======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ==== ======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ====
“Ew, no, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are for poors,” she remarked while browsing Nordstrom during her lunch break.
As Caroline sipped her trenta iced Americano, she picks up a pair of black leather booties that were marked down all weekend but are now back up to their normal prices. “I think I want these,” she remarked, “but Katie just got them even though I dibs’d them in our group text.”
“Ugh, what a bitch,” she responds. Looking as if someone died, she’s dressed in solely blacks and charcoals and has yet to take off her sunglasses despite having been inside for the better part of forty-five minutes. Having hardly talked to anyone (including Todd) since Friendsgiving and through Thanksgiving at her parent’s house, the squad is walking on thin ice trying to figure out what’s going on surrounding the potential break-up.
“Do you like these?” Caroline asks her.
“Ew, no,” she fires back before laughing as if Caroline would have to be homeless to even consider buying them.
Needing to be back at work in the next fifteen minutes, time doesn’t seem to be of the essence as both girls lack any urgency to be back at the office.
“Are you hungry? I’m hungry,” she says to Caroline over the Christmas music playing.
“I guess… Bistro?”
“Bistro.”
As the two look over the menu, Caroline worries about the conversation that’s going to follow. She knows that the issues at hand can’t be solved by splitting a cilantro lime shrimp salad with two lemon waters. “She won’t want to sort this all out now,” she thinks to herself as they sit down at the only two-top left in the restaurant situated on the far side of Nordstrom.
“Can I ask you something?” she asks Caroline sullenly.
Eyebrows raised, Caroline is immediately stirred. In the three seconds it takes her to respond approvingly, every possible thought runs through her head — What happened on the porch at Friendsgiving? Did they break up? Are they on a break? Did Todd actually have a thing with his coworker, Rachel?
As she opens her lips to pick Caroline’s brain, the world stops around both of them before she speaks — “Do you think I’m fat?”
Exhaling, Caroline has a mixture of feelings ranging from relief to confusion. Despite wanting to know every last detail of the night that was, she’s relieved that all she has to do is encourage her friend that she’s not fat in any way, shape, or form. Caroline’s reassurance brings a smile on a face that had remained void all week up until that point.
“Phew, I just feel like I ate a million calories over Thanksgiving and I was, like, kind of freaking,” she explains while shoveling half of the salad onto a small plate provided by the waiter.
They both laugh at the absurdity of the question and finally get into the swing of things at the meal. While Todd remained vacant from the conversation, they touched on much more than that. Christmas parties, possible vacation destinations for the spring, New Year’s Resolutions, and ranking who would be next to get engaged amongst all of their friends.
As the lunch comes to a close, they adorn themselves in their black scarves and put their sunglasses in preparation for the ten-minute walk back to the office. Turning to Caroline, she looks like she has just one more question.
“You know, I think I may go back and get those boots I was looking at when we first got here.” she remarks with a newfound confidence in her voice. “And do you mind if we go to the second floor too? I want to pick something up for Todd.”
“Todd?” Caroline thinks to herself.
“Um, yeah, sure, totally,” she responds with a shaky and confused tone.
“Okay, awesome. It will only take a sec.” .
Image via Shutterstock
Respond
Will
Will (Twitter / Instagram) is the host of The Sunday Scaries Podcast.
@willdefries
@willdefries
defriewf
will@grandex.co
Dammit to hell, deFries.
Caroline has no idea that she’s about to witness the purchase of Todd’s murder weapon…
If they’d walked across the street to Orvis to get Todd a new shotgun I’d be nervous.
Looking forward to this series every Wednesday is just about the only thing getting me though my first semester of law school. But goddammit, deFries, the cliffhangers are killing me.
you have my DEEPEST sympathies. 1L sucks. good luck on finals!
It gets better, my legal neophyte friend
deFries is not being a reasonably prudent person leaving us with all of these cliffhangers.
Damn you WILL not another cliffhanger
via GIPHY
2nd Floor? Isn’t that where the “baby” section is located?
Things Girls Do After Graduation: Gender Reveals
4th floor by the food court, man
I’m far too invested into the lives of these fictional bistro bitties…it’s almost uncomfortable. Almost.
God I hope Todd is just giving some chick the business when she surprises him at his place with this gift.
Todd lives (but would rather die) to see another day.
You son of a bitch