Yes, I’m a bit of a dog.
Back at Maria’s, I’m in a daze. I sit down to try and enjoy the rest of my lunch. I barely taste my burger. I stare at the empty seat across from me; the whiskey glass with her lipstick on it is still there.
Whiskey. Nature’s remedy.
I dump what’s left of her drink into mine and polish it off. I gesture to Louisa to bring me another.
To my surprise, it’s Maria herself who delivers the drink. She’s in her chef’s jacket and has her long black hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“Ho, boy,” she says as she settles into the seat across me. She’s a Boston native and has never quite shaken the accent. It’s a funny contrast to the highbrow nature of her cooking.
“You caught that?” I ask.
“I heard the commotion and saw her hop the fence.”
“You should have seen what happened next.”
“Well…” she takes out her cell phone and opens Twitter. Turning the phone to me, I see a video of me and Natalie confronting the Weasel.Goddammit.
Natalie puts her phone away, gives me a wry smile and asks, “Everything OK, Roger?”
I consider that question for a moment. “No, actually, it’s not. That woman is nuts.”
I take a satisfying sip of my whiskey, then I add, “And I’m crazy about her.”