The Other Woman

Dinner Date

May 7th - 2005

His elbow was leaning against the hood of my car, with the same arm, he held his phone in his hand typing. His other hand ran through his beard, his keys in the same hand, the ring hoop on his index finger from the chain, being swung around it. He lifted his sunglasses from his eyes, squinting as he looked over at me.

"Hey, Jen look is it alright-"

"Please get off my car." I say politely, pointing at his arm. He quickly lean away, dusting the car off and moving so I can get in.

"Jen? I was wondering-"

"I'm really late to a meeting." I open the car door, getting in and putting my bag on the passengers seat.

"Jennifer." He stops me from closing the door, pressing his hand against the frame. Being obviously stronger than me, I try and budge it but it won't move. "Are you free at all? Tonight?"

"I have a meeting. That could take a few hours... then I have to make dinner and walk Norman-"

"Let me make you dinner!" He cuts me off, a small smile on his face, eyebrows knitted together.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"Jennifer.... Please?"

"I really don't have time for it, Bradley."

"Bradley?" He chuckled in disbelief, running his hands through his hair. "Really? We're back to whole name basis?" His tongue clicked against his mouth, he looked disappointed.

"You want the real whole name?"

"No, no." He smirks, waving his hands in the air.

"I have to go. Maybe... I don't know-" I cut myself off this time and he sighs.

"What were you going to say?"

"I- no... nothing." I grab the door handle, swinging it over and closing it, following by clicking the latch to lock it.

When reversing out of the space, stopping the car to change the gear, Brad and I catch gaze and I sigh, defeated. I roll the passenger window down, he walks closer and leans on the door.

"Seven o'clock. Do not be late. Want my address?"

"Yeah, send me it."

"Okay..." I nod, my lips sealed, pressing the button for the window to close back over before pulling away and driving back home.

There's a thing Brad does when he's disappointed or wants something to go a different way. The way his face changes just breaks my heart, and although he's broke mines many times, I still try my best at not hurting his. Before I knew the whole thing was real with him sleeping with his co-star, I planned on trying to stay friends with him. But when I seen it, that's when I knew that we really had to talk before I could even think of being friends with him. I'm not even sure it'll be possible, given that normally your friends meet the woman your with. Been there, done that... wish it was a dream. Maybe distant friends, and definitely civil, I'm not one to hold a grudge for a long period of time. Only very few times in my life have I found myself in that situation. With her? That'll be a different ball game, because I don't have a relationship with this woman and quite frankly, I've never been appealed to the idea of the woman. There was even a time where Brad and I discussed her years ago, agreeing that she was a... character -to say the least- one pretty hard to understand.

Now here we are, one movie and he's with her and getting a divorce from me... and I'm having dinner with him tonight. What has my life become?

I did lie when I said I had a meeting previously, but now that I have plans with him I have to make sure I look irresistible. I decide to call Andrea over since she's in town, hoping that some help from a girlfriend on both advice and with what to wear would do me some good. She'll calm my nerves as I know that tonight will most definitely be a long night. When off the phone with her, I'm already back in the house. Before I do anything, I grab a bone for Norman and throw it in his bed to distract him for the time being. He waddles over, swaying side to side as he makes himself comfortable and begins chewing it. I smile at him, making my way upstairs to my bedroom, taking off my outfit and hanging it back up, for now lounging in a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.