The Mathematics of Love Triangles
Compliments of an anonymous gentleman.
The next time I saw our waiter, his arms were full with our food. He set the dishes down before us and said, "Bon appétit." Then he was gone.
The sounds made by silverware on glass and teeth breaking down food filled our ageless silence. Robin did not speak but looked up at me occasionally, his attempted indifference coming off more like stifled anger. Just when I thought I would snap, Robin opened his mouth and said, "Did you see the way he looked at you?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Don't play stupid," he hissed. "He'd have been all over you if I weren't here. I can't believe I was so sure no one would hit on you if you came in looking like that—"
"You said I looked fine!"
"And I meant it," he said, his tone doing a one-eighty. "You always look beautiful to me. It was silly to think I was the only one."
"What's the difference anyway?" I asked. "So what if people flirt with me when we go out? It's not like they can change my feelings for you."
He nodded understandingly. "I shouldn't get so worried about nothing."
I smiled and reached across the table to take his hand but retreated hastily when I saw the waiter coming back to our table.
"Finished?" he asked.
"Yeah," Robin answered, watching in confusion as an ice cream sundae was set down in front of me. "We didn't order any ice cream."
"Compliments of an anonymous gentleman." He set the bill down before Robin, who nearly had smoke pouring from his ears. "He wishes you a great day and a pleasant spring break." The waiter winked once at me and left.
I had taken only three tiny bites of my sundae before Robin said, "Let's go."
Taking the cherry from the top and sticking it in my mouth, I asked, "I don't suppose you'll wait for me to finish my ice cream?"
"No," he answered. "Flirting is one thing, but this is going too far. Now let's go."
He got up, but I stayed in my chair. "Robin, please. I should at least eat half. It would be rude not to."
"It was rude to accept it," he corrected, "because you're already taken. Come on, Lindsae, or I'll leave without you."
"You wouldn't," I said, but Robin was already outside. I chased after him and got into the car just in time for it to roll away.
For a while I sat quietly, wondering if he really would have left me stranded there, and wondering how much better things might have gotten if he had.
The sounds made by silverware on glass and teeth breaking down food filled our ageless silence. Robin did not speak but looked up at me occasionally, his attempted indifference coming off more like stifled anger. Just when I thought I would snap, Robin opened his mouth and said, "Did you see the way he looked at you?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Don't play stupid," he hissed. "He'd have been all over you if I weren't here. I can't believe I was so sure no one would hit on you if you came in looking like that—"
"You said I looked fine!"
"And I meant it," he said, his tone doing a one-eighty. "You always look beautiful to me. It was silly to think I was the only one."
"What's the difference anyway?" I asked. "So what if people flirt with me when we go out? It's not like they can change my feelings for you."
He nodded understandingly. "I shouldn't get so worried about nothing."
I smiled and reached across the table to take his hand but retreated hastily when I saw the waiter coming back to our table.
"Finished?" he asked.
"Yeah," Robin answered, watching in confusion as an ice cream sundae was set down in front of me. "We didn't order any ice cream."
"Compliments of an anonymous gentleman." He set the bill down before Robin, who nearly had smoke pouring from his ears. "He wishes you a great day and a pleasant spring break." The waiter winked once at me and left.
I had taken only three tiny bites of my sundae before Robin said, "Let's go."
Taking the cherry from the top and sticking it in my mouth, I asked, "I don't suppose you'll wait for me to finish my ice cream?"
"No," he answered. "Flirting is one thing, but this is going too far. Now let's go."
He got up, but I stayed in my chair. "Robin, please. I should at least eat half. It would be rude not to."
"It was rude to accept it," he corrected, "because you're already taken. Come on, Lindsae, or I'll leave without you."
"You wouldn't," I said, but Robin was already outside. I chased after him and got into the car just in time for it to roll away.
For a while I sat quietly, wondering if he really would have left me stranded there, and wondering how much better things might have gotten if he had.