The Girl He Used to Know(22)

“So,” I say. “Is that a friend of yours or did you forget to mention you’re a VIP-level customer here?” I use a joking tone.

Before she can answer me, a man dressed in chef’s clothing barrels toward our table. Annika lights up. “Nicholas!”

“Annika!” he says. “We weren’t sure you’d be back.”

“Well, I haven’t been since that night. But Jonathan asked me if I liked the food here and you know how much I enjoy the stuffed shells so…” She looks at him like, ta-da!

What is happening here?

“I don’t think he’s been back either.”

“I’m not surprised. He prefers Mexican food.”

“Well, I’m happy to see your beautiful face at one of my tables.” He glances at me and then back to Annika. She completely misses the cue, and after an awkward silence, I extend my hand and he shakes it. “Jonathan.”

“Nicholas.”

Rita, a middle-aged, kind-looking motherly type, arrives with our drinks. “Honey, you sure are a sight for sore eyes,” she says, and sets down our drinks. “I’m so happy to see you here again.”

“Hi, Rita,” Annika says, and takes a long pull on her straw. “This is where I discovered Italian sodas,” she says as Rita moves on to the next table. “They’re so good. I usually get the cherry, but lemon is my second favorite. Do you want a sip?”

“No thanks.” I take a rather large drink from my own glass. “Can you fill me in?”

At first she looks like she doesn’t understand what I’m asking, but then realization dawns on her face. “Oh! My ex-boyfriend and I made quite a scene the last time we ate here. Well, he did. He could be quite loud when he was annoyed. Janice called him high-strung. Well, she called him a lot of things, but that was the nicest.”

“Why didn’t you say something? We could have gone to a different restaurant.”

“You asked if I liked the food here, and I do. It’s probably my favorite menu in the entire city. I like that they don’t change it a lot, but if the owner ever takes one of my favorites away, Nicholas said he’d make it special. All I’d have to do is ask him.”

“You’re not bothered by what happened the last time you were here?”

“That wasn’t the restaurant’s fault.”

“So, you had a fight?” I gesture with my hands as if I’m actually trying to pull the story out of her.

“It started in the cab on the way over. Ryan—that was his name—wanted us to go on vacation with his best friend and the friend’s wife who I once overheard say I was weird, so I said I didn’t understand why she would want to go on vacation with us in the first place. And I had already told him I didn’t think I could go on a cruise because I get seasick easily.” I nod, because I know Annika has a delicate stomach.

“… Plus you know how much I would hate the feel of sand under my toes.”

I did. Grass was good, but sand and dirt were deal breakers. A cool tile floor on a hot day was her favorite, but soft carpet ran a close second.

“But the thing is, he never listened to me. He would always say things like ‘It’s not that big of a deal’ or ‘You’ll be fine.’ But I knew I would not be fine. We were still arguing about it when Claire seated us. Then he said that he would ask his friend to reconsider the cruise but that the beach part was nonnegotiable because his friend’s wife really loved the water, and I snorted and said she really loved vodka because the last time we went out for dinner with them, she drank so much she passed out right there at the table. I kept poking her, but it was lights out.

“Then Ryan said, ‘Can’t you for once just try?’ and I had no clue what he was talking about because all we were doing is sitting at that table over there”—she points to a small table directly across from us—“eating dinner. Try what?

“I guess I didn’t tell him what he wanted to hear because then he said, ‘Do you know what it’s like to be with someone who looks like you but then opens her mouth and ruins everything?’ and I told him I did not and that I had no idea what that even meant, and then his face turned red. ‘It’s a complete fucking waste,’ he said. ‘I can’t take it anymore.’ Then he stood up and started yelling really loud about how crazy I was, and the restaurant staff made him leave.”

“Annika, that’s horrible. I can’t believe he talked to you that way.” No wonder everyone here is so kind to her.

“Usually, he didn’t. And when we first started dating he was actually very sweet. Tina said our problems were due to the fact that we don’t speak the same language. Janice told me that he probably snapped and that he was an asshole and she had never liked him.”

“Then what happened?”

“Claire came over to make sure I was okay and suggested a big piece of cheesecake. Their desserts are really good here.”

“And after that?”

“I ate the cheesecake and went home. Janice was right. Ryan was a jerk. He was waiting for me in my apartment when I got home because he had a key. He seemed calmer, but he kept bringing up all the times I’d said or done the wrong thing. It made me feel like crying. But then I remembered that no one can make me feel inferior without my consent.”