Borrowed Time

Twenty Nine

- before we read, i ask that you join me in taking a moment to pray for the nose above🙏🏽 -

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"Did you know Joy would be here?" Janet asked me, just after a server had come over, taking our drink orders.

I sighed, shaking my head from side to side. "No. I had no idea. I mean, she said she had plans tonight but I didn't care to ask what they were." I then shrugged my shoulders. "It's not my business, y'know."

"Well, I'm not mad at you about it," the woman told me, placing her hands on top of my own. "So don't worry. It's just...a little odd that she's here...of all places." Janet looked at me, then glanced over at Joy's table. "Wow. She's getting up...hope she's not coming over here..."

I turned to look where she had, also seeing Joy rising from where she was seated. She left the other woman at the table, then walked toward the rear of the restaurant. "Looks like she's going to the restroom..." Me thinking I could at least acknowledge that we were both at the same place at the same time, I rose from my own seat. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

Janet rolled her eyes, gesturing for me to come near her first. "You better behave yourself, okay?" She too stood up, grabbing onto my face, kissing me. "Don't make me have to come in there, cause I most definitely will, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." I said back, cheesing. I hugged her, then let her be as I walked away from the table and toward the restroom.
When I entered, Joy was standing at one of the sinks, washing her hands.
"Joy?" I called out to her.

She lifted her eyes from the sink, breathing heavily. "Hi, Toni." The woman then dried her hands, just after grabbing some paper towels from the dispenser to her left. "I...I thought you were gonna be home with Josiah. Where is he anyways?"

"He's with Mike," I replied, sighing. "Trust me, I had no intentions of coming out tonight, this was a last minute thing. I also didn't know you'd be here, so..." I paused for a moment, then asked, "Is that...that woman out there your date?"

Joy's head moved up and down, confirming what was asked. "She is, she is." The woman viewed her reflection in the mirror before us, making sure her hair was as she wanted. "Met her out not too long ago and this is our second date. But, honestly, I think I'm starting to regret it."

"Uh oh, I'm assuming things aren't going too well?" I looked at her, curious. I was happy for Joy, seeing her out on a date. Her second one at that. Whether it was as she expected or not, it was still good to see. This was how it was supposed to be between us—moving on and happy for one another.

"Well, right before we noticed you, I had just asked her what she thought of me so far," Joy shook her head in disbelief, recalling her date's response. "That damn woman looked at me and said, 'What do I think of you? I don't think of you'. Like, what does that even mean?"

Immediately, I started laughing, finding humor in how shady her date was. "Damn. I'm sorry, Joy, but that's funny as hell." I then held onto my chest, pulling myself together. "Listen, maybe she's just not your type." 

"Yeah, well—" My wife tried to release a response, but before she could, her very own date had entered the restroom.
She was dressed in a sequined designed, red dress, while her feet were covered in pumps of the same color.