A Three Course Meal

Richie turned hearing Libby’s vehicle tear out of the parking lot at Millie’s Tavern. She was probably pissed, mad, hurt all of the above, what the hell else could he have done? He felt bad about it on one hand and on the other he couldn’t deal with her now that he knew. He’d never led her on, always had let her know exactly where he was with her. The pizza felt heavy in his hand and he walked up from Jessup’s with the beer and pushed Nonnie’s door open with his arm as he pivoted into her shop.

"I’m not closed yet…"

"Got any customers in the store?"

"No…"

Richie reached behind him and turned the open/closed sign around. "You’re closed then."

"What’s up with you today," she came from the counter where she’d been tagging some silver spoons and walked up to him picking up the six pack of beer from the floor. "I wonder why I let you push me around like this some people like to shop after they’ve put in a full day of work. You haven’t put in a full day I saw you leave earlier with Libby Tyler. Mr. Jessup," she smiled slightly, "kindly informed me just a few minutes ago that you were seen holding hands with her in the Tavern."

"I wasn’t holding hands with her she put her hand on the top of mine.

"Something happened didn’t it, you look shaken, solicitor. I’m locking the door, go on upstairs." She handed him the beer. And he went silently through the shop and up the back stairs.

Nonnie locked the door and turned off the overhead lights leaving two lamps burning in the display windows. She leaned against the door looking out for a moment, worried about Richie and the Libbys of the world. They were out there by the thousands, younger, more beautiful…available. She turned and went upstairs.

Richie was standing with an open beer looking down at the street through the large floor to ceiling window in her lounge area. Nonnie took the pizza and put it in the oven on warm and opened a beer and walked over and slid her arm around his waist.

"Are you going to tell me about it or do I need to make up my own story?"

"I just lost a friend…"

"Libby…"

"Yeah, you know we met when we were both goin’ down. I think we had what you might call an affair instead of a friendship. I was always honest about my feelings for her, we used each other…but she wasn’t honest about hers. She was always there when I needed…well…"

"Needed somebody to fuck?"

"Yeah…she told me a while ago in so many words that…"

"I don’t want to hear it she fell in love with you…that’s understandable you’re a loveable guy. She was fooling herself all along. Friends don’t fuck friends that’s taking it somewhere else and you should have known that, you’re a smart guy at least I thought you were," she let her arm drop and took a drink from the beer bottle.

"I didn’t know how she felt, she never let on."

"Now that you know…what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing. I don’t feel that way about her, not the way I feel about you."

"Don’t go dragging me into this. I stand alone over here somewhere…far enough away I don’t get hurt."

"I thought you and I had gotten past that."

"So did I and here’s another broken heart you’ve dropped at my doorstep. I wonder, Richie if you’ll ever be satisfied with a full course meal or whether you’ll always be hanging around the buffet. I’m not saying that you’ve been fucking her while seeing me because I don’t know that for a fact…"

"I haven’t…I’ve been totally honest with you about that."

"But she’s out there just waiting and she’s ready for you. I don’t need this…I really don’t."

"Nonnie…I told her I didn’t need it either, I don’t want her out there waiting."

"You told her that…you broke it up then?"

"Yeah I told her that, there was nothing to break up on my part."

"It bothers you all the same doesn’t it?"

"It bothers me because I didn’t see it coming, I wasn’t looking for it. I don’t want to fight with you too."

"It takes two to fight, you can’t have a fight all by yourself and I’m not playing. I’m over here in the love corner."

"That’s where I need you and I do need you Nonnie."

Nonnie moved back to his side and set her bottle in the floor and put her arms around his neck. "I’m here with you not just for you but with you."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "You’re what I want, what I need…I love you Nonnie."

"Later…" he pulled back and looked into her eyes, "I want you first, a first course."

"First course…does that mean a full course meal tonight?"

"Yeah," he grinned.