Page 2 of For Now

“Yes, ma’am, that’s me. The one and only. I like to try to give my staff Saturdays off when I can. Plus, I like strapping on the old apron every now and then so I can keep up with the folks around here,” she said. Her hospitality and dialect definitely didn’t fit the city but that’s probably why people enjoyed cominghere.

Ann was a slight woman, maybe fifty. Her hair was starting to lighten up but she didn’t try to hide it. It was long and pinned back on her left side. She had small reading glasses on and just a tiny bit of makeup. I decided she was genuine and the fact that she still said “folks” in that sort of rebellious way wasadorable.

“Speaking of folks around here, I’ve never seen you around.” Her trailing statement sounded more like aquestion.

“I’m Delilah. I just arrived in the city last night.” I kept it short. She didn’t need the messy details, but she waited for a moment to make sure I wasn’t going to offer up anymore.

“Well, welcome! I hope to see more of you around!” shesaid.

Ann took my order and scurried off. I almost drifted back to my thoughts when the doorbell chimed and the door swungopen.

A man walked in and shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. I could only see his profile as he took a seat at the counter. My natural people watching curiosity took over and I began to analyze him from afar. This guy had wavy brown hair, and perhaps brown eyes. He was dressed business casual with one of those thin neckties and I watched him roll up his sleeves before he reached for a menu exposing what I’m pretty sure was atattoo.

“Good afternoon, Samuel!” the waitress greeted him, as if she’d known him a while, and I suspected he was a regularhere.

Just as I was listening for his response, my phone buzzed on the tabletop and I answered it quickly to silenceit.

“Hello, doll! How are you? I was just calling to ask when I should expect the first draft. The publisher is all over me about it,” shesaid.

Vera Dunn always talked so quickly I didn’t ever have time to answer anything but whatever question she asked last. It was a small price to pay. She was one hell of anagent.

“Hello, Vera, yes, I’ll have that to you this evening,” Isaid.

We hung up as my food arrived, and like all meals recently, I forced it down as best I could. It seemed I felt hungry all the way up until the moment the food arrived and then, just like that, it was completely gone, and I had to force it down in that eating-only-to-survive way. I picked, mostly. I pushed the food back and forth across my plate in ritual to make it look like I ate some but it was still pretty much all there. I didn’t know who that show was for. It wasn’t as if anyone was checking my plate. The food taunted me, sitting there on the plate in front of me, looking both delicious and disgusting at the same time. I made peace with the fact that food had indeed won thisround.

I stood to leave with my handwritten ticket and threw my purse over my shoulder. I was digging for my wallet and walking at the same time and that was something I should never do. The man I’d seen walk in earlier was swiveling off his stool in the opposite direction with his back toward me and I looked up in just enough time to find my left side colliding with his right. I was not a graceful person at all so when I started to fall, it appeared much more dramatic than it actually was. Everything went in slow motion. My phone was flying. My keys were silently floating around me. My ticket looked like a hang glider. My arms were flailing and I felt nothing and then all at once I felt my ass meet tile floor and I sort of bounced. Here I was, sitting in the middle of the diner and there were at least ten pairs of eyes onme.

The man whirled around rather quickly. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Here, let me help you up,” hesaid.

He offered his hand, but I opted to push up off the floor with both of my hands instead because that was just the kind of asshole I was going to be. Call it a defense mechanism or survival; it was just what I did these days. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Really. It’s my fault. I wasn’t looking,” Isaid.

I kept my eyes focused on the floor, gathered my things, and moved around him as quickly as I could. These days, I kept out of reach of men like they’d set me on fire with a single touch. I was clearly embarrassed and probably looked like anidiot.

“I’m Sa…” hestarted.

“Hi, no it’s okay. I’m so sorry, I’m running terribly late. Don’t worry about it, really.” I didn’t wait for him to give his name, and I didn’t give him mine. There was really no need. I just kept apologizing as I paid and shuffled out of the door as quickly as I could, still averting my face and avoiding eyecontact.

I looked down at my phone once I was out on the sidewalk. 1:37 p.m. I had just enough time to get to the viewing of the house. I hadn’t parked that far away, and provided I didn’t go colliding with any more helpless strangers, I’d make it. I made a mental note to shy away from Ann’s for at least long enough to let my pride heal and rolled my eyes once again at how many mental notes I made.Get it together, Delilah. You’ve got a lot todo.

Chapter Two

Istoodin the center of my new living room the next day. My furniture hadn’t arrived yet. But I was so desperate to get out of that hotel, I packed up my duffle bag, bought a sleeping bag and pillow, and camped out in the empty house last night. Luckily for me, Bett was old school. She and her husband purchased the house for their daughter quite a while back but she went off and got married and moved out of state for her dream job. They’d been renting it out ever since, though it didn’t seem like they had had anyone here for a while. They kept the utilities on though, just in case. I signed the paperwork with her that same day and paid the deposit and first month’s rent in cash. She happily handed the keysover.

I decided to call Emma. As predicted, she was both shocked and excited. She was coming over today to see the new place despite telling her I lacked anywhere but the floor to sit. Best friends were good for things like sitting on the floor with you in your new empty house and drinking wine. The thought reminded me that I needed to go to the grocery store. I could let her sit on the floor, but I couldn’t let herstarve.

I stood up from my laptop perched next to my sleeping bag and made my way from the bedroom to the kitchen. For a two-bedroom, it was even larger than I expected. It offered plenty of closet space, something I imagine Bett’s daughter updated after moving in. The kitchen and bathroom were also renovated and featured all new tile and appliances. The tub and sinks were both new as well. I liked that they kept the original hardwood floor throughout though. It made the place feel authentic. The living room had built-ins on both sides of the small fireplace I had been informed did in fact work. Off the kitchen was a door leading out to a sunroom, which was probably my favorite thing about this home. Natural light shined in at just the right angle when the sun was going down that I didn’t even have to shade my face. I decided to make it my office even if it was an unconventional space.Why not?Sure, people probably didn’t usually set up their offices in their sunrooms but I knew it was where I wanted it the moment I sawit.

I walked to my fridge and swung open the door. Last night I bought bottled water. Just bottled water. I grabbed one, took a few sips, and put it back. I’d spent part of the morning compiling a grocery list and the rest checking email on my phone.Still nothing from my lawyer.I didn’t really understand what the delay was. I agreed to everything. He got the new car, we sold the house and split it, and he agreed to let me keep the furniture. He didn’t need it where he was going. I’d burned everything else in a trash can after two bottles ofwine.

* * *

The grocery storewas fairly close as was an array of shops and places that would come in handy. I even saw a gym.Maybe I could join.Granted, I hadn’t done a lot of working out in the last few…years. It was never too late to start back up. I made my way back into the kitchen with both arms full of bags. I always opted for the reusable bags. While I knew I was doing a good thing for the environment, it was mostly because they held a lot more stuff in them and were much easier to carry. But if anyone asked, it was definitely because of the environment. Next door to the market, I found a Target where I bought new dishes, silverware, pans, and some towels. I figured it was enough until I mustered up the motivation to get more. I put everything away fairly quickly and threw the dishes in the dishwasher to give them a rinse before I put themaway.

Just a few minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. I checked the time. Emma was half an hour early, which was normal. In the more than dozen years I’d known her, she’d never been late foranything.

I opened the door and there she stood, practically bouncing on her heels withexcitement.

“Delilah! I can’t believe you’re here!” Emma wrapped what felt like her entire body around me. She was slightly shorter than me and had always been rather petite in comparison. Her short blonde bob bounced like it had a mind of itsown.

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