Laura and Michelle were already there, their heads bent low as they spoke to one another, their hands clasped together. They were on the other corner of the outside patio, one of the more private areas, where we wouldn’t be overheard by people passing or even other restaurant-goers. I frowned, since that wasn’t our usual table, and since there didn’t seem to be a lot of people around, they must have asked for it on purpose.
From the look on Laura’s face, something was wrong.
Dread coiled in my belly, and I nodded at the hostess before I pointed towards the corner. The hostess gave me a small smile, and I made my way back to the corner where Laura and Michelle were.
“Hey there,” I said, my voice soft.
Laura looked up at me and smiled so brightly I knew it was fake. She stood up quickly and held out her arms. “Benjamin,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around my waist. I hugged her close and took a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked up at me then and gave out a small laugh, and Michelle shook her head. Laura pulled back and gave Michelle a look, and Michelle just sighed. “I told you he’d figure it out.”
“No, you told me he’d get all stressed because we looked stressed.”
“What the hell’s going on, girls?” I asked, looking between them.
“Nothing’s wrong. We’re just nervous. We’re fine. We’re healthy.” Laura gave Michelle a small secret smile that confused me. “We’re really healthy.”
“Talk to me,” I said, looking between them. “Seriously.”
“Take a seat. We already ordered you a Reuben.”
“It scares me how much you guys know me sometimes,” I said as I took a seat across from Michelle and next to Laura. The two of them held hands, and I took a sip of my water, frowning.
“Explain to me exactly what’s going on.” I gave them each pointed looks.
“Well, we wanted you to eat and enjoy yourself first before we had a discussion, but maybe we should just let it all out.”
At that moment, the waiter came by, dropped off a club sandwich split into two, and a chef’s salad divided in two between the two women, and then a Reuben and french fries in front of me.
“Can I get you anything other than water to drink, sir?” the waiter asked.
I shook my head. “This is great. The girls know me.”
“We hope so,” Laura muttered under her breath, and I frowned again, looking at them.
The waiter gave a slight nod, a smile on his face before he went back into the building.
“I’m afraid to eat.”
“Don’t. You know this is our favorite meal.”
“You guys share your food like a little old couple. I love it.”
“Do not call us old, Benjamin Montgomery,” Laura said sweetly, even though her eyes were daggers.
I snorted and bit into a fry. “Well, you act like you’ve been married for fifty years.”
“Sometimes it feels like it.” The two of them squeezed each other’s hands and looked at each other before letting out a breath.
“Talk to me.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Well, we have been together for a while now.”
“Yes,” I said, after she paused for a bit.