Three Words

Chapter 10 - Four

The clock on the computer reads 3:20. Ten more minutes and I can leave for the weekend. Normally I wouldn't leave till five, but I want to go home and change before I pick up Tris. This past month, Tris and I have been talking nearly every night after her daughter goes to bed. Our conversations, if we let them, could go on for hours, but we usually cut them off before eleven so we can go to bed. The short time talking with her is never enough though. Today with the anticipation of finally getting to see her again, time seems to have forgotten that I have somewhere to be; going at an excruciatingly slow pace, forcing me to wait.

I've been trying to think of things to do or places to go with Tris, but all of them seem to be places you would take someone on a date. Though the more I talk to her, the harder it's become to find a reason not to ask her out. I think I've come up with something to do tonight that she'll have fun with. There is a food truck park that I thought we could go try, and taste the different fare they had to offer. When I told Tris about what we would be doing tonight, she became very hesitant. I told her I would be picking up the tab since it was my excursion. She tried to resist, but I insisted. I knew that she had a lot of debt, and I thought this would be something she didn't get to do because of it.

She had accidently let slip on one of our late night conversations, when we were close to hanging up, that she wished she didn't have to work so much, but her debt was preventing her from doing so. I had a long week and was tired at the time, and didn't realize exactly what she meant until she was practically hanging up due to her slip. I rub my face. I would help her if she let me, but I know she never would.

My watch alarm sounds and I begin shutting everything down quickly. Will, my assistant manager, looks over at me in confusion, "You're leaving early? Do you have an appointment or something?"

Will is actually a pretty cool guy. I've considered asking him if he wanted to come play paintball sometime with Zeke and Uriah to even the teams, but I keep forgetting. "No, I'm going out with a friend tonight. I've been coming in early to make sure that we stay ahead on the next project, and since we are, I thought I would leave a little early to go have some fun."

Will looks at me with a straight face, "You know how to have fun?"

Never mind about inviting him to paintball.  "Shut up. I'm not that bad." Rolling my eyes. 

"Yeah you are." He pauses before adding, "So what's your plan?"

"Going to the food trucks downtown."

"Is this a date?"

"No. Why would you think that?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Just sounds like somewhere you would take a date, but then again, I haven't been on a date in a few months. So what do I know?" He says with a slight chuckle.

"Will, it's not a date. Just hanging out with a friend."

He looks back to his computer. "Well, have fun. I guess I'll see you Monday for the phone conference?"

"Yeah, see you then."

**********

Tris and I are sitting on a low brick wall, leaning against the wrought iron fence, sampling our latest food truck purchase. Tris seems to be wrestling with what to say about it as she lays it down with the fork. "Well, I have learned something new. I didn't know cheese curds could squeak against your teeth."

I look again at the fries with cheese curds and gravy and then back at Tris. I can't help but laugh at the look on her face. "So that's a no on the cheese curds?"

She scrunches her nose, "It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't do that to my teeth." Taking a sip of her water.

"May I?" Pointing to the fries. She pushes them over and I pick up one of the fries popping it into my mouth. She watches my face, waiting for my reaction. "Tastes like fries and gravy with melted cheese. No squeaking, but not my favorite either." Wiping my hands on a napkin.