takes it out of me.”
“Why don’t you go home for a little rest before the Divorced Diva’s meeting?” Marlene said as she flipped through one of the beading catalogues. “I can hold down the fort for a little bit.”
There probably wasn’t much Marlene couldn’t hold down.
“Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” I went back to the office to retrieve Willow and we headed for home.
Chapter Eight
I could see that the building where the Food Watchers group meets was all lit up as I was on my way home.
With Marlene finishing up at the shop, I’d thought taking a walk with Willow would be just the thing I needed to relieve my stress and help me get ready for tonight’s Diva meeting. But then, I thought that Bernadine might be right. Food Watchers was at least worth a shot.
I whipped my little VW into the parking lot. It wasn’t going to hurt to check it out. I pulled out Willow’s travel water bowl and put it on the floorboard. After cracking the window so she’d get some air, I headed in to face the scale.
The meeting was located in one big room with ten rows of yellow chairs. There were three workstations with computers and floor scales along with a Food Watcher Specialist in matching yellow shirts and khaki pants.
“Hi, there.” Enthusiasm oozed from the size zero Food Watcher Specialist. “Are you new?” She chirped this in a voice that indicated she might bring out the ‘spirit hands’ at any moment.
At that moment, everyone sitting in the yellow chairs rotated and looked at me as if I was on display. I bet they could smell a new member a mile away.
Charlie was the name printed onthe tag pinned to the specialist’s shirt.
“Hi, Charlie.” I smiled and nodded.
“Holly!” Bernadine jumped up from the front row and waved her arms while walking over. “I’m so glad Marlene caught you.”
“Caught me?” I drew back, trying to figure out what she was talking about.
“Excuse me, she’s with you?” Charlie clasped her hands in delight. It was a little too much delight, if you asked me.
“She is,” Bernadine broke out in a singsongy voice. “Yes, she is.”
Charlie took a small steel hammer and hit a bell attached to the edge of her desk. Ding! Ding! Ding! Everyone cheered. I just wanted to hide.
Bernadine gave Charlie a high-five and then hugged me. “I’ve been waiting to get my bell.”
Charlie took out a bell-shaped lapel pin and fastened it to Bernadine’s cardigan. Bernadine touched it with obvious pride.
“If you bring in a new customer, they give you a bell.” Bernadine caressed her pin. “Sort of like the saying about an angel getting its wings. When we bring someone new in, we are like angels of weight loss.”
Please. I rolled my eyes.
“Whatever.” I sighed. “Charlie, I’m really just here to check out the place and see if it’s for me.” I turned to Bernadine and whispered under my voice, “What was that about Marlene catching me?”
Charlie walked around the counter, never once taking her eyes off me.
“Um…what are you doing?” A little anxiety knotted in my gut.
Without a word, Charlie slapped a big ‘My Name Is’ sticker right across my chest.
“Everyone wears a name tag.” Sarcasm dripped from her perfect lips.
To keep the peace, I bit my lip and followed Bernadine to the front of the room, but not without many congratulations for the bell ringing ceremony. Marlene beamed with pride, while I beamed with a red, embarrassed face.
“I called the shop to let you know there was a Food Watchers meeting tonight. She said that you’d just left and she’d try to catch you before you pulled out.”
I wasn’t going to explain that Marlene hadn’t caught me.
“If you had a cell, I could’ve just called you instead of having to tracking you down.” She patted the chair next to her so I would sit down.
I started to ask, “Do we have to sit so close?” but I was interrupted.
“Is everybody ready?” A loud voice
“Why don’t you go home for a little rest before the Divorced Diva’s meeting?” Marlene said as she flipped through one of the beading catalogues. “I can hold down the fort for a little bit.”
There probably wasn’t much Marlene couldn’t hold down.
“Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” I went back to the office to retrieve Willow and we headed for home.
Chapter Eight
I could see that the building where the Food Watchers group meets was all lit up as I was on my way home.
With Marlene finishing up at the shop, I’d thought taking a walk with Willow would be just the thing I needed to relieve my stress and help me get ready for tonight’s Diva meeting. But then, I thought that Bernadine might be right. Food Watchers was at least worth a shot.
I whipped my little VW into the parking lot. It wasn’t going to hurt to check it out. I pulled out Willow’s travel water bowl and put it on the floorboard. After cracking the window so she’d get some air, I headed in to face the scale.
The meeting was located in one big room with ten rows of yellow chairs. There were three workstations with computers and floor scales along with a Food Watcher Specialist in matching yellow shirts and khaki pants.
“Hi, there.” Enthusiasm oozed from the size zero Food Watcher Specialist. “Are you new?” She chirped this in a voice that indicated she might bring out the ‘spirit hands’ at any moment.
At that moment, everyone sitting in the yellow chairs rotated and looked at me as if I was on display. I bet they could smell a new member a mile away.
Charlie was the name printed onthe tag pinned to the specialist’s shirt.
“Hi, Charlie.” I smiled and nodded.
“Holly!” Bernadine jumped up from the front row and waved her arms while walking over. “I’m so glad Marlene caught you.”
“Caught me?” I drew back, trying to figure out what she was talking about.
“Excuse me, she’s with you?” Charlie clasped her hands in delight. It was a little too much delight, if you asked me.
“She is,” Bernadine broke out in a singsongy voice. “Yes, she is.”
Charlie took a small steel hammer and hit a bell attached to the edge of her desk. Ding! Ding! Ding! Everyone cheered. I just wanted to hide.
Bernadine gave Charlie a high-five and then hugged me. “I’ve been waiting to get my bell.”
Charlie took out a bell-shaped lapel pin and fastened it to Bernadine’s cardigan. Bernadine touched it with obvious pride.
“If you bring in a new customer, they give you a bell.” Bernadine caressed her pin. “Sort of like the saying about an angel getting its wings. When we bring someone new in, we are like angels of weight loss.”
Please. I rolled my eyes.
“Whatever.” I sighed. “Charlie, I’m really just here to check out the place and see if it’s for me.” I turned to Bernadine and whispered under my voice, “What was that about Marlene catching me?”
Charlie walked around the counter, never once taking her eyes off me.
“Um…what are you doing?” A little anxiety knotted in my gut.
Without a word, Charlie slapped a big ‘My Name Is’ sticker right across my chest.
“Everyone wears a name tag.” Sarcasm dripped from her perfect lips.
To keep the peace, I bit my lip and followed Bernadine to the front of the room, but not without many congratulations for the bell ringing ceremony. Marlene beamed with pride, while I beamed with a red, embarrassed face.
“I called the shop to let you know there was a Food Watchers meeting tonight. She said that you’d just left and she’d try to catch you before you pulled out.”
I wasn’t going to explain that Marlene hadn’t caught me.
“If you had a cell, I could’ve just called you instead of having to tracking you down.” She patted the chair next to her so I would sit down.
I started to ask, “Do we have to sit so close?” but I was interrupted.
“Is everybody ready?” A loud voice
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