Another Hospital Stay
Chapter 19
“So, twenty bucks says they’ll be going out by the end of the week.” Frank says from where he was sitting at a booth, gazing outside and watching his friend hugging Alexia.
“Twenty bucks says they won’t be,” Gerard replies, walking back to the booth with a cup of coffee.
“They do seem to be standing a bit to close,” Leena remarks, leaning over to look past Frank to see her friend with Ray.
“A bit? Any closer and they’d be one person,” Mikey says, taking a drink of his coffee. They all look at each other and burst out laughing.
“Good one, Mikey. And he does have a point, they are really and I mean really close together,” Bob says, sitting down next to Val, who was taking a drink from the coffee Bob had brought her.
As soon as Ray and Alexia stepped through the door, all of them ceased talking, each pretending to be curiously intrigued with the cup of coffee they had in front of them.
***
“They were so talking about us,” Ray says to me as we walk in and notice that all of them had stopped talking as soon as we had one foot in the door.
“Yeah, they were. Thanks for keeping me warm,” I say, pulling away from him and glancing in the direction of the others, knowing perfectly well that although they were acting uninterested, they were very interested in what was going on.
“No problem. Thanks for the hoodie. Although, it isn’t doing much good. There’s hardly anyone here,” he remarks, pulling the hood down.
“I need coffee.” I say randomly, heading towards the counter and noticing that there was only one girl in sight. Stealing a glance at her nametag and noticing that her name was Jenni, I try and get her attention. “Can I get the biggest cup of coffee you guys have? You want one Ray?”
“Umm…yeah. How much is it,” he asks, walking up behind me and pulling out his wallet.
The girl quickly rings it up and looks up, her jaw dropping open. “Oh. My. Fucking. God. You’re--you’re---you’re Ray Toro! Nice hoodie, by the way.”
I look over at Ray and notice that his face was turning red. “Guess the disguise didn’t work, huh?”
“Guess not. You want it back," he replies, unzipping it and pulling it off.
“So, wait, if you’re here, then the others must be here too,” she predicts, looking pointedly in the direction of the other guys.
“You’re a fan?” I guess, smiling at her.
She nods, blushing. “Yeah, huge fan. I was going to go to their concert tonight, but as you can see, duty calls. I had to come into work tonight, since one of the girls called in sick, so they called me in,” she explains, adjusting her hat. “Sorry, but I’ve got to take this order. Nice talking to you.” She turns and I notice she had her right hand behind her, pressing a small box clipped to her jeans and hear her say, “Thank you for choosing Braum’s. Can I help you?”
“So, you want to sit with them, or sit at a booth by ourselves,” Ray asks quietly.
“Anything’s fine with me. Although, I must admit, I don’t really want to watch them watch us and whisper to each other about us in front of our faces,” I reply, walking over to where all the coffee creamer was and commence pouring in a shitload of creamer and a couple of packets of sugar.
“I agree. Let’s go sit over here then,” Ray says, leading me towards a booth that was on the other end and opposite side of where everyone else was sitting.
“You guys don’t love us anymore,” Frank calls out, grinning.
“We do, but you guys won’t stop talking about us. So, therefore, we’re just gonna sit here,” Ray calls out, taking a drink from his coffee and spitting it back out. “Hot!”
“Ray, it’s coffee. Did you expect it to be cold or something?” I ask sweetly, taking a drink of mine.
“I just forgot, all right. And I think it needs sugar and creamer. I’ll be right back,” he says, getting up and walking over to put creamer and sugar into his coffee. I suddenly need to pee and get up, heading towards the restroom.
“Twenty bucks says they won’t be,” Gerard replies, walking back to the booth with a cup of coffee.
“They do seem to be standing a bit to close,” Leena remarks, leaning over to look past Frank to see her friend with Ray.
“A bit? Any closer and they’d be one person,” Mikey says, taking a drink of his coffee. They all look at each other and burst out laughing.
“Good one, Mikey. And he does have a point, they are really and I mean really close together,” Bob says, sitting down next to Val, who was taking a drink from the coffee Bob had brought her.
As soon as Ray and Alexia stepped through the door, all of them ceased talking, each pretending to be curiously intrigued with the cup of coffee they had in front of them.
***
“They were so talking about us,” Ray says to me as we walk in and notice that all of them had stopped talking as soon as we had one foot in the door.
“Yeah, they were. Thanks for keeping me warm,” I say, pulling away from him and glancing in the direction of the others, knowing perfectly well that although they were acting uninterested, they were very interested in what was going on.
“No problem. Thanks for the hoodie. Although, it isn’t doing much good. There’s hardly anyone here,” he remarks, pulling the hood down.
“I need coffee.” I say randomly, heading towards the counter and noticing that there was only one girl in sight. Stealing a glance at her nametag and noticing that her name was Jenni, I try and get her attention. “Can I get the biggest cup of coffee you guys have? You want one Ray?”
“Umm…yeah. How much is it,” he asks, walking up behind me and pulling out his wallet.
The girl quickly rings it up and looks up, her jaw dropping open. “Oh. My. Fucking. God. You’re--you’re---you’re Ray Toro! Nice hoodie, by the way.”
I look over at Ray and notice that his face was turning red. “Guess the disguise didn’t work, huh?”
“Guess not. You want it back," he replies, unzipping it and pulling it off.
“So, wait, if you’re here, then the others must be here too,” she predicts, looking pointedly in the direction of the other guys.
“You’re a fan?” I guess, smiling at her.
She nods, blushing. “Yeah, huge fan. I was going to go to their concert tonight, but as you can see, duty calls. I had to come into work tonight, since one of the girls called in sick, so they called me in,” she explains, adjusting her hat. “Sorry, but I’ve got to take this order. Nice talking to you.” She turns and I notice she had her right hand behind her, pressing a small box clipped to her jeans and hear her say, “Thank you for choosing Braum’s. Can I help you?”
“So, you want to sit with them, or sit at a booth by ourselves,” Ray asks quietly.
“Anything’s fine with me. Although, I must admit, I don’t really want to watch them watch us and whisper to each other about us in front of our faces,” I reply, walking over to where all the coffee creamer was and commence pouring in a shitload of creamer and a couple of packets of sugar.
“I agree. Let’s go sit over here then,” Ray says, leading me towards a booth that was on the other end and opposite side of where everyone else was sitting.
“You guys don’t love us anymore,” Frank calls out, grinning.
“We do, but you guys won’t stop talking about us. So, therefore, we’re just gonna sit here,” Ray calls out, taking a drink from his coffee and spitting it back out. “Hot!”
“Ray, it’s coffee. Did you expect it to be cold or something?” I ask sweetly, taking a drink of mine.
“I just forgot, all right. And I think it needs sugar and creamer. I’ll be right back,” he says, getting up and walking over to put creamer and sugar into his coffee. I suddenly need to pee and get up, heading towards the restroom.