Page 31 of Atlas
“Maybe some of them did. Karen and John were nice.”
Atlas shook his head with amusement. “You have no idea who Michael, Karen, John, and those people are, do you?”
“Sure, I do. I know the name of Karen’s daughters, and I know her mother is sick with pancreatic cancer, and I know that…”
Atlas cut me off. “I meant that you don’t know how people bow and scrape to her and the others to get five minutes of their time, do you?”
I shrugged. “No, but maybe it was nice for them to meet someone like me who just wanted to enjoy the game. They didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t bowing and scraping.”
“My point exactly. You were a breath of fresh air for all of us.”
“Well, every circus needs a clown, and either way, high or low, I predict many will have a hangover tomorrow, including me. ”
The car pulled up in front of the entrance to Freddy’s Diner, and Atlas got out.
“Feel free to come in and join us,” I offered the driver, but he pointed to a thermal flask and a brown bag on the passenger side.
“Thank you, miss, but I’m fine. My wife always makes sure that I don’t go hungry.”
“You have a good wife,” I said with a smile and got out after Atlas, who was holding the door open for me. When he closed the door, I touched his shoulder. “You have such good manners. I love that about you.”
“Thank you. It was important to my parents.”
“And you… Is it important to you?”
“I don’t think much about it. It’s just something I do.”
We walked up to the diner, and this time I was quicker than him and held the door open. “Let me treat you to waffles after you gave me such an amazing day.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I want to.” I let him choose the booth and slid down on the red leather seat across from him. Only four other guests were in the diner, and the waiter came right over with menu cards.
“We need waffles and lots of them,” I told her with a bright smile.
“With ice cream or fruit?”
“Both,” Atlas and I said at the same time.
“And may I please have a cup of tea and some orange juice?”
Atlas handed her the menu back without ever looking at it. “Coffee for me.”
The minute she left us, Atlas tapped the table. “There’s something I’m curious about.”
In my intoxicated state, I chuckled. “The answer is, no, size is not everything to a woman.”
He stared at me, and then I gave a goofy smile. “Isn’t that what all men want to know?”
“Ehh…”
“Okay, sorry, I’ll be serious now. What’s your question?”
“Right, yes, I just wondered… The other day at the office, when I came in, and you were so flushed. What was that about?”
I knew exactly what he was referring to and bit my lip. “I don’t think it’s wise of me to tell you.”
“Why, were you looking at porn?”
