The Conversation - Two Couples part their friendship

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Fiction

The Conversation

Fiction by Adolfo Jimenez

The four of them sat in a corner by a window. The table was round and the
plates had been cleared away and now they drank their coffee. The
conversation had reached a lull. They sipped their coffee and watched the
people walk by. The men at the table noticed the women; the women at the
table noticed the men and noticed their own men watching the thin, gorgeous
model types shaking their little asses in micro-skirts. Oh, how they hated
them. They didn't care that the men at their sides loved them and only looked
at the women who passed because they were there. It was hard not to get a
little jealous when your husband's eyes widened, even if just slightly, at
the sight of another woman.

    John, the older of the two men, husband of Sara and boss of Simon, who
sat across the table with his fiancée Nicole, finally broke the silence.
"It's hard to believe how many people are here on a Wednesday."
    "Tourists," John offered, disinterested.
    "I guess."
    Then silence again. John looked and pointed at a tall, dark-haired woman
crossing the street. She was the South Beach type: Tall, gorgeous, stunning,
beautiful, sexy, et cetera. "Simon, isn't that the girl who came in to the
store? What was her name?"
    "Andrea," John answered, trying not to sound interested.
    "Who is she?" asked Sara.
    "She's a client of Simon's and she will not leave him alone. I swear I've
never seen anyone come into the store so often. She'll come in, ask for
Simon, and if he isn't there, she'll sit down and wait for him, and always to
ask a stupid question that the dumbest person would know the answer to. We
all know why she's really coming to the store. Don't we, Simon?"
    "Why?" Nicole asked, looking first at John and then at Simon, though her
gaze stayed with him, and it hung heavy on his face.
Simon looked at John and laughed nervously. "These idiots I work with think
she has a crush on me."
"What do you think?" Nicole asked, not smiling.
"I think she's an air-head. I mean, look at that woman, why would she even
look at me? She's a knockout." He said. "You're the only beautiful woman who
has ever even breathed in my direction," he added, trying to correct his slip
up. He didn't know it now, but he would be in trouble for it.
John said, "She likes you man. How do you think we met?"
"At the store, I know you've only told me the story like a hundred times."
"It was the same thing, guys. Sara bought a car alarm and could never figure
out how to make all the little buttons work, so she would come back to see me
once a week. The only thing is, once I asked her out, the alarm started
working fine. She's had that car with that alarm for three years now and has
never had a single question about how to work it."
Sara blushed and gave John a playful slap on the shoulder.
"Well, I don't think this girl is interested in me and if she is, it doesn't
matter because I am engaged and will be married in less than four months."
"Does she know that?" Nicole asked.
"No, I don't think I ever mentioned it to her before."
"Why not?"
"For the same reason I never mention it to any of my clients."

"And what is that, Simon?"
"It's none of their business, Nicole."
"Maybe you should make it their business."
"Maybe you should not tell me how to run my life. I am doing fine without any
help or guidance from you. I am a man, you know."
"A man? You're a little boy that shaves his face."
"And you're a jealous, insecure little brat who needs to learn how to trust
the man she says she loves."
John, realizing his role in the scenario, tried to play peacemaker instead of
instigator. "Nicole, I was only teasing him, she's a regular client, that's
all. The guy loves you. I don't think he would even be capable of looking at
another woman, much less flirt with her or do something."
"Of course, someone who's such a knockout would never pay attention to you."
Nicole said, seething now.
"Who said that?" Simon demanded
"You did, a few minutes ago and then you tried to correct it to save your
ass."
"Save my ass from who, Nicole?
"From yourself, from your own words."
"This is ridiculous. Thanks, John. Great fucking conversation you started
here." Simon stood to leave, reaching for his wallet.
"Don't blame him if your girlfriend doesn't trust you," Sara snarled at him.
"Who said this had anything to do with trust? It has to with disrespect. John
should never have started this conversation. Or are you going to tell me that
he didn't start it?"
"I didn't mean to start anything," John said.
Simon threw money on the table. "I don't give a damn who started this, I'm
finishing it. Are you coming with me?"
He offered his hand to Nicole. She took it and he led her out of the
restaurant. John and Sara watched their friends walk away; then he reached
for the money and counted it.
"Is that enough to pay the bill?"
"Including a nice tip."
"You think they'll make up?"
"Yeah, they will."
"Simon probably won't ever speak to you again."
"Then my work is done here."
Sara laughed. It was a relief for the both of them. Ridding themselves of
those bores had been discussed, but never planned. John had seen the
opportunity and took it by the horns. It worked out better than they could
have hoped. They got rid of those two and they got a free dinner in the deal.

Simon ran through the streets to where the car was parked. Nicole struggled
to keep up but was too proud to ask him to slow down. They were halfway home
before the silence was finally broken.
"I can't believe you paid for dinner," Nicole said, looking out the window.
"It's a small price to pay to get rid of those boring pains in the ass."
"Then why did we hang out with them all the time?
"I don't know, because he was my boss."
"Was?"
"I was going to wait to tell you. They called me from Tiffany's."
"Oh my God."
"They're giving me double what I'm making now."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. I got the call this afternoon. I wanted us to be alone when I told you.
I also put a bid in on your dream house. The one in…"
"Miami Shores?" She interrupted.
"Yeah. I planned on resigning on Monday. I knew spending another boring
dinner with those two would make it easier for me to do it."
She leaned over and kissed his face.
"I'm sorry, honey." She said,
"Me, too."

Adolfo Jimenez, Contact: AJimenezWriter@cs.com
Copyright 2001 Adolfo Jimenez
Reviews and comments welcome.
Posted 02/25/2001