I keep staring off into the distance giving her no reaction to her data. Aria sighs and gets up, holding her hand out to me.
"Come on let's go get some lunch, head home, and have a Coen Brother movie marathon."
She helps me to my feet and we make our way to the door.
"We can't forget the cake, Aria. I need it to be dark like my mood, maybe chocolate ganache frosting."
After gathering my things and heading out, we stop to get Chinese food -- and of course, cake -- on the way home. Once in our apartment I sit at the black granite breakfast bar, grab a fork and dig into the confection. No slices, just straight eat out of the box because emotionally that's where I am right now. I don't even want to think about how tomorrow I have to look for a job.
Aria is sitting beside me observing me consume the chocolate frosted cake that says "Hippy Birthday Carl." in red icing. She opens her Chinese food container and digs her chopsticks inside, pulling out some lo mein.
"You know what might help you, Morgana? Dating a guy."
I stop with my fork in the air while chocolate crumbs fall off and turn to look at her.
"I'm done with men, Aria. I just want to get some low level job where no one has to interact with me and I can start my life as a hermit."
"I think in a few days or a few weeks you might like to go out with a guy who isn't your boss. Have a one-night stand to get over him."
Ugg! I have no desire to sleep with some player just to get some.
"No thanks, Aria. That's you, not me."
Aria is fiddling with her cell phone while eating out of her carton. She pushes the phone toward me.
"What about him? You may not want to fuck him but maybe we could all hang out, you see if you like him. How about it?"
I grab her phone and take a better look at the picture. Holy crap the man is gorgeous. I can't quite tell from the photo how tall he is but he does have a lean athletic body as if he runs a lot. He is smiling in the photograph and his light brown hair shines while his slight beard gives him an edge. Wow, that man has a stunning smile.
"Is he real?" I ask her wondering if she took a picture of an advertisement in a catalog.
Aria laughs and nods, grabbing the phone she swipes at it before placing it back on the counter.
"Of course he is. Look this is us at work. He's the owner of the club. I would have hooked up with him but he's my boss so you know." She cringes right after she speaks, realizing what has come out of her mouth.
"Yeah, I am all too aware of how bad it is to hook up with a boss."
"Sorry, I didn't mean you or what happened. I, just ... oh well, you know how I am, Morgana. I never want to see the guy again so it would be weird if I had to work with him every day. Ahh, this isn't coming out right. I'll just go back to eating." She shoves some noodles in her mouth staring at the carton.
"It's fine, Aria. Even if I would be up for a date with him, who's to say he would be interested in me?"
Shoving her hand into the air and pointing up she mumbles with the food still in her mouth.
"One, he is single. Two, he is straight. Three, he's not blind. Look I'm working Friday night; stop on by for a few drinks. You can meet him. If you don't hit it off then no big deal, all right?"
I shrug my shoulders and take a few more bites of cake to ease my nerves about possibly meeting another man so soon after the Payne incident. No, you know what? I am not calling anything "incidents" anymore. I have far too many of them. Maybe if I trick my brain with a different word I will be less likely to have them. From here on out it will be known as the Payne Munting or the YouTube Munting or the Lap Face Plant Munting. If you don't know what munting is, I suggest you look it up, but be warned it isn't pretty. In fact you might vomit in your mouth, so maybe don't look it up.
"Sure there is no harm in meeting your boss. I'll do it! Screw Mr. Payne and all the craziness that comes along with him. I deserve a hot guy who owns a bar or someone equally as good."
And with that, my Brain quits her pacing and gets to work thinking about outfits. Heart limps back to the window and sighs, staring out into an inky and starless night, wordlessly mumbling that nothing could be worse, not even Tiffany.
Chapter 21 - THE Club ...
It is Friday night and I don't feel that much better than I did three days ago when the Payne Munting occurred. The loud thumping techno music and flashing lights in the dark room add to my apprehension. Never having been to this club where Aria has worked for a year I look around nervously until I spot her waving at me from behind the bar.