Reunion

Chapter Thirteen

 

There is not a consistent definition of what daydreaming is. The most common fact is the state of being in a trance while trying to do something.

A week had passed since Brian and I saw each other at Johnny's Bar. That night we stayed on the phone talking for approximately three hours. For one week, we had made it a nightly routine. Whenever we had a chance, we spoke at nights before both of us were ready to go to sleep. I was getting used to him. I could not deny that each time we spoke, I felt a strange sensation within me.

My inner voice kept telling me not to get my hopes up, that he was just a friend. But I couldn't pass the point where I felt like he was feeling something similar. I just didn't know if I was right or not, but I kept on following my instincts.

"Lilian, Mr. Jones is asking for you in the outside lounges," Robert softly whispered, snapping me from my trance. I nodded my head and walked outside. Mr. Jones and an elderly couple awaited nearby the tables.

"Ah, here she comes," Mr. Jones appraised. I smiled, looking at the three people in front of me.

"It's lovely to see you again, sweetheart! Thank you so much for the amazing dinner. If it wasn't for my Margie here, I would say that I came only for your delicious food. But we do love our golfing too," Mr. Stanley Nunez rejoiced.

"Thank you so much, Sir. It means a lot to me, and I am glad you loved today's special," I responded, grabbing both of their hands and appreciating their comments.

"It was quite lovely, honey, and don't mind my husband. You are an amazing cook with a great heart. Don't let this one go, Mario. She is definitely one of the most important assets this club has," Margie Nunez explained to my boss while laughing even though we all knew she wasn't joking.

The elderly couple left. After Mr. Jones appraised me some more, I went back to the kitchen. It was almost time for me to clock out. It was Saturday, and tomorrow was my free day, although I had a job to do for the Haners' anniversary party.

"Alright, guys, It's time for me to leave. Tomorrow's menu is on my desk and make sure everything is closed and off when you leave tonight," I told the kitchen staff.

"Have a good Sunday, Lilian," Robert, one of the sue-chefs, said, smiling.

"Thank you," I replied. I walked to my office and removed the chef jacket I wore. I left the documents organized on top of my desk so the staff could do their work tomorrow without any problems. I grabbed my purse and headed out.

Walking towards my car, I received a call. Looking that it was Anna, I answered it.

"Hey. I am on my way to the shopping center. Be there in 10 minutes," I said, answering the call.

"Alright, meet me on the second floor. I am next to the fountain," Anna responded.

Anna and I were meeting for the evening because, according to her, I needed to wear something spectacular to the Haners' anniversary gathering. She didn't understand that I was only going as part of the working staff. I was going to be the cook and server for the night, I wasn't going to mingle, but my friend was so stubborn that I couldn't say no to her.

I arrived at the center and quickly found Anna where she said she was going to be. I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. She was excited to be here with me. Matt had invited her to the gathering, so we were both getting new dresses for the evening. She was incredibly happy that her best friend and Matt had a second chance to reconcile their love for each other.

She had said that spending time with him was making their relationship extraordinarily strong. She even met his son.

She didn't know that I spent my nights talking to Brian. It was something that I held privately. I wanted to tell her, but I didn't know how she was going to react.

"Okay, we have to go to this store first," she said, walking into a boutique where lots of classy dresses were very well displayed behind a window. I was cautious about the places I went because of my size. I knew I wasn't thin, so I had to shop in stores that held clothes for a plus size women like me. Anna knew some of the insecurities I still had, so I trusted that she did her research before taking me to the store.

Going inside, I noticed all the beautiful gowns. They had long and short dresses for all kinds of sizes. Colors were bright, and some were dark. Anna and I decided to try a few of them as we were well attended. The manager had even brought some wine for the current clients that were in the store.

Anna was trying on a Scallop Maxi Dress, which looked expressly good on her, but I had my doubts about having a suitable outfit for an anniversary party.

"I like it, and it looks amazing on you, but I think it looks too casual," I said, inspecting the dress she wore as she looked herself in the mirror.

"You are right. I love the color, but it's too casual," Anna responded, nodding her head. She went behind the fitting room again, and I sipped on my wine as she continued to talk.

"You've been distracted for the last thirty minutes. Is everything okay at work?" my best friend asked as soon as she got out of the room, wearing another dress.

"Work is fine. I just have something to tell you, but I don't want you to react badly to it or strongly about it," I finally said, warming her up about the topic of Brian.

"What is it? You know you can tell me anything," she asked, getting closer to me. I saw the worried expression on her face, so I smiled a bit, trying to ease the tension.

"Ever since that night at Johnny's Bar, Brian and I have been talking and texting a lot, and I feel like I really like him as more than just a friend," I confessed. Anna's eyes sparkled, and a smile crept on her face.

"Oh, my God! Seriously? That is amazing. Brian is an amazing person. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she rejoiced, grabbing one of my hands.

"Anna, look at me. I am not someone that can get a guy like Brian to like me. He is just nice to me because he is my friend. Sometimes, I wonder if it's just my imagination or if he likes me too, but he never says anything about it. On the other hand, neither have I, but the thing is I am getting used to listening to him every night before going to bed, and I feel like I am getting myself ahead here and making a mistake of not pulling apart for a while. I don't want to end up hurt over the fact that I just imagined things," I responded, frustrated.

Anna's expression turned from happy to angry. She hated it when I talked down on myself. She knew how hard my life has been because of my thoughts about my weight, but she never had a problem letting me know how silly I was acting.

"You know you are beautiful, and any man would be happy and lucky to have you in his life. Don't talk like that again because you know I don't like it. Lil, you are an amazing woman. You have a great career, and your personality is off the charts. Brian would be stupid not to like you," she explained in a softer yet demanding tone.

"You know I love you, right? You always know how to make me smile no matter what," I replied, hugging her. She always knew what to say.

"I love you too, and trust me. Brian is not someone who spends his nights talking to someone if he didn't like them. Who does that? Not just a friend, but someone interested."

I smiled and shook my head but didn't say anything because I had no words. In all honesty, I was still confused about the whole thing. I wasn't going to do anything about it. I wasn't going to pursue Brian. I was going to continue talking to him as a friend, and if Anna was right, I was sure going to find out from him sooner or later.