The diner echoed with the voices of strangers. Stories filled the air, and the sweet smell of pancakes drifted over the cook's window. But despite the quaint brand of ambiance that the diner brought to the table, Jeff and Audrey went about their day as they always did.
"You really don't care if you die right here in this booth and leave me a widow, do you?" Audrey said while watching Jeff shove another handful of bacon into his mouth.
"And if you didn't spend so much money on shoes and purses, I'd actually have something to leave you with," Jeff mumbled.
"Right," Audrey said, "Because the NHL channel and 200 beers a day is free."
"They're part of the budget," Jeff said.
"And shoes aren't?"
"Not shoes like that," he answered and pointed beneath the table to Audrey's black pumps.
Audrey glanced down at her footwear and sighed. She'd always been able to come up with some witty come-back when Jeff nagged her about the finances, but today she lost the will to go another round. She'd found herself waking up each morning with one goal—to get through the day.
"Hey," Jen said as she approached the silent booth. "Wow, you guys look thrilled to be alive."
Jeff offered a sarcastic smirk and continued to devour his hamburger.
"So, where do you wanna go first?" Audrey said with a smile to Jen.
"I was thinking we could look at shoes first. Adam has this new thing for power walking. Wakes me up at 5:30 every morning and makes me walk through the park, chasing after him like I'm a lost puppy. Needless to say, my feet are killing me."
"Hang on," Jeff interrupted, "You two are going shoe shopping?"
"Yeah," Jen said matter-of-factly.
"What the hell, Aud? Do you ever listen to anything I say?" Jeff growled.
"I try not to," Audrey sighed. "C'mon, Jen. We better get going," she continued and nudged Jen on the arm.
"Unbelievable," Jeff huffed.
Audrey swung her purse over her shoulder and walked towards the door with Jen following in suit.
"Oh, hey, Aud?" Jeff called just before they slipped out the door of the diner.
"Yes," Audrey answered, feeling irritated and annoyed at his antics.
"I almost forgot," he said and walked over to her. "I really need you to do me a favor today. I have a meeting with a client in twenty minutes so I can't do it myself, but I forgot an important file on the Mitchell case. I need to have it finished by tomorrow morning. Since you're gonna be out, could you swing by my office and pick it up before the building closes?"
"Fine," Audrey said and turned out the door.
"Don't forget. It's really important."
"Got it, Jeff."
"Oh, you're phone's ringing. Want me to answer it for you?" Jen said over the top of the dressing room door.
"No, it's fine. If it's important, they'll leave a message," Audrey said while she adjusted the new dress around the waistline.
"You sure? It's Jeff."
"Then I know it's not important. And he won't leave a message because he never does. I'll just call him back when I get out."
"Okay," Jen answered and set the phone back in Audrey's purse. "So, are you super excited to renew your vows in a few weeks?"
"I was," Audrey said from behind the door.
"What changed?"
"I don't know. I thought it was going to be this big, special event like our wedding, but I don't think Jeff is taking it seriously at all."
"Why? What'd he do this time?"
"Well, for starters, he had your fiancé write his vows."
"Adam? No wonder he was listening to that sappy music all day yesterday," Jen chuckled.
"I wish I could find it as funny as you do," Audrey said quietly.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Jen said. "I didn't mean it like that."
"I know what you meant."
"Are you still going to renew your vows?"
"I don't know anymore. I guess that's up to Jeff."
"Speaking of Jeff," Jen said and pulled the phone from Audrey's purse again. "Looks like he sent you a text."
"Seriously?" Audrey said and popped her head out the dressing room door. "Jeff doesn't text. Must be important. What does it say?"
"Just says 'call me'."
"Okay, I'll take this off and we can leave after that."
Audrey shuffled franticly through the store to find the attendant, a thin man with a mustache and toupee. "Excuse me," she said breathlessly when she saw his head behind a rack of discounted items. "I don't want this, thank you," she said and handed him the dress.
"Was it not to your liking?" he said with a dry, impish sort of grin.
"No, it was fine. I just need to get going," Audrey rushed.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave, ma'am. This dress has been stained."
"What?" Audrey hissed and scanned the dress. "I don't see anything."
"Well, it appears that there is a smear of lipstick just under the arm. And if I'm not mistaken, which I never am, it matches the shade you're wearing right now."
Audrey dabbed her lips to look at the color. When she realized that it was, in fact, the same shade as the smear on the dress, she gritted her teeth together in anger. "I am not paying for this," she finally said.
"Forgive me, ma'am, while I contact my manager."
The man turned away towards the phone behind the desk and dialed the number to his manager's office.
"Why don't you just buy it?" Jen whispered. "It's obviously your lipstick."
"Because," Audrey urged, "It's the principle."
The weasel of a man set the phone down and emerged from behind the desk. "If you don't mind waiting, my manger will be here momentarily."
"Great," Audrey said with a mischievous grin. "I'll just have to let her know what an awesome job you're doing."
"We've been here for two hours. Buy the dress, Audrey," Jen said forcefully.
"Fine. But they're still wrong." Audrey slid her credit card through the machine never once realizing that the time.
"You should probably call Jeff back," Jen said while avoiding eye contact.
"Jen?" Audrey said. "Why do I feel like you're not telling me something?"
"Everything's fine. It's just that…"
"Yes?"
"Jeff may have called a few more times while you were with the manager."
"What?" Audrey dug through her phone to discover that she had eleven missed calls from her husband."Oh, my god! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because we'd already been here forever and I didn't want to make it even longer by telling you to stop to talk on the phone."
"Wait," Audrey said. "What time is it?" She fumbled with the buttons on her phone. When the light flashed and the time was displayed, she felt her chest tighten and her heart leap into her throat. Jeff's building was already closed.
