Seven Dates

Chapter Twenty-Three

The waitress sets a big plate of wings down in front of me. I exhale, relieved that my food is finally here. I feel beyond scarred after hearing Marvin talk about his taboo fantasies. I immediately start digging into my food.

"May I?" Marvin asks, extending his fingers toward my plate.

I recoil but let him snatch a couple of wings. He places them on his plate and begins shredding them up, just like he did the napkin. I try to ignore him and eat my food.

All of the sudden though, in the middle of one of my bites, I see him drop a handful of the shredded chicken into his shirt pocket and his pocket wiggles. A rat pokes its head up out of the pocket and its beady eyes lock with mine.

I feel so shocked by the rat that I inhale suddenly, pulling one of the wing bones into my throat. I panic, grasping at my throat, struggling to breathe and Marvin's face whitens. He jumps from his chair and lunges toward me, wrapping his arms around me and giving me the Heimlich maneuver. I hear him inhale deeply multiple times as he does it. Is he sniffing my hair?

After a few thrusts, the bone dislodges and flies out of my mouth and onto the table. I gasp for air and Marvin releases me. The whole room bursts into cheer. I imagine I couldn't feel any more embarrassed.

"That's my girlfriend," Marvin suddenly screams. The people in the restaurant clap and holler even more. I slink down, wishing I could just disappear beneath the floor. If only that chicken wing would have taken me. A man from a nearby table walks to up the waiter and announces that he'd like to "pay for that lovely couple's meal." I sigh.

Once the dinner is over Marvin walks me out to my car. I notice a shady van parked near the right side of the parking lot. Marvin notices me noticing it.

"That's just my ma. She's been waiting to pick me up," he explains. I see the van's window roll down and the woman inside waves to me. "She'd probably really like to meet you," Marvin suggests. I grit my teeth.

"Uh, look Marvin, I had a really great time and thank you for saving my life. But I kind of just need to go home and rest," I tell him. It's not a lie. Well, the "I had a really great time" part was, but I tried to otherwise be as truthful as possible. I really do want to lay down. I want to curl up in my bed and forget any part of this day ever happened.

"I absolutely get that. You get your rest. I'll call you," he says, skirting back off to his mom's van. The woman waves again at me and I wave back as they drive off.

I hop into my car and drive as fast as I reasonably can back home.

As I drive, I feel something move in my shirt. I jerk the wheel to the side and jam my car into park. I jump out of the car and shake out my clothes. I hear a squeak and something falls out of my shirt sleeve, scurrying off into the darkness.