I grabbed my purse and phone and got out of the car. We had pulled up to a really tacky 50s themed diner, but I'll admit, it was cute. When we got inside, all I could do was stare. Every wall was covered in neon lights and old vinyls. The floor was black-and-white tile and the booths were sparkly turquoise. Like I said, it was tacky, but I really felt like we went back in time.
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A short woman with freckles and bright red hair greeted us at the door. "Hello, how many?" She asked, referring to the number of people in our group.
"Four." Hila answered.
"Great, right this way." She told us, grabbing four menus from a stack.
I said next to Hila in the booth, and Ethan sat next to Joji. We all ended up ordering some kind of burger and fries. And, well, I realized something – I had never really talked to Hila that much since I got here. So, that's when I decided to start some conversation with her.
"So, Hila, when did you and Ethan meet?" I asked curiously.
She smiled and looked up at me. "We met during sophomore year of college. We got married about a year after college." I simply nodded at her and went back to devouring my burger.
Huh. This is the longest relationship that Ethan has ever had. They seem right for each other, well, from what I can tell.
For the next 30 minutes or so, I got to know Hila a bit better. I really liked her. I also got to know Joji a bit better as well. He was my brother's close friend and has known Ethan and Hila for a while. Also, he lives here for college.
"So what do you guys do for fun around here?" I asked, "In Louisiana, people just go to clubs and bars."
"What can't you do in a big city?" Ethan pointed out.
I shrugged and took a sip of my Pepsi. "True, but where are your favorite places to go around the apartment?" I asked, rephrasing my question.
"Well, there are a few bars around the apartment and there's a shopping mall nearby." Hila answered.
Joji added, "There is also a park and a movie theater too. Everything is really close."
Suddenly, the waitress came with the check and Ethan left a $20 bill and started to get up. What? How could he be paying for all of us?
"Ethan, it's fine, I can pay! Besides, you were kind enough to let me stay in your apartment." I protested, nudging the bill towards him.
He says, "It's fine – you can just pay another time."
With that, we all stood up, went to the car, and returned to the apartment. Right when I walked through the door, I immediately headed to the couch and sat down.
God how was I already tired? We didn't even do that much. I felt the sudden urge to go swimming.
"Hey, does anybody know if there is a pool nearby?" I asked loudly.
Joji came into the room and stood in front of me. "Yeah, this apartment does have a pool on the top floor. I can take you there if you want, babe." He offered, waiting for my response.
"Hmm. Sounds good." I paused. "Don't let my brother catch you calling me that. He'll probably kill you."
He laughed and looked down at me. "I know your brother just as well as you do. I'll be good."
I rolled my eyes. "Pinky promise?"
He narrowed his eyes at me and laughed again. "I can't promise anything, babe."
