more."
She just shook her head and laughed it off because seriously, what else do you do with a declaration like that? Emma grabbed his arm and started moving for the back door where Seb had disappeared inside.
*****
"S o what were you and the hunk doing out in the back? Seb said something about walking out and interrupting you? Interrupting what? Dish, bitch." Arlene had followed Emma into the bathroom, of course wanting to hear all the latest.
"Not much of anything. Just parking the car and he helped me out, and instead of taking the walker, he walked me in ‘cause it's too busy. Why?"
"Well, let's see. You came in the kitchen all pink and flustered with big swollen lips, looking like you just ate the biggest slice of chocolate cake. Then there was Mr. Hunk, walking beside you, looking like he was feeling mighty good about himself.”
"Fine. A kiss, Arlene. Just a little peck."
"HA. A peck, my ass! Tonsil hockey is more like it. That I'll buy, given the way you two looked. Just be careful, okay? Don't want my bestie hurt, even if I do want her to get laid good!"
"Christ, would you drop it already? I'm not twelve years old, Mom. I just want to eat some dinner and, whatever. I don't wanna talk about it anymore. This is freaking me out... All of it."
Washing her hands at the sink and looking up at the mirror, Emma scanned her face, suddenly seeing her reality reflected back at her. Not bad looking, but definitely aging. There were wrinkles around her eyes and a bit around her mouth, with ugly lines in her neck. Oh no, is that a double chin? Fuck!
Turning to Arlene, who was standing there quietly observing for once, she said, "I'm not made for this. I'm too old and too broken... unappealing. I won't be able to think of anything but that!"
"You're an idiot." That's all Arlene said before turning on her heels and walking out of the bathroom.
Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed her way out the door and saw Gus already getting up to meet her halfway. Damn. He's not gonna make it easy on her.
*****
W ith the food already on the table, they settled in for a relatively easy conversation. Gus asked her about Boston and Kara, and she told him how proud she was of her girl graduating and finding her way into a great job. She talked about how she struggled a while with the decision to come out here and leave her in Boston, but that Kara had urged her to follow her heart, and so she did.
He told her about his office in Grand Junction and the people that worked for him, but it wasn't until she found out that he was forty-five that she instantly lost that relaxed feeling that had started to settle over her.
"You're younger than I am?" She looked at him with abject horror on her face, making him chuckle.
"Two years, so what?"
"Well, that's just great." Shaking her head, her shoulders sagged a little. "Something else to add to the list," she mumbled.
"What was that?" Gus demanded.
"Nothing. Forget it, it's silly."
"I don't think so, Emma. Answer me. Add to what list?" The angry tone in his voice had her looking up at him tentatively.
"Well, don't get pissed at me! It's just..." She let out a big sigh, not quite able to formulate what she was feeling, "I just always... I feel so damn inadequate already! And you! You're like Mr. Perfect or something. You come along and make like some fucking knight in shining armor; all hard, good looking and fit, and... and now you're only forty-five!" Her volume went up towards the end of her little tirade, and Emma was noticing how quiet the diner suddenly was. Looking around, she could see eyes quickly turning away from her, where they were obviously focused.
Shoot me, please, someone shoot me.
Eyes sliding over to Gus in front of her, she saw his head focused down, his shoulders shaking, but as his eyes slowly came up, he was obviously steeling his resolve not to laugh out loud. All she could do now was close her eyes and pretend she was on a beach in the Caribbean. Then she felt
She just shook her head and laughed it off because seriously, what else do you do with a declaration like that? Emma grabbed his arm and started moving for the back door where Seb had disappeared inside.
*****
"S o what were you and the hunk doing out in the back? Seb said something about walking out and interrupting you? Interrupting what? Dish, bitch." Arlene had followed Emma into the bathroom, of course wanting to hear all the latest.
"Not much of anything. Just parking the car and he helped me out, and instead of taking the walker, he walked me in ‘cause it's too busy. Why?"
"Well, let's see. You came in the kitchen all pink and flustered with big swollen lips, looking like you just ate the biggest slice of chocolate cake. Then there was Mr. Hunk, walking beside you, looking like he was feeling mighty good about himself.”
"Fine. A kiss, Arlene. Just a little peck."
"HA. A peck, my ass! Tonsil hockey is more like it. That I'll buy, given the way you two looked. Just be careful, okay? Don't want my bestie hurt, even if I do want her to get laid good!"
"Christ, would you drop it already? I'm not twelve years old, Mom. I just want to eat some dinner and, whatever. I don't wanna talk about it anymore. This is freaking me out... All of it."
Washing her hands at the sink and looking up at the mirror, Emma scanned her face, suddenly seeing her reality reflected back at her. Not bad looking, but definitely aging. There were wrinkles around her eyes and a bit around her mouth, with ugly lines in her neck. Oh no, is that a double chin? Fuck!
Turning to Arlene, who was standing there quietly observing for once, she said, "I'm not made for this. I'm too old and too broken... unappealing. I won't be able to think of anything but that!"
"You're an idiot." That's all Arlene said before turning on her heels and walking out of the bathroom.
Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed her way out the door and saw Gus already getting up to meet her halfway. Damn. He's not gonna make it easy on her.
*****
W ith the food already on the table, they settled in for a relatively easy conversation. Gus asked her about Boston and Kara, and she told him how proud she was of her girl graduating and finding her way into a great job. She talked about how she struggled a while with the decision to come out here and leave her in Boston, but that Kara had urged her to follow her heart, and so she did.
He told her about his office in Grand Junction and the people that worked for him, but it wasn't until she found out that he was forty-five that she instantly lost that relaxed feeling that had started to settle over her.
"You're younger than I am?" She looked at him with abject horror on her face, making him chuckle.
"Two years, so what?"
"Well, that's just great." Shaking her head, her shoulders sagged a little. "Something else to add to the list," she mumbled.
"What was that?" Gus demanded.
"Nothing. Forget it, it's silly."
"I don't think so, Emma. Answer me. Add to what list?" The angry tone in his voice had her looking up at him tentatively.
"Well, don't get pissed at me! It's just..." She let out a big sigh, not quite able to formulate what she was feeling, "I just always... I feel so damn inadequate already! And you! You're like Mr. Perfect or something. You come along and make like some fucking knight in shining armor; all hard, good looking and fit, and... and now you're only forty-five!" Her volume went up towards the end of her little tirade, and Emma was noticing how quiet the diner suddenly was. Looking around, she could see eyes quickly turning away from her, where they were obviously focused.
Shoot me, please, someone shoot me.
Eyes sliding over to Gus in front of her, she saw his head focused down, his shoulders shaking, but as his eyes slowly came up, he was obviously steeling his resolve not to laugh out loud. All she could do now was close her eyes and pretend she was on a beach in the Caribbean. Then she felt
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