Becoming Janie

Cobie The Ladies Man

"So are you ready to go to lunch then?" Cobie broke the awkward silence.

"Yeah" I muttered.

Jamie, Cobie and Ruby glance at each other when they think I can't see but I do see I'm just good at watching people out the corner of my eye. I make a mental note to try and cheer up, just because I'm feeling down doesn't mean I should bring everyone else down with me.

Cobie's doing a nice thing for me I remind myself.

"Where would you like lunch Jane?" Ruby asked, calling me by the nickname she had given me when we first met at primary school ten years ago. No one else called me that it didn't worry me. I neither disliked nor liked the nickname. It was what it was. Besides, I had a sneaking feeling that if I objected to it Ruby would just call me it anyway.

"Anywhere's fine!" I beamed at all of their faces trying to fake cheeriness. They all glanced at each other again, clearly seeing through my façade. This was the problem with people who knew you so well. You couldn't get anything by them.

I looked awkwardly at the ground again.

"How about The Lone Star?" Cobie asked me.

"Sounds good" I muttered.

No one talked on the drive over, Ruby kept glancing at me worriedly. I knew she wanted to ask what had happened. I wasn't sure why she hadn't already.

Cobie pulled into the Lone Star car park and parked a couple of spaces away from the door. We all piled out of the car and headed inside. A waitress bustled over to us as we entered.

"Table for four?"

"Yes please ma'am" Cobie smiled at her.

"Oh please, call me Jessabelle." Jessabelle winked at Cobie seductively. None of us paid her any mind. We were all used to this. The ladies loved Cobie.

Once we were seated with our menus in front of us we were all quiet as we studied them.

"What would you all like?" Cobie asked after about five minutes.

"I'll have the fish and chips please" I said placing my menu down on the table.

"I'll have the chicken wrap please" Ruby said placing her menu on top of mine.

"I'm having the all day breakfast" Cobie stated.

"I'll have the same as you Cobie" Jamie stated boldly.

Ruby and I looked at each other and smiled. Cobie was like Jamie's idol, he liked to do whatever Cobie was doing.

Cobie smiled. "How about the mini hamburger and chips J-Luke?" Jamie thought about it for a while and then happily gave in. He just couldn't resist the thought of a burger. Honestly I was glad Cobie had been able to talk Jamie out of the all day breakfast. He would never be able to eat it all and then we would all have to eat the remainder (which would be most of it) for him and I was usually pretty full after my fish and chips.

Jessabelle glided her way back towards us smiling. "Are you ready to order?" No one thought it was coincidence how she asked for Cobie's order first.

Cobie ordered our meals and four raspberry and cokes. Jessabelle winked at him again as she was leaving with our orders and menus. I thought I saw Cobie blush.

Twenty minutes later our meals came out. Once Jessabelle had placed all our meals down she turned back to Cobie. After attempting once again to flirt with him and him not reciprocating she finally left.

I couldn't lie, my fish and chips were so mouth wateringly good.

Once we were all finished Cobie turned to me.