Why don’t you call me Chuck like the rest of them?"
"I’ve got better names for you. But I don’t think you’d like them."
"Try me."
Letting out an exasperated sigh she asked, "What do you want?"
"I want to order my lunch."
She stood at the main counter with a pad and pencil in her hand.
Annoyed she jotted down his order and handed it over to the short order cook.
"Hey Ara, where’s my smile? You should smile more."
"Yea yea…" she muttered as she walked into the kitchen.
If she had moments where she missed the security of her big brother’s presence, this would be one of them. Charlie always seemed to find the right buttons to push when he was around; drunk or sober alike.
The last time he put the moves on her was two years ago at a party held by her brother. Charlie had seen the bottom of many bottles when he found her sitting on the back porch alone.
A plate was shoved in front of her face, which brought her instantly back to the present. Yes, she was working right now. This was no time to dillydally and daydream. Unfortunately this meant she had to come face to face with Charlie again.
After sliding the plate on the counter in front of him, he looked up to look at her.
"Thanks Ara."
"No problem," she smiled politely.
I might as well be nice, no point getting fired retaliating against his royal mischievousness.
"When are you off? Need a ride home?" he asked before she walked away from his side of the counter. She faltered in her stride as she replied.
"Late and no."
Ara walked around to the other side of the counter to walk over to the other tables to check on her other customers.
"What if I told you that Phoenix asked me to come pick you up and drive you over to Marsdale for the weekend?" he shouted across the room loud enough for her to hear.
"I’ll be back in a sec. Sorry about this. Please look over the menu and I’ll be back," she told her new table of customers and hurriedly walked over to Charlie.
"What are you doing?! Don’t shout," she whispered harshly at him.
"But I wasn’t. I was just talking to you."
"Why do you have to be so childish all the time?"
"I’m not leaving until you tell me what time I have to pick you up."
"You don’t HAVE to pick me up, I’m not going anywhere."
"Come on, I know you’ve missed your brother. He’s been away for half a year and neither one of you have had the chance to visit. Here’s your chance, I’ll be up there too."
"Oh, big yey! The one time I’d get the chance to meet up with my brother and YOU have to be there," her words dripping with sarcasm.
"Ouch," he replied in mock agony.
"Ah, just finish your food!"
"For you, I will."
Lifting her hands to choke an invisible neck she muttered, "Choke on your sandwich."
To which he replied, "Only if you know CPR."
He chuckled as she walked back to her waiting customers.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she noticed Charlie left the diner some time between her coming and going to the kitchen to fetch some orders. Business hadn’t slowed down since Charlie’s presence. Someone up there was punishing her. But why?
On her break, she rang her brother up. They had talked every now and then because he insisted on getting an update as to what was going on in her life.
Today’s conversation, however would not be pleasant. Not with what she had to say.
"Are you serious?!" she whined.
"Why not?"
"I have to suffer a five to six hour drive with your friend Charlie?!"
"He won’t be drunk. He’ll be sober."
"Seriously, Phoenix?"
"Can you spare the weekend trip? I’d come and get you myself, but I’m stuck in meetings all day and it’ll be a late drive. I don’t think I’d be cut out to do it."
"I’m not asking you to come and pick me up. I can take the bus or train…" she offered.
"But what’s the point if Chuck is coming down anyway?"
"Phoenix…"
"Come on Ara, be nice."
"But he’s-"
"I’m what?" Charlie demanded quietly as he surfaced from the shadows of the alley where she was having her phone conversation.
"Ara? You there?"
"Yea… Yea.. I’m here," she responded to Phoenix.
"I’m going into a meeting right now. So please, just go along with him. He won’t harm you. He’s really not a bad character at all. Just give him a chance. I’m going to tell Georgia to go ahead and add one more to the dinner reservation."
"Fine," she gave in, not wanting to turn and face the object of their conversation.
When she was disconnected from the call, she struggled in vain to recall what she said during the conversation and if she revealed anything. Blank. She was drawing blanks and couldn’t remember a thing she said!
"Well?" Charlie cocked his eyebrow waiting for an answer.
"Well what? What were you doing out here anyway?"
"I’m waiting for you. You needed confirmation that what I said about your brother wanting you over this weekend, was true?"
"Yes."
"Why don’t you believe me?"
"It’s not about belief."
"Is it trust, then?"
"Why would I have any trust in you?"
"Why wouldn’t you?"
Flabbergasted she asked, "You really can’t remember?"
"No," he replied seriously. "I don’t even know why you act as if we dislike each other."
"Don’t you?"
"No, I don’t."
She made for the door to the diner. "Well I’m not going to refresh your memory. Figure it out yourself. I’m going back to work, somewhere you should be too. I’m off at 4P.M. I’ll meet you back here at 7P.M."
"Why bother? I’ll just pick you up from your place for 7."
Not wanting to be late from her break she agreed and sauntered into the diner just in time for the new crowd of customers.
What is it with women and their damn mood swings? Then again, he always brought out the worst in Ara every time they met. Why, he asked himself, did she dislike him so? He quite liked her, but found it hard to find her cute if they always bickered like that.
The only downfall of the big move was that she missed her brother so much. He was her only family in town. The house she currently lived in was paid for, so she never had to worry about the roof over her head. Their Granny had left it to her only living grandchildren when she passed away about six years earlier.
"Earth to Ara!"
A hand waved back and forth in front of her face to grab her attention.
Her face flinched and eyes adjusted to see the owner of the hand.
"What do you want, Charlie?"
"Why don’t you call me Chuck like the rest of them?"
"I’ve got better names for you. But I don’t think you’d like them."
"Try me."
Letting out an exasperated sigh she asked, "What do you want?"
"I want to order my lunch."
She stood at the main counter with a pad and pencil in her hand.
Annoyed she jotted down his order and handed it over to the short order cook.
"Hey Ara, where’s my smile? You should smile more."
"Yea yea…" she muttered as she walked into the kitchen.
If she had moments where she missed the security of her big brother’s presence, this would be one of them. Charlie always seemed to find the right buttons to push when he was around; drunk or sober alike.
The last time he put the moves on her was two years ago at a party held by her brother. Charlie had seen the bottom of many bottles when he found her sitting on the back porch alone.
A plate was shoved in front of her face, which brought her instantly back to the present. Yes, she was working right now. This was no time to dillydally and daydream. Unfortunately this meant she had to come face to face with Charlie again.
After sliding the plate on the counter in front of him, he looked up to look at her.
"Thanks Ara."
"No problem," she smiled politely.
I might as well be nice, no point getting fired retaliating against his royal mischievousness.
"When are you off? Need a ride home?" he asked before she walked away from his side of the counter. She faltered in her stride as she replied.
"Late and no."
Ara walked around to the other side of the counter to walk over to the other tables to check on her other customers.
"What if I told you that Phoenix asked me to come pick you up and drive you over to Marsdale for the weekend?" he shouted across the room loud enough for her to hear.
"I’ll be back in a sec. Sorry about this. Please look over the menu and I’ll be back," she told her new table of customers and hurriedly walked over to Charlie.
"What are you doing?! Don’t shout," she whispered harshly at him.
"But I wasn’t. I was just talking to you."
"Why do you have to be so childish all the time?"
"I’m not leaving until you tell me what time I have to pick you up."
"You don’t HAVE to pick me up, I’m not going anywhere."
"Come on, I know you’ve missed your brother. He’s been away for half a year and neither one of you have had the chance to visit. Here’s your chance, I’ll be up there too."
"Oh, big yey! The one time I’d get the chance to meet up with my brother and YOU have to be there," her words dripping with sarcasm.
"Ouch," he replied in mock agony.
"Ah, just finish your food!"
"For you, I will."
Lifting her hands to choke an invisible neck she muttered, "Choke on your sandwich."
To which he replied, "Only if you know CPR."
He chuckled as she walked back to her waiting customers.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she noticed Charlie left the diner some time between her coming and going to the kitchen to fetch some orders. Business hadn’t slowed down since Charlie’s presence. Someone up there was punishing her. But why?
On her break, she rang her brother up. They had talked every now and then because he insisted on getting an update as to what was going on in her life.
Today’s conversation, however would not be pleasant. Not with what she had to say.
"Are you serious?!" she whined.
"Why not?"
"I have to suffer a five to six hour drive with your friend Charlie?!"
"He won’t be drunk. He’ll be sober."
"Seriously, Phoenix?"
"Can you spare the weekend trip? I’d come and get you myself, but I’m stuck in meetings all day and it’ll be a late drive. I don’t think I’d be cut out to do it."
"I’m not asking you to come and pick me up. I can take the bus or train…" she offered.
"But what’s the point if Chuck is coming down anyway?"
"Phoenix…"
"Come on Ara, be nice."
"But he’s-"
"I’m what?" Charlie demanded quietly as he surfaced from the shadows of the alley where she was having her phone conversation.
"Ara? You there?"
"Yea… Yea.. I’m here," she responded to Phoenix.
"I’m going into a meeting right now. So please, just go along with him. He won’t harm you. He’s really not a bad character at all. Just give him a chance. I’m going to tell Georgia to go ahead and add one more to the dinner reservation."
"Fine," she gave in, not wanting to turn and face the object of their conversation.
When she was disconnected from the call, she struggled in vain to recall what she said during the conversation and if she revealed anything. Blank. She was drawing blanks and couldn’t remember a thing she said!
"Well?" Charlie cocked his eyebrow waiting for an answer.
"Well what? What were you doing out here anyway?"
"I’m waiting for you. You needed confirmation that what I said about your brother wanting you over this weekend, was true?"
"Yes."
"Why don’t you believe me?"
"It’s not about belief."
"Is it trust, then?"
"Why would I have any trust in you?"
"Why wouldn’t you?"
Flabbergasted she asked, "You really can’t remember?"
"No," he replied seriously. "I don’t even know why you act as if we dislike each other."
"Don’t you?"
"No, I don’t."
She made for the door to the diner. "Well I’m not going to refresh your memory. Figure it out yourself. I’m going back to work, somewhere you should be too. I’m off at 4P.M. I’ll meet you back here at 7P.M."
"Why bother? I’ll just pick you up from your place for 7."
Not wanting to be late from her break she agreed and sauntered into the diner just in time for the new crowd of customers.
What is it with women and their damn mood swings? Then again, he always brought out the worst in Ara every time they met. Why, he asked himself, did she dislike him so? He quite liked her, but found it hard to find her cute if they always bickered like that.
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