What's The Catch?

Friday: November 30, 2012

{Friday: November 30, 2012}

The past two months have flown by for Marin. Between work, Belinda announcing her pregnancy, giving up her nightly ritual of wine and TV to start going to the gym after work and falling exhausted into bed at night, having Sunday dinners at her parent’s house, and just all around keeping herself busy; Marin’s plan to move on and start enjoying her life seemed to be working. Sure she’s relapsed a few times – ok, a lot of times- back into her memories of Cliff, but that was mainly only in the mornings after waking up from the almost nightly realistic dreams of her time in Vegas with him. Dreams were her blessing and a her curse, especially when she dreamt of the mind and body shattering Sunday they’d spent in bed in her suite when Cliff made her an official woman by cherishing her body and finally awakening her to her what passion was meant to feel like. Those mornings were hardest for Marin as she spent the rest of most days with a sexual frustration that no other man would be able to satiate. Marin still wasn’t even thinking of attempting to go date yet, not that she knew of any man that even slightly peaked her interest, and her body felt the absence of Cliff’s touch acutely.

Walking into the Noisy Oyster Seafood Restaurant at 1pm for lunch, Marin asked the hostess for her favorite booth in the corner so she and Belinda could hear each other talk while planning the store route they were going to take for their traditional Black Friday holiday shopping extravaganza.

Sitting down in the booth facing the window overlooking the street, Marin felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Quickly digging it out she saw Belinda’s name and answered “Hey girl, I’m already here. I’m at our booth in the back. Want me to order you a sweet tea?”

“Marin… don’t hate me.” Belinda said quickly in a guilty voice “I can’t go shopping today. I’m been throwing up since breakfast. God… this morning sickness is a real bitch!”

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry, that’s ok.” Marin said in immediate concern “Do you want me to bring you anything? Crackers or Ginger Ale or something?”

“No honey, David’s already gone to the store to get me some stuff, but thanks for offering.” Belinda said “just call me later and maybe we can get together sometime this weekend if I’m feeling better ok.”

“Of course sweety, sure, oh I hate that you’re sick. I wish there was something you’d let me do for you” Marin said starting to slide out of the booth to leave before the waitress came over to take her drink order “I’m gonna call you tonight to check on you ok… umphffff… Ohhhh!” Marin stopped talking abruptly as she’d slammed into someone coming down the aisle in her distracted worry over Belinda.  

Looking up to apologize to who she’d hit, Marin paled when she found a pair of familiar eyes staring down at her. She completely forgot about the phone up to her ear staring up in utter shock until she heard Belinda saying in her ear “Marin? What the hell was that? Are you ok?”

“Ummm… yeah I think so??” she mumbled in confusion before saying “ Ahhh, Belinda? I gotta go. You’ll never believe who I just literally ran into..” she said hastily with her confused eyes still locked on his.

“Oh honey… I can only guess… and YOU can thank me later. I love you Marin…” Belinda said and her ear to ear smile was almost visible through her ‘cat who caught the canary’ self satisfied voice coming through the phone.

“What did you….???... Belinda… Hello?!” Marin said taking her phone from her ear to stare at the screen as it went black indicating that Belinda had hung up on her.

Dropping her phone onto the corner of the table, Marin collapsed back into the booth, her legs unstable to support her weight, and watched in amazement as the man from her dreams – became reality- and Cliff slid into the booth opposite her.