The Restaurant

Chapter 1 - Jimmy

"I'd like you to leave"

Tina's hand was shaking as she pointed at the door. All I could do was stand there, covered in spaghetti, aghast. I could not believe what was happening. Just a few days ago, we were in a great place, I had actually told her I loved her. She was asleep when I did, but nonetheless. She stood there in her black shirt and jeans, violet eyes blazing with anger. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at us. Normally I would feel self-conscious, but right now I didn't care. The woman I loved was telling me to walk out of her life forever and I could do nothing to stop her.

Let me rewind to the beginning. The story starts off as all others do: Guy meets girl, guy falls for girl, girl dumps guy and guy's best friend is left to help him pick up the pieces. Guy learns not to look at the outside of a person but inside to see their beauty. The End... Ha! At this point you know I'm the guy, what happened to me, and kind of why I act the way I do. Once I got dumped, my coworker who became my best friend had to pull me out of the funk I was in. You know the one, "I'll never find someone as good as her! She was so nice to me!" after a few weeks the response becomes: "well...yeah, I know, she had her flaws, but she was decent enough." Then, finally: "Why did I put up with her for so long?" I still struggled on Valentine's day not to think about her, or as Kat and I liked to call it, Single Awareness Day. And since I was single, Kat would take me out to play some pool, people watch and have a few drinks.

"Ummm...she was a bitch and the only reason you thought she was nice to you was because you lost your virginity to her. Everyone including your family despised her, dude." That's my friend Kat talking. I've known her for six years now. She's a nice person once you get to know her, but before you do, look out. She'll tear apart your outfit, attitude, and fashion sense without batting an eye. Kat is a little pudgy but not fat. She could pull guys easily enough if she swung that way. "You gotta get it through your head, she wasn't smart, she lacked in a personality, and she couldn't hold her liquor," Kat said, as she took a sip of well rum and coke. Our drink of choice because when we had them, we felt like pirates, and it was all we could afford with our rent and bills cleaning us out. We were not rich, but we survived. I moved in with her after my ex kicked me out. "You know what you need to do? You gotta get back on the horse, and by horse, I mean, go back to school. You used to be so happy going and talking about the classes you were taking. And while you're at it get a better job. As fun as it is supporting your food habits, I'd like to be taken out from time to time," she said, her green eyes sparkling as she winked at me.

"Yeah. I know you're right. I'll tell you what. I'll look for another job, no problem, and I'll take you out with my first paycheck. How does that sound? Hell, I'll even take you to have some drinks afterward. But only if you give it up." I chuckled, playing along with the scenario.

"I've been taking you out for drinks for three years and not once have you given it up, you tease." She joked as she hit the cue ball straight into the pocket.

"What a shot! I don't think I can even measure up to your pool mastery." Sarcasm filling my voice.

"Oh, it's like that? Let's make a bet then. I win, you go back to school and look for a better job and you take me out with your first check, and you cook dinner for the next month!"

"Those are some very high stakes...ok...what if I win?" I asked as I racked the balls.

"Strip club, lap dances, I pay the tab, and then all that stuff anyway."

"Wow! I'm hoping I win then." I laughed as I set up my first shot, nailing a ball in.

"What do you do, pool shark on the weekend? Hold on, I'll get us some more drinks," she said, as she walked up and leaned onto the bar to order another round, flirting with the bartender, Bill, as he poured extra liquor into our drinks. I laughed, as I took a shot and scratched, knowing full well he didn't need coaxing to make our drinks stronger but she liked to think it was her flirtatious ways. It's really nice to have a hole-in-the-wall bar where the locals know you and the bartenders have heavy hands. She handed me my drink and sat on a barstool. "Thank you, but I have to go to the restroom before we get way too into this game. Your turn by the way."

"Oh ok!" She hopped off, her 5'9" height didn't have to fall to far as she took a swig of her drink. Kat was setting up her shot as I walked to the restroom. I peed and washed my hands, looking myself over in the mirror. I was a decent-looking guy: hazel eyes, brown hair, pretty strong jawline, nearly 30, but I still looked like I was in high school if you didn't know me. After washing my hands, I walked out to find Kat sitting at the table smiling at me. "Looks like I only have the 8-ball left." Shocked I turned around and sure enough, the table was empty except for the 8-ball and all but one of my balls on the table.

"Cheater! There is no way you made every ball in during the 3 minutes it took me to go to the bathroom!"

"I totally did. Ask Bill. He watched me do it all," she said knowing full well he would cover for her.

"Bill! Did she do this?" I shouted to him so the whole bar could hear me. He laughed and nodded his head as the other barflies laughed approvingly. "Uggghh! Ok...I believe you...but I'll still beat you so it doesn't matter," I said as I grabbed the pool stick.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What are you doing? It's not your shot. I was just waiting for you to come back out here so you could see me beat you." She grinned mischievously.

I looked at the table, the cue ball was set perfectly in front of the 8-ball right next to a corner pocket. I glared at her. "Seriously? I got one shot and you're already about to beat me? Did time stand still when I went to the bathroom? Am I to believe you somehow magically shot every one of your balls in while simultaneously not touching one of my balls, which is impossible because one of yours was in between two of mine, by the way, and set yourself up for your last shot?"

"I'm a trick-shot artist in my spare time." She replied breathing on her nails before rubbing them on her shirt. "Now move out of my way. I gotta win this bet," she said as she sauntered over, and with one hand, shot the ball in while staring at me. "I win!" she stated matter-of-factly with a grin on her face.

"Cheater. But it's cool, it's cool, a bet's a bet. Monday, I start looking for a job and look into going back to school."

"Don't bother," she said, handing me papers she pulled from her purse. I looked at the top of the first page. It was an application to the community college up the street, already filled out in her handwriting. I glared at her, she looked at me innocently, "What?"

"You had this planned out the whole time. Don't you think it would have been easier to just tell me instead of going through all of this with the bet and the bar and all that?"

"Yeah...but this way, you have to cook for me and I get a free meal at a fancy restaurant." I frowned, unsure how to respond. She walked over and hugged me, "Oh don't be mad. We're still going to the strip joint. Even though you lost," She laughed as she turned and went to the restroom. When she got to the door, she stopped and looked at me, "Oh, and Jimmy...pay the tab while you're at it." With that, she stepped into the bathroom.