Page 27 of Ripped & Shipped
“Okay,” I say, not wanting to question her right now. It’s obvious she thinks this guy is amazing. He sounds like a jerk, if you ask me.
“Why don’t we just do it instead?” I offer.
“Do what?”
“Order what your peeps want you to eat. Film ourselves. Rate the food. Whatever.”
“You’d do that?”
“It’s our Christmas Truce.”
“In June.”
“Yeah. In June.”
“I don’t need rescuing.”
“I can see that. You were already bouncing back when I got here.”
“You’d really do this?”
“Why not? I need to eat anyway.”
Ella Mae studies my face. The corner of her mouth tilts up the slightest bit. Her eyes sparkle. She really is stunning. And she looks way too pretty to be hanging out in a Big Boy tonight in that dress with her hair all wavy and her makeup done to perfection. But here we are.
“Okay, St. James. Brace yourself. I don’t think you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
CHAPTER12
Chris
I don’t thinkI’ve ever seen someone go from distraught to elated so quickly. Ella Mae is a woman on a mission. And, yes, her annoying persona is securely back in place. But weirdly, I’m not as bothered about that transformation as I usually am. She’s like an actress, gearing up for a role. I’m not saying I want to watch this show on a regular basis, but anything’s better than seeing her downcast.
“So, here’s what we’re going to do,” Ella Mae says, nearly bouncing in her seat. “I’m going to introduce you. I’ll say you just happened to walk into the diner …”
“Which I did.”
“Yes. Right. You did.”
She pauses like it just occurred to her that it’s as odd that I’d show up at her collaboration location as it is that she’d be in my favorite weekly spot for dinner.
“Well, anyway, I’ll say you just walked in, and I was about to order. But then you agreed to do the challenge with me.”
“Challenge?”
“It’s a challenge. Because we’ll eat whatever they say.”
“And, that’s a challenge?”
“Chris.”
“Ella Mae.”
“Can you leave the ridiculous inquisition until after we film? We’re already experiencing attrition. People have gone on to their regularly scheduled lives. We’re only going to have a fraction of the viewers engaging at this point. Time’s a wastin’.”
“Gotcha. No more questions.”
“Okay. So, I’ll show you off. And then we’ll have people pick what you’re going to eat. Shawna will take our orders. I’ll tell everyone to wait until the food comes and then, when it arrives, I’ll film us eating.”
