Seated on the patio at our favorite table at Pandillo's bistro, I drum my fingers on the crisp white tablecloth as the waiter sets a glass of sweet tea on the table in front of me. "Are you ready to order ma'am?"
"Not just yet. My lunch date is fashionably late as usual." He nods and smiles as he walks away. I unwrap my straw and drop it into the glass. As I lift the glass to bring the straw to my lips, my phone rings. I place the glass back onto the table and smile as I answer.
"Hi there."
"Hey beautiful. How are you?"
"Good. How are you?"
"Much better now. My meeting just wrapped up which means that I am on my way to you. Ten minutes tops."
"OK. I'll be here. See you soon."
"See you soon baby."
I grin as I end the call and sit the phone back down on the table to take a sip of my tea. Sitting the glass back on the table, I pick up my phone and pull up my email. Might as well get a little work done while I wait for him. I pull up the first one, read it and then tap the reply icon to respond. "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit?" I look up from my phone to find an attractive woman staring back at me.
"I'm sorry, I'm waiting for someone." I try to wave her off and re-focus my eyes back on my phone.
"This will only take a minute." She pulls out the chair across from me and sits down placing her purse and a folder on the table in front of her. A slight look of amusement is displayed on her face.
I eye her as she appears to get comfortable at the table. "Do I know you?"
"No, but we have an acquaintance in common."
I regard her cautiously and then decide I'll humor this exchange for a few minutes more. "Oh, and who would that be?"
"Sam Evans." At the mention of his name my heart drops a little.
"How do you know Sam?"
"Let's not worry about that at the moment but now that I have your attention I know you have been spending a lot of time with him and I'm sure you've had your fun but it's time for you to disappear." I still as I place my phone on the table in front of me.
"Excuse me?"
"Sam is not serious about you. I mean how could he be when he could have me? So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cease all communication with him immediately."
Is this bitch for real? "I don't know who you think you are-"
"I'm the only one who really matters to him, so like I said you are going to stop all communication with him today, right now in fact."
"And if I don't?"
"Trust me, you will. Or else-"
"Or else what?" Try me trick, just try me.
"Or else I'll have to make your life very uncomfortable."
Yeah, this conversation is over. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are but you need to back the hell up and get out of my face."
"Listen sistah, Sam is mine. We had a misunderstanding which led to us being apart but we are on the mend and I don't need you interfering. So you are going to remove your desperate ass from his life."
"Desperate? You call me desperate but from where I am sitting it looks like there is only one thirsty chick at this table and I am looking at her. Now like I said, you need to get out of my face because you know nothing about me!" She smirks at me as she picks up the folder and opens it.
"Mercedes Catreece Porter, maiden name is Jones – age 36 divorced mother of one daughter Allyson Marie Porter, Ally for short, age 14. She attends Donaldson Academy. You live in Buckhead, in a quaint two-story three-bedroom house. You work for Rose and Potts, a marketing firm in Midtown. Your parents, Jeremy and Eliza Jones live in a small town in Kentucky, called Shelbyville, which is your hometown in fact. Dr. Jones is a prominent dentist in the area and your mother is an interior designer. Your brother Michael is a firefighter in Chicago." As she speaks, my heart drops and I instinctively bite down on my lower lip. She pauses and I watch as her eyes scan over the contents of the folder. She then slowly shakes her head as she continues. "He's had several near-death experiences, I'd hate for his hazardous work to result in his untimely demise, wouldn't you? Now your ex-husband, Spencer Porter also aged 36, owns an art gallery in Midtown. He now 'bats for the other team' as they say. He and his partner Alistair Gables live in Inman Park. They haven't really experienced any bashing behind their sexual orientation but that could definitely change." As she continues to spew off the details of everyone who matters to me, my face goes slack and my eyes remain glued to the folder. Who is this woman and why is my dating Sam a cause for her to come after me and my family like this?
My eyes dart down to the fidgeting fingers in my lap as a knot forms in the pit of my stomach and I feel myself becoming dizzy. "Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I haven't properly introduced myself, I'm Sam's wife."