Page 102 of All In
Our conversation flows with ease, as it always does. Our drinks and food arrive, and the aroma of the crispy calamari Cara ordered fills my nose. Things seem to be back on track.
As we wait for our entrees, Cara excitedly begins sharing every detail about her friend Zoey’s wedding. She rambles on and on about Zoey’s dress, the centerpieces at the reception, the tuxes the men wore. Then she starts in on how Zoey and her husband went to Fiji for their honeymoon. Want details? Well, I can tell you all about it because Cara won’t stop. I make sure to nod and throw in a big ‘Wow’ every so often. Next is her asking me when I remarry, if I would want a church wedding or one in a barn (neither), and would Mikey be my best man? Or Big C? Ricky?
Marriage and weddings. It seems like that’s the only thing on her mind these days. And I know why. I know what she wants and expects from me. I also know that I am not ready to give her that.
Why can’t we talk about something else? Anything else.
As if on cue, our food arrives, offering a welcome distraction from her wedding ramblings.
With a steak knife in hand and my mouth watering, I cut into my New York strip doused in garlic butter. Out of nowhere, Cara gasps in shock, her fork crashing down onto her plate, stopping me mid-slice. “Oh, my God!” she exclaims.
“What?” My eyes dart across the restaurant, trying to notice anything unusual.
She lowers her head, her voice barely a whisper. “Don’t look now, but Channing Tatum’s doppelgänger just walked in.”
“Wait, who’s Channing …”
“Shhhh!” She waves her hand to shoosh me as a couple walks past our table to be seated diagonally from us. The enormous man, with his hand resting on the bare back of his date in her navy blue dress, guides her towards their table. With her blonde sleek hair swept to one side, she walks confidently, her dress revealing hints of her toned legs. And when he pulls out her chair for her, and she turns to hang her purse on the back of it, I almost choke on my tongue.
It’s Maria.
With her gym-rat-meat-head-celebrity-look-alike boyfriend.
In my full line of sight.
Lucky me.This restaurant is so dark, and with her back to me, I didn’t recognize it was her when they walked past.
Maria flashes him a huge smile and giggles at something he whispers in her ear before he rounds their table and sits down. He’s a guy, so I’m sure he made some sort of comment about how good she looks in her dress.
Jerk.
Maria has my full attention as Cara turns her head, trying to catch a glimpse of them without being noticed. “I seriously cannot get over how much he looks like Channing Tatum. I swear I thought it was him at first.” With a shake of her head, she laughs lightly while taking a sip of her drink. For the life of me, I can’t place who this Channing is.
“I have no clue who Channing Tatum is.”
Cara looks like I just slapped her. “You’re kidding me?” I shake my head, still trying to figure out who this actor is. “You know …Magic Mike,Dear John,Step Up.” She stares at me eagerly, hoping that the mention of these movies will jog my memory. They don’t.
Cara digs her phone out of her purse and starts searching for what I’m sure is pics of this amazing Channing Tatum. As she does, I glance over at Maria and catch her and Geoffrey exchange a knowing look. It’s a look shared by two people who truly know one another and have a connection. A knot forms in my stomach, tightening with each passing moment.
The waiter, who had seemed annoyed with me earlier, now stands over their table, presenting the same bottle of wine with a newfound cheerfulness. They must take him up on the wine offer because the kid is uncorking it, pouring it into their glasses.
“See!” Cara shoves her phone in my face, drawing my focus away from the happy couple. And staring back at me is Channing Tatum (yep, they could be twins), on a stage, looking like a Chippendale dancer.
“Wait, I know who that is.” I stare at the picture, trying to make sense of it. “Isn’t he a stripper? Or an actor? I’m confused.” You have got to be kidding me. Maria’s boyfriend looks likethatguy.
Kill me now.
Cara glares at me. “He’s an actor, silly. But he played a really good stripper inMagic Mike.” She takes one more quick look at the photo, shivers, and shoves it back in her purse.
I hate Channing Tatum.
“I told you he looked like him.” Oblivious to my inner freak-out, Cara takes a bite of her cajun chicken pasta dish with a satisfied moan. “This is so dang good,” she says with her mouth full. “We are definitely coming back here.”
Why? Why does Maria have to be dating that guy? And, of course, he is better looking and more put together in person. Plus, why does she keep popping up in my life? Does the universe hate me? Is God punishing me? Is this karma?
Stupid small towns!
The sudden clinking of glasses jolts me, causing me to redirect my focus quickly towards their table. They are both drinking from their wine goblets. As soon as they finish, he leans forward, his hand stretching across the table to meet hers. He lifts her hand to his mouth, pressing a delicate kiss onto her knuckles. He says something to her, and her laughter is like a knife to my heart.
