another word.” Sandra blubbered through the woeful
tale, hardly taking a breath as she rambled on.
I swatted her leg
and rolled my eyes. “Don’t do that to me! I thought something bad had happened.”
“It did! I just told
you! Anna is in this impossible situation and—”
“Well, don’t let
me interrupt.” I stood up and headed toward the door. “I wouldn’t want to
intrude on your heartache.”
“Oh, stop,” she
teased, still cackling. “I can’t help it. It’s the most beautiful love story. Hey,
I’m starving. Want to go to Frankie’s for some fried pepper rings?”
Sandra could switch
gears faster than anyone I knew. I loved that about her.
“Be still my
heart,” I quipped, dashing to my room to find my flip flops. “Do they have
fried green tomatoes too?”
“To die for!” she
yelled. “In fact, we’ll get the Fried Sampler Plate and try them all!”
I could feel the
fat jumping on my thighs with the mere thought of it, but that didn’t slow me
down. Less than fifteen minutes later, we were sitting in a booth at the cozy
pub. We placed our order and sipped our drinks while we waited.
“I’m pretty sure
the waitress was smirking when we ordered these diet drinks with that plate of
fried veggies,” I noted.
“Yes, but did you
see her?” Sandra whispered. “She hardly has room to talk. How many chins did
she have? Three? Four? I lost count.”
I flicked her
wrist. “Stop! That’s so mean. We’re in no position to make snarky remarks about
someone else’s weight issues. Well, at least not me. How is it that you eat so
much and never gain an ounce?”
She took a sip of
her Tab and sat back. “Don’t I wish. I’ve got to start running again now that
the weather’s so nice. I’ve gained half a pound since Christmas.”
“Half a pound?” I
scoffed. “Please. I gain half a pound just thinking about food.”
“So we should
start getting some exercise. Do you play racquetball?”
“Love it. I played
all the time in college.”
“Great. I’ll get
us a court time. They have four courts at your church, you know.”
“ My church?
I don’t have a church here.”
“Okay, fine,
whatever. First Baptist. Didn’t you go there Sunday with your friends?”
“Well, yes, but it’s
not my church.”
Sandra pursed her
lips. “Well, it’s not mine either, but I play racquetball there all the time. I
also have dinner there on Wednesday nights. Best deal in town. Only $3 for a
full-course dinner including beverage and dessert. Lots of the girls in the
office go.”
“You’re kidding
me. Just for the food?”
“No, silly.
Several of them attend church there, but there are a few of us who just come
for the bennies.”
“Bennies?” I
asked.
“Benefits. Oh,
here we are!” The waitress placed an enormous platter in the center of the
table. “Get a load of these babies!”
It was easily the
biggest appetizer platter I’d ever seen. But I had a feeling we’d make a
serious dent in it. Fried green and red pepper strips, fried green tomatoes,
fried mushrooms, fried pickles . . . all surrounding a small
bowl of buttermilk dipping sauce. Heaven!
Once we got past
the initial moaning over the delectable flavors, we continued our conversation.
“So, Wednesday
after work,” Sandra began, wiping her mouth with her napkin, “we can just go
straight from the hospital to the church. They start serving at 5:00. You’ll
love it. We fill up a whole table. Well, not just girls from work. Some of the
singles too.”
Uh oh. I
wondered if Tucker and Cassie were Wednesday night regulars.
“Wait, I just
remembered,” I said. “I have a 4:15 appointment with Dr. Love.”
Her brows arched
up her face. “Dr. J. Thomas Love? The pastor?”
I felt my face
warm. “Well, yeah, I met him on Sunday and . . . it turns out he
knows my dad and wanted me to stop by and say hello.” I said that last part a
little too fast. Well, it’s true. All of it. No reason to tell her
tale, hardly taking a breath as she rambled on.
I swatted her leg
and rolled my eyes. “Don’t do that to me! I thought something bad had happened.”
“It did! I just told
you! Anna is in this impossible situation and—”
“Well, don’t let
me interrupt.” I stood up and headed toward the door. “I wouldn’t want to
intrude on your heartache.”
“Oh, stop,” she
teased, still cackling. “I can’t help it. It’s the most beautiful love story. Hey,
I’m starving. Want to go to Frankie’s for some fried pepper rings?”
Sandra could switch
gears faster than anyone I knew. I loved that about her.
“Be still my
heart,” I quipped, dashing to my room to find my flip flops. “Do they have
fried green tomatoes too?”
“To die for!” she
yelled. “In fact, we’ll get the Fried Sampler Plate and try them all!”
I could feel the
fat jumping on my thighs with the mere thought of it, but that didn’t slow me
down. Less than fifteen minutes later, we were sitting in a booth at the cozy
pub. We placed our order and sipped our drinks while we waited.
“I’m pretty sure
the waitress was smirking when we ordered these diet drinks with that plate of
fried veggies,” I noted.
“Yes, but did you
see her?” Sandra whispered. “She hardly has room to talk. How many chins did
she have? Three? Four? I lost count.”
I flicked her
wrist. “Stop! That’s so mean. We’re in no position to make snarky remarks about
someone else’s weight issues. Well, at least not me. How is it that you eat so
much and never gain an ounce?”
She took a sip of
her Tab and sat back. “Don’t I wish. I’ve got to start running again now that
the weather’s so nice. I’ve gained half a pound since Christmas.”
“Half a pound?” I
scoffed. “Please. I gain half a pound just thinking about food.”
“So we should
start getting some exercise. Do you play racquetball?”
“Love it. I played
all the time in college.”
“Great. I’ll get
us a court time. They have four courts at your church, you know.”
“ My church?
I don’t have a church here.”
“Okay, fine,
whatever. First Baptist. Didn’t you go there Sunday with your friends?”
“Well, yes, but it’s
not my church.”
Sandra pursed her
lips. “Well, it’s not mine either, but I play racquetball there all the time. I
also have dinner there on Wednesday nights. Best deal in town. Only $3 for a
full-course dinner including beverage and dessert. Lots of the girls in the
office go.”
“You’re kidding
me. Just for the food?”
“No, silly.
Several of them attend church there, but there are a few of us who just come
for the bennies.”
“Bennies?” I
asked.
“Benefits. Oh,
here we are!” The waitress placed an enormous platter in the center of the
table. “Get a load of these babies!”
It was easily the
biggest appetizer platter I’d ever seen. But I had a feeling we’d make a
serious dent in it. Fried green and red pepper strips, fried green tomatoes,
fried mushrooms, fried pickles . . . all surrounding a small
bowl of buttermilk dipping sauce. Heaven!
Once we got past
the initial moaning over the delectable flavors, we continued our conversation.
“So, Wednesday
after work,” Sandra began, wiping her mouth with her napkin, “we can just go
straight from the hospital to the church. They start serving at 5:00. You’ll
love it. We fill up a whole table. Well, not just girls from work. Some of the
singles too.”
Uh oh. I
wondered if Tucker and Cassie were Wednesday night regulars.
“Wait, I just
remembered,” I said. “I have a 4:15 appointment with Dr. Love.”
Her brows arched
up her face. “Dr. J. Thomas Love? The pastor?”
I felt my face
warm. “Well, yeah, I met him on Sunday and . . . it turns out he
knows my dad and wanted me to stop by and say hello.” I said that last part a
little too fast. Well, it’s true. All of it. No reason to tell her
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