Status: hiatus
It's Been a While
Pasta
“Tell me about Chicago,” Leila says, looking up from her plate.
Daniel stops chewing, quickly swallowing the large bite of spaghetti. “It’s nice. A lot bigger than this little town, that’s for sure.”
“I bet,” she smiles, taking a small bite of her pasta. “You love it there,” she says quietly.
He scoffs, “big assumption you just made.”
She smiles, “I can see it when you talk about it.”
“Well, I’d definitely like to stay there for a long time – career wise.”
“That’s good… I’m really happy that you’re doing something you love.”
He nods slowly, looking away from his plate and up at Leila. “Livin’ the dream.”
Leila slowly smiles, already looking at Daniel, “you earned it… and you deserve it.”
Nodding slowly again, he watches her take a large sip of water. “So, what are you gonna do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Jeremy are done. What now?”
Leila shrugs, “honestly, I have no idea. I didn’t exactly foresee… this happening.”
“What happened, exactly?” Daniel watches her face fall slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
She shrugs, gently rubbing her thighs under the table, as her gaze falls. “Uh, no… it’s okay. I told you that I’d tell you, so… I’ll tell you. And it’s not like you’ll tell anyone, anyway,” she chuckles flatly.
Daniel stares across the table at the woman, who had seemingly aged a decade in almost fifteen seconds.
“He wanted me to be this perfect housewife… and I couldn’t do it. That life was nice at first, but being arm candy isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”
“So, he wanted a trophy wife. Not a housewife.”
She shrugs, “pretty much, I guess. It’s pretty disappointing, though.”
“And why is that?” He scoffs.
“I guess when you put all of your eggs in one basket and they get broken… it’s not a good feeling.”
He shakes his head, “maybe you shouldn’t trust an asshole with your eggs, then.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Leila smirks, shaking her head.
Daniel smiles.
Leila shifts lightly in her chair, “how long are you in town?”
“About a month and a half. I’m going back to Chicago in August.”
Leila nods, “that’s cool.”
“How much longer are you gonna be here?”
She chuckles, poking at her pasta with her fork, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
Daniel looks at her, concentrating on poking her spaghetti like it’s a dead animal. “You can’t honestly tell me that you plan on staying here when you have nothing holding you back from leaving.”
She shrugs, setting her fork down. “I honestly don’t know. Leaving… it’s never crossed my mind.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Saying nothing, he just stares across the table at her, before setting his fork down on his half empty plate.
“That’s crazy isn’t it?” She smiles with a shrug.
He nods.
“I don’t even know where I would go,” she shrugs. “I’m not sure if that means I have no desire to leave, or what.”
“Well, you could try Chicago on for size.”
“It seems to have worked pretty well for you.”
He nods slowly. “I think that you’d like it.”
Taking a sip of her water, Leila shrugs again. “I dunno… I’ll think about it.”
Daniel stops chewing, quickly swallowing the large bite of spaghetti. “It’s nice. A lot bigger than this little town, that’s for sure.”
“I bet,” she smiles, taking a small bite of her pasta. “You love it there,” she says quietly.
He scoffs, “big assumption you just made.”
She smiles, “I can see it when you talk about it.”
“Well, I’d definitely like to stay there for a long time – career wise.”
“That’s good… I’m really happy that you’re doing something you love.”
He nods slowly, looking away from his plate and up at Leila. “Livin’ the dream.”
Leila slowly smiles, already looking at Daniel, “you earned it… and you deserve it.”
Nodding slowly again, he watches her take a large sip of water. “So, what are you gonna do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and Jeremy are done. What now?”
Leila shrugs, “honestly, I have no idea. I didn’t exactly foresee… this happening.”
“What happened, exactly?” Daniel watches her face fall slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
She shrugs, gently rubbing her thighs under the table, as her gaze falls. “Uh, no… it’s okay. I told you that I’d tell you, so… I’ll tell you. And it’s not like you’ll tell anyone, anyway,” she chuckles flatly.
Daniel stares across the table at the woman, who had seemingly aged a decade in almost fifteen seconds.
“He wanted me to be this perfect housewife… and I couldn’t do it. That life was nice at first, but being arm candy isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”
“So, he wanted a trophy wife. Not a housewife.”
She shrugs, “pretty much, I guess. It’s pretty disappointing, though.”
“And why is that?” He scoffs.
“I guess when you put all of your eggs in one basket and they get broken… it’s not a good feeling.”
He shakes his head, “maybe you shouldn’t trust an asshole with your eggs, then.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Leila smirks, shaking her head.
Daniel smiles.
Leila shifts lightly in her chair, “how long are you in town?”
“About a month and a half. I’m going back to Chicago in August.”
Leila nods, “that’s cool.”
“How much longer are you gonna be here?”
She chuckles, poking at her pasta with her fork, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
Daniel looks at her, concentrating on poking her spaghetti like it’s a dead animal. “You can’t honestly tell me that you plan on staying here when you have nothing holding you back from leaving.”
She shrugs, setting her fork down. “I honestly don’t know. Leaving… it’s never crossed my mind.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Saying nothing, he just stares across the table at her, before setting his fork down on his half empty plate.
“That’s crazy isn’t it?” She smiles with a shrug.
He nods.
“I don’t even know where I would go,” she shrugs. “I’m not sure if that means I have no desire to leave, or what.”
“Well, you could try Chicago on for size.”
“It seems to have worked pretty well for you.”
He nods slowly. “I think that you’d like it.”
Taking a sip of her water, Leila shrugs again. “I dunno… I’ll think about it.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Thoughts? Please?xoxo