After some walking, Penny got a text back from Addison. She was free for lunch! Penny hurriedly texted her friend back saying where she was, suggesting that she met the redhead where every she was. Addison understood the meaning of the text and suggested a great "hole-in-the-wall" Mexican place very close. She sent over the address, which was a street away from Penny.
When she walked into the place, the smell of cumin and fried tortilla chips waft into her nose. Because the restaurant was on a lower level of an apartment building, it was fairly dark inside. Dark meaning that there is no natural light. Instead, the walls and ceiling is filled with bright red, yellow, blue, and green lights, giving the atmosphere a very festive and fun attitude. Near the back of the room was a bar and around the walls were a mix of high booths and high tables. To Penny's left and right was a salsa bar. The center floor had tables scattered around. It was still a little early, so the bar was empty, but some tables were filled with people and friends.
I am going to be one of those people, sitting at lunch with friends.
A young waitress, younger than Penelope, walked up and asked, "Just one?" She pulled out one menu and looked behind her for a table.
"Actually," Penny was quick to respond, "two...I am waiting for the other person in the party."
The waitress nodded her head and looked back, reassigning her decision to sit Penny. With another menu in hand, she took the single girl to a high round table on the side. Penny sat facing the entrance. She stole quick glances at her menu, but didn't really have a chance to pick out something she wanted. Her eyes were focused on the entrance, just waiting for her friend to show up.
What if Addison doesn't show up?
Penny couldn't help but wonder. The waitress came back with a bowl of chip and asked for her drink. She didn't know what drinks they had, she didn't look at the menu, "Just a water."
"Okay, I'll come back when the other person in your party comes."
Penny waited fifteen minutes. Penny is usually very patient. She could wait forever on certain things and never be bothered, like waiting in line at the grocery store or listening to some random person on the bus telling her a story. At that moment in the restaurant, Penny was checking her phone almost every minutes. When the bells attached to the door chimed, Penny (if she wasn't already) glanced towards the door to see if it was Addison. Every time she would force herself to go through the menu, her eyes would drift to the entrance. She barely made it past the quesadillas.
Penny wasn't obsessive. She just didn't want to be alone.
Finally, rushing down the stairs with her long blonde hair swishing side to side, Addison arrived. Appearing next to the salsa, she quickly found her friend and rushed to the table. She was a pretty short girl, so she did a little hop and climb to get into the seat.
"You're here," Penny exclaim.
"And late!" Addison shrugs off her jacket and turns to hang it across the seat. "I'm sorry. This place was a little far from where I was and you know New York traffic."
Penny gave her friend a look. Actually, she didn't know New York traffic. For one, she hasn't driven in the city and two, Penny is still new to the city.
"It's okay. You are teaching me patience," she smiled at her friend. In reality, it is teaching her to trust others. They each take to the menus, glancing over each section and meal. Penny was overwhelmed with the amount of food. They had everything from Chimichangas to sizzling fajitas. Penny never really have Mexican food from a restaurant like this. Sometimes her college food court had Mexican-American food and also Ms. Birdie sometimes cook tacos. She decided to look at the young woman in front of her and ask, "You seem to know this place pretty well, what do you recommend?"
Addison looked up with bright eyes. This was one of her favorite places in New York and has basically gotten everything. "I would recommend the chicken quesadilla or any of the enchiladas."
Penny's eyes quickly moved to those sections and read every single option. Enchiladas were a new food to her. She wasn't sure if she was going to like it, so she chose the safe option of a tasty sounding quesadilla.
The waitress quickly came over after realizing that another person was sitting at the table. They each tell the order and actually start a conversation. Penny starts, "So what have you been up to? I feel like you have been so busy."
"I know! I am so sorry I haven't been able to check up since the wedding service. I have been such a terrible friend. I had enough time to text and call when I was free. You also texted at such bad times when I was busy...Not that it is your fault! You had no idea! But I would forget to text back when I wasn't busy. I feel just awful. How are you, what have you been doing? How is auditing going? And my brother?"
Addison finished her little tangent, not even getting to the point of Penny's question. She leaned forward, elbows and table and hands on face, waiting for Penny to speak. Penny was a little taken aback. She wasn't prepared for her friend to express her apology. Penny had friends growing up and a part of her theater group, but because they couldn't hang out outside of school, they were not that deep. None of her friends have reached out since her father died and she moved. Penny understood. She wouldn't want to be friends with herself either.
"It's okay, everyone gets busy from time to time." Penny tried to return to her original question. "What have you been up to? I know that you were looking for a new job. Did you get one?"
"Oh my god! Yes I finally got a job! It has been hard to find one as a designer, but I finally I found one. I first started at some of the biggest fashion brands in the city, but they didn't like my designs. Saying that they were a little too much and too colorful for 'the New York Streets'. I have spent the month in and out of interviews and trial periods. Thankfully, my parents have been giving me some money or I would be living on the streets. Finally, I found a job for a new Off-Broadway production. They really loved my creative designs and they want me assisting under their chief designer! We start next week!"
"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Penny told her friend. It sounded awful getting rejected over and over again, just like her.
See Penny, if you were normal you could have handled this like Addison. You could have been strong, fearless, and unapologetically you; but you don't even know what that is. Your only character trait is being the abused little girl with depression.
Penny kept a smile, putting up a facade so the ugly thoughts don't seep through her skin. She continues her conversation, "What show is it? Would I know it?"
"No, not at all!" Addison pauses to shove it chip into her mouth. She waits a little, but continues to talk with a full mouth (not that Penny cared one bit), "It is really new. It's not going to debut until like the middle of winter. They are already finished with auditions, but they haven't released the cast list yet. I don't really know much about it. I am going to be briefed about it on Monday. I'm really excited for it."
Penny was genuinely happy for her friend, albeit a little jealous. She wishes she could find something she loves to do and be able to do it.
Maybe I will be like Addison, I just can't give up on this. She has been searching nonstop, and look at were that got her.
The thought sounds easier than action. Penny wants to keep trying and move forward in her life, but forces out of her control, forces that hurt her everyday, knock her down little by little until she is laying alone on the ground.
"Well, I am excited for you," I wish I could be like you.
"I answered your questions, now answer mine!" She reaches over the table and gives her hand a little slap, as if ridiculing her. Penny flinched a little bit, seeing a hand coming down on her. Her heart beat picks up and all the muscles in her body clench. However, once the open-palmed hand reaches hers, it was like a feathers touch. It lightly grazed her knuckles.
This is what friends do, play with each other.
This is what friends do, play with each other.
Penny had to repeat in her mind repeatedly. She didn't mean to "freak out". The hand wasn't frightening or particularly trauma worthy. It belonged to a small, blonde girl who loved manicures and gel nails. It looked nothing like the large, hairy palm that would crash into her world.
Her body was still in flight, fight, or (her body's personal favorite) freeze. Her muscles throughout her body are clenched. The spot that is most noticeable for her was her jaw muscles. She would apply to much pressure and grinding that her mouth often hurt after releasing.
Thankfully, this all took a few seconds. Addison looked at her and saw a zoned out look in her eyes. She mouth was closed, tightly. Addison was worried that she annoyed the poor woman. Addison quickly moved her hand back to her side. Her head tilted down a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry if I am annoying you. I get excited when I see my friends."
Penny heard a voice in the background and remembered that she was on a public place. She released her jaw muscles, which were now aching a little, "What did you say? I zoned out for a second."
Addison looked a little surprised. She leaned forward to ask, "I'm not irritating you...am I?
"No, of course not!" Penny smiled at the young girl. Trying to get back to the main conversation, "What were the questions you asked earlier?"
"Oh," Addison attitude and tone quickly changed. "What have you been up to? How is my brother and you." Of course, she gave a wink.
"Well, I was busy with auditioning, but right now I am taking a break. I was going non-stop and I was getting non-stop rejection. I am just stepping away from it. I was not ready for New York. I was in a local theater with people who have seen me grew up. I probably got special treatment at times. It is good that I am being placed at the same level because I totally didn't deserve everything I got back home."
The whole time, Addison was closely listening, nodding along to the words. She wanted everything to interrupt and give her some support and love. However, waiting until she was finished would be best.
"Your brother. I haven't seen him in forever. He doesn't stay the night at his place. He only comes back in the early morning to change his clothes for work. We often just stay out of each other's way. Not on purpose, but it's just the way it works." Also, every time she hears him home she locks herself in her room (if she wasn't already). Leaving out his "rules" might be for the best. Quentin Romano did not leave a good first impression on the young woman. He was short-tempered, arrogant, dominate, and overall rude. It reminded her of Mr. Marshall, her father. She likes not seeing him. It is a reminder that her father is still dead.
"Also I think he is seeing a woman," She adds on. "I saw them at a cafe togeth-"
"He's cheating on you!" Addison basically yells in front of everyone in the restaurant. She couldn't help this time to interrupt. Her brother...seeing someone else...while he is married! She scoffed at his infidelity. She always hoped that her brother would be past all of this. Watching him grow up, fight with their parents, and be irresponsible, it put a bad taste of him in her mouth. She watched him change over the years and become a better man, but some predigest hold strong in the back of her mind. Those predigest were slowly going away as she watched his courtroom marriage. Now, they are all coming back, leaving her disappointed in her older brother.
"Keep your voice down!" Penny whisper yells. She does not like the idea of the whole place knowing her business. Especially since it was wrong. "He is not cheating on me. We are not together. We may be married according to a document, but we are not romantically together. I am not secretly in love with him and this is not crushing me inside. I am fine. We are fine."
This calmed Addison down a little bit. A little bit. In her head, she strongly shipped the two, but honestly it was based in nothing of than the fact they got married. She doesn't know if they are compatible. She created something in her mind, but reality showed something different. She was a little disappointed in her brother, for not pursuing this beautiful redheaded woman in front of her. She became more disappointed in herself.
Her eyes quickly move from Penny's to the brightly colored tailed table below her. Her hands move to play with paper napkin beside her. A light pink spreads across her cheekbones and nose. "I'm sorry for assuming."
This time, Penny's hand came rushing down to grab hold of her friends. Addison's eyes finally look up at her friend. There eyes meet and they both smile.
There little friend moment was interrupted by the chimes of the door. Always distracted by the door and wondering who is walking in, Penny's eyes shifted to the door. A single pair of heavy step are heard. It was a fairly tall man, emerging slowly. He is wearing a dark gray suit with brown dress shoes. When the face finally appear, Penny's jaw dropped.
It was her husband, Quentin Romano, in the shitty little Mexican restaurant, in the basement of an apartment building.
What is he doing here?