Lunchtime Crush

Chapter 4

The sun. Warm...rejuvenating...giver of life.

It was strange that I, Lina, would be sitting on a park bench alone on a Sunday afternoon, waxing poetic on the sunshine as its afternoon rays warmed my face. But here I was, doing exactly that.

My worship of the sun didn't mean I had forgotten to slather myself in SPF 60, because judging by the noticeable sheen on my skin...I was definitely covered. Nevertheless, I was experiencing a newfound peace, a peace that was more than just a high from my latest workout; in fact this was more of a cumulative effect.

I pulled out my tattered copy of "Jane Eyre" which I hadn't re-read in ages, but before I could get to the crucial part where Jane tells Mr. Rochester she refuses to fit into his mold of what constitutes a "lady," a shadow crept over the pages. If I hadn't known who that person would be, the incidence of the shadow would've been rather dramatic. Instead, I knew that Penny had promised to meet me in exactly this spot.

"Look at you all literary classic chic..." she said.

I closed the book and smiled. "It was just for show," I said. "The inside of the cover is a print-out of TMZ.com."

She smirked and continued standing there. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "Who knew that teachers complaining about going back to school could turn a simple brunch into a three-hour affair?"

"It's fine," I said, genuinely unbothered by her tardiness. "I was hoping you'd be even later which is why I brought my book; I could've sat here all afternoon."

Penny dragged me up by the arm. She may have been thin but she was freakishly strong and it wasn't all that surprising, not when weights and whey protein served a permanent role in her life. "You can't sit here all afternoon, or we'll miss all the good fruits and vegetables."

For the first time, I was accompanying Penny on her weekly visit to the Farmer's Market. I'd never understood what all the fuss was about, when the same stuff was sold at a grocery store, but as soon as I entered the bustling aisles of colourful fruits and homemade everything, I was starting to understand.

"Those carrots still have dirt on them," I said, more impressed by the presence of dirt than a person should ever be.

Penny put her arm around my shoulder, slowly leading me along. "I always think of 'farmer's market products' as balancing out those times when I indulge in your snack cupboard."

I rolled my eyes. "My snack cupboard? And FYI, the only current offering in the snack cupboard is dark chocolate, which is basically like antioxidant medicine."

She laughed. "Okay; let me check my list to see what we need."

I stopped her from pulling out her phone. "You mean let me check my list." Penny froze and stared at me; dumbfounded. "What?" I said. "I found a recipe and I'm cooking for us tonight."

Her dumfounded expression finally converted into words. "What has gotten into you lately?" My only answer was a shrug, and for some reason it made her smile knowingly. "Oh I see," she said. "I get it now."

It didn't take me long to roll my eyes. "Don't insult me by being so simplistic," I said.

She sneaked a look at my shopping list and led us to the stall of root vegetables. "Are you seriously trying to tell me your newfound zen or whatever it is has nothing to do with Mr. Tuesdays to Saturday inclusive?"

I crossed my arms as a line of defense to her very incorrect assumption. "I already told you, I've only been three times a week, for a membership I got two weeks ago so...that's only six visits to the gym, and...he doesn't even go to my hip hop cardio class, so...I've only actually seen him four times...i.e. he's an occasional workout buddy, a.k.a...calm down."