Natalie Walker

Fried Cheese 

Standing in the middle of the beige living room, I am suddenly overcome with memories. Memories of the first time we met, and I can’t help feeling, empty. It is a bad case of the what ifs. The sunlight flooding the empty room casts distorted shadows on the wall from the few boxes that seem to invade the space. As I stare at the shadows, their dark depths pull me into the past.

Suddenly, I was standing in the same apartment one year ago. It was sunny with a light breeze blowing through the open window. I had just moved into my first apartment and I was enjoying the thrill of decorating it. My friend Megan had insisted on helping me, she thought she had much better taste than me; and let’s face it she really did.

“Okay, what about if we push the couch up against the wall?” she asked, blowing a wisp of hair out of her face at the same time.

“Sure” I agreed, but I thought to myself where else would the couch go? But I didn’t want to start an argument. She’s very sensitive.

“So the couch is in place, the pictures are hung. Anything else?” I asked, looking around the room with satisfaction.

“No, I think that about does it.” Megan replied. “In fact, I think we deserve a little treat after all of this hard work. How about we get cleaned up and go out for dinner?” she added. Shrugging my shoulders in agreement I left the room to go clean up and Megan left to go take a shower in her apartment. She lived upstairs so it was no problem for her to get changed in her own place. As I was freshening up for the night’s events I thought to myself, that, when it comes to Megan you never really know what’s going to happen, we usually get into some form of trouble, but to be fair I usually have fun in the midst of it, so I can’t complain.

The bar and grill we went to was a favorite haunt of ours, Chelsea’s Bar and Grill. As we walked in Megan waved to the bartender, Alex. A real jerk if you ask me, but a cute jerk. That is, if you happen to like that muscular, dreamy eyes, tall, take your breath away type. Anyways, as we walk in I felt that same sense of familiarity, comfort and warmth; maybe it was the oak furniture, the beat up chairs, or the smell of fried cheese in the air. Whatever it was, I loved it. Sitting down at a table by the window, I suddenly had a feeling of sheer satisfaction. However, I thought wryly, I still don’t have a boyfriend and, as my mother says and I quote, “ If you don’t have a man, you don’t have a life.”

            “Hello! Christy, where are you? I have been talking to you for the last five minutes and you’ve been in outer space!” Megan asked; annoyed that I wasn’t riveted to yet another story of some poor guy that had the misfortune to fall in love with her. She wasn’t very big on commitment.

“Nothing, I was just lost in thought for a minute, that’s all.” I said.

“Thinking about what?” She asked, concern flooding across her face.

“ I was thinking that I am really happy.”

“And?” she asked knowing there was more. Sometimes I really hate that I can’t hide what I am feeling from showing on my face.

“And then I thought of what my mother is always telling me about finding a man.” I reluctantly admitted. I really hate to talk about this with Megan. She agrees with my mother and takes it upon her self to fix me up with these hideous guys that I would never go out with in a million years. “But I’m not saying this so you can find someone for me,” I added hastily before she began pulling out her mental Rolodex.

“Would I do that?” she asked in an innocent voice- too innocent. I needed to stop this now before it got out of hand.

“Megan, what did you do?” I asked as a sensation of dread began to fill my heart. Please, please I think to myself, don’t have done what I think you have done. As I look at her suspiciously and a little fearfully, I hear footsteps to my right. Turning my head I see James, Megan’s friend from high school. As James gets closer to the table I see him shift to the left to reveal that he is not alone; he’s brought a friend with him. A very cute friend at that; however, I turn to Megan and hiss angrily, “Did you set this up?”

“Ssshhh!” she tells me, and then louder greets the two guys, “Hey, glad you could make it.” Gracious, I tell myself, I cannot believe she has done this to me again.  I wanted to sit there and fume but I knew I couldn’t, I had to be mature.

“So Christy,” James asks me pulling back into the conversation, “ this is Daniel.”

“Nice to meet you.” I say, turning to shake his hand and wanting to sink into the floor from utter embarrassment at the same time.  “This is a definite coincidence.” Don’t get up and leave, don’t get up and leave I think to myself as I fight every impulse to do just that.

“Christy, scoot over so they can sit down.” Megan says frowning at me like I’m the problem. I’m not the one that decided to play matchmaker. If she had just asked me if I wanted to meet his friend then I wouldn’t be so embarrassed I could die! Curse these friends of mine for ambushing me with a blind date.  I thought to myself, sitting at the table, fuming is an option, but then I would be accused and, rightfully so, of being rude. So I decided to make the best of this situation. I put on my best smile and decided to be as charming and witty as I could possibly be.

“So, Daniel, how do you know James?” I asked trying my best to be flirtatious and seductive at the same time; also not trying to gag on my own fakeness. I hate pretending to flirt and be seductive. It’s so not me. Maybe that’s why I’m no good at it. I’d better back track and just be myself; forget about being flirtatious and seductive. As Daniel retells the story of how he and James met and became friends I allowed myself to really look at this guy. He’s very good-looking; brown hair cut close to his head, green eyes, olive complexion, broad shoulders, and nice rugged masculine face. I mentally shook myself; saying, stop staring at the man and focus, focus on what he is saying. As I listened to his words I find that I was becoming attracted to him. He’s intelligent, funny, kind; what more could a girl ask for? Wait, I said, before you start imagining wedding gowns, there has to be something wrong with him or he wouldn’t be single. That thought was enough to cool my heels and save me from making a complete fool of myself.

“And we’ve been friends ever since.” He said, wrapping up his story.

“Wow, that’s really great.” I said, nodding my head, suddenly at a loss for words. I figured I needed to do something drastic, quick if I expected the conversation to continue. “So, how do you feel about our friends setting us up on this blind date?” I asked.

“Actually, I knew we were coming here. James has told me all about you,” Daniel admitted a bit sheepishly. Okay, I said to myself, this is not going exactly the way I had hoped. I was in total shock at Daniel’s admission and was not quite sure what to do next. I was hoping that question would allow us to bond over the treachery of our friends playing matchmaker; obviously that wasn’t going to happen.

“What exactly did James tell you?” I asked almost afraid of what James would tell this total stranger. My stomach twisted itself into a tangle of knots as I waited for Daniel to tell me what lies, half-truths, or exaggerations James told him so that he would agree to this date.

“Nothing really, just the regular praise you get from friends; attractive, smart, funny, intelligent. That kind of thing.” He said.

“Oh, is that all?” I said, feeling a little let down that James had not told even one lie, half-truth, or exaggeration on my behalf.

“Well, he also showed me a picture, I mean you can’t go on words alone, you know, and that tipped the scales. You’re a very attractive woman.”

“Thank you.” I say as I nervously ran my fingers through my hair. Immediately after I said this though, I became angry all over again, at the nerve of my two friends for doing this to me. This train of thought, however, was counterproductive to my mental health and well being so, after a few tense moments went by, I took a deep breath and said to him, “Well at least you approve of what you saw and heard, I’m flattered,” but I added to the table as a whole, “Now how about we talk about something else.” Everyone readily agreed to this.

As the evening progressed Daniel and I got to know each other pretty well. We found out that we were both born in the same state-Florida, just in case you were wondering. We had many other things in common as well, music, movies, and a similar sense of humor. I slowly let my guard down that night and began to realize that I really liked this guy. Talking well into the night, I laughed harder than I had laughed in a long time. I had a good feeling about this guy and was cautiously optimistic, which is a big thing for me. I’m never optimistic, cautiously or otherwise, about a guy. Who would have known that Megan would finally introduce me to a guy that I like. Will wonders never cease? As dawn broke over our conversation, I heard a horn honking in the distance. The horn became louder and louder until I found myself once again in the living room of my empty apartment. “Come on,” Megan says from the open doorway, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” I say as I walk toward the door. As the last of that memory falls away, I think to myself who would have thought that a year later I would be leaving this place and you behind. We started out with promise, and though things didn’t work out for us, I still feel cautiously optimistic. Turning, I take one last look around and finally close the door.