Lou peeled out of the parking lot, only managing to nearly hit two cars—a new record. Whoever taught him how to drive was kookier than whoever granted him a license. 

“So, spill,” Lou said, clipping the curb as he turned the corner. “It had to be gangbusters if you were still in bed when I came over.”

“How did you get in, anyway?”

“I used my key.”

“I never gave you a key.” 

Lou took the first time to check his mirrors after using a red light as more of a suggestion. Now I have to look through my apartment and see what else Lou has taken.

“I had it for emergencies. Now, give me the details, and don’t leave anything out,” Lou urged.

“You writing a book about it? I met him at the bar and—”

“Was Rick there?”

“—after we talked for a bit, we ended up at my place. And yes, your snaggletoothed dreamboat was there.”

Lou slammed on the brakes after passing a stop sign. “Give me some credit, Darzsa. My Rick has a full set of teeth. Might not have that much hair left, but it looks good on him. And I told you not to take them back to your place. Bet you’re glad I have a key now.”

I glanced out the window, watching the houses and trees whiz by to relieve nausea from Lou’s constant jerking. “I didn’t intend to take anyone home, but he was nice, and last night was…great.”

“Great? You don’t let a man stay for seconds if it was just great.” Lou was less than five minutes from the diner and drove like it would vanish if he didn’t punch the gas. 

“I really shouldn’t kiss and tell, Lou.” He’d have to suffer a bit; last night was too like wow to share just yet. “But this morning was thirds.” 

Lou clapped his hands, taking them off the wheel, and squealed. “¡Volao! From the peek I got at him, I knew that he’d have you folded like clean towels.”

“Geez, Lou…”

“What? I’d put a mitt on for him any time. So this means you’re over the other one? Please say you are.”

I relied too much on Lou living vicariously through me to consider him finding a way to bring up Mathieu. “I think I wanted to prove to myself whether I was over Mathieu. But I’ve known him for years, and with Leon, I had someone prioritize me, and it was great, Lou. And I didn’t wake up alone.” 

Lou rolled into the lot of the diner on two wheels and finally came to a stop, thankfully for my stomach and spinning head. I took a moment to recollect what I had just told Lou. I had every reason to leave; it had been this long already. But I knew if I saw him now, none of that would matter. Could I go any longer without seeing him? And despite all that, I still wasn’t over him.

“You know what you should do,” Lou said after a while. “Take a break from it all. No Mathieu, no Leon, no…anyone. You’re too much of a hopeless romantic to keep chasing down these guys who won’t commit to you, and I know you. These hookups will only hold you for so long.”

“I’m not a hopeless romantic,” I protested. “And I’m not chasing anyone.”

Was I?

“Sweetie,” Lou patted my shoulder, “you just told me you picked up a random man and slept with him only to realize that you’re still in love with a guy you haven’t seen or heard from in a while—don’t think I didn’t know—who is also, might I add, no closer to being your boyfriend now than the day you met him.” Lou killed the engine and checked his hair in the rearview mirror. “Your Prince Charming will come soon enough, Darzsa. Take a break from the dating scene because I don’t think you’re doing it right.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, along with a few other words.

“Any time—oh, Ramon!” Lou called out of the window. “Get us a table for four.” Before Lou got out of the car, he grabbed my hand and said, “It’ll be okay. I know I give you a hard time about Mathieu, but it’s because I want you to be happy.”

“I know.” Lou’s pep talks burgeoned the urge for me to sock him, but I appreciated how much he cared. “Thanks.”

 

“So don’t ruin our good time by moping, okay?” 

He got out of the car, and I followed him inside to the table Ramon saved. Lou and I crammed into the booth and opened our menus. Petite and vivacious Ramoana Fizz was now even shorter than I was, with chestnut hair that swept over his green eyes. 

“Where’s Teddy?” Lou asked.

“Probably fishing her tights from under someone’s couch,” Ramon said. “Between you and her, we could have down the whole building.”

“Yes, it was quite a show,” Lou added as he flipped to the next page. “Too bad someone missed it.”

“Oh, Darzsa, where did you go? Miss La Flor turned it out last night. I’ve never them so cranked.”

I felt terrible that I missed Lou’s performance and had promised him for so long to see it. Maybe by the next one, I’d finally tell him what’s been going on. “I’ll be there front and center next time.”

“You better,” Lou muttered and knocked his leg against mine.

I elbowed him in the ribs, and Lou keeled over, hitting his head on Teddy as he walked by and slid into the booth next to Ramon.

“Hitting the sauce already, Lou?” Teddy straightened out his wrinkled collar as best he could and smoothed out his just as wrinkled shirt, fiddling with a button he missed]. “You should make that two of us.”

“And where have you been, missy?” Ramon asked. “Lou beat you here.”

“I had an overnight guest. They’re always so chatty with pillow talk early in the morning.”

“Lucky you; it seems to be going around.” Lou closed his menu and looked around. “Why haven’t we been served yet?”

Lou yelled to the closest waitress, and I disappeared behind my menu. He was usually kind to waitstaff when he wasn’t shamelessly flirting, but when Lou was hungry, his impatience deteriorated. One of the waitresses came over, disregarded Lou, and took our order.

“What’ll it be, fellas?” she said, tapping her pen against the pad in her hand.

“Nothing with that attitude,” Lou said. “Get me someone else.”

“Lou,” I hissed, pinching his arm. “Don’t be rude. I’m sorry,” I told her, “he’s just a bit hungry.”

“So is everyone else in here,” the waitress replied. “So unless you wanna put on an apron and make it yourself, tell me what you want.”

Lou’s leg bounced under the table, and I had the same mind to offer our bitch of a waitress a word or two about her customer service. Ramon and Teddy hid behind their menus, but one of us had to maintain Lou’s list of banned establishments. Though I’d be remiss if I denied my best friend two days in a row, I gave him my blessing to turn loose.

“Listen,” he read her nametag, “Ruthie, doll. I’ll ask you again, nicely, to get someone else to our table, or I’ll dog walk your high-yellow ass in front of all these lovely hungry people.”

The surrounding tables looked our way, and the other guests slowly quieted down. Lou never made idle threats, and when those brows shot into his hairline… He should have made enough last night for bail. Ruthie finally huffed, stalked behind the counter, and yelled, “Mr. A, we need some help.”

Lou flipped through his menu and hummed. “Finally, we get some good service around here.” He raised his head in time to the kitchen's swinging door and our replacement—my worst nightmare in a starched apron. “Oh, Josiah!” Lou sang. “I thought you were off today.”