When Elsie pulls into the parking lot of Sonic she scans the spaces. Sitting in her bright yellow VW Beetle, with the big purple daisy in the clear vase sitting on the dashboard, she notices Elizabeth is not here yet. She’s a little relieved because it gives her another minute to psychologically prepare herself for the interrogation, which she knows is about to begin. It serves her right for grilling Elizabeth about Marco not too long ago. She leans her head forward and rests it on the steering wheel, letting out a sigh. Maybe getting the third degree from her friend would be good for her. It might give her a chance to get everything out and possibly gain a clearer perspective on her feelings about John and the proposition she may have been given the other night. The closer it gets to tonight’s class the more nervous Elsie became. By the time she walks through the doors at the gym she’s going to be blithering ball of nerves.
No, there’s no reason to feel like this. All we did was make out, no big deal. And I’m probably exaggerating about what John and Brian meant by me being their mission. Impossible, there’s no way they could want me, Elsie tries to calm herself.
A knock, knock, knock on her driver’s side window made her jump a mile out of her seat.
“Jesus, Elizabeth, you gave me a freakin’ heart attack!” Elsie yells at her friend who’s laughing at her from outside the car.
“Geez, El, I didn’t know if you were sleeping, you were so still. And I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, but that was funny. What is wrong with you?” Elizabeth asks still chuckling.
“Nothing really, no big deal,” she answers, getting out of the car. “Who’s car are we eating in?”
“Yours, we’re here,” Elizabeth says walking over to the passenger side. “Unlock the door, Babe, Momma’s chilly.”
They both got in and sat back in their seats, assessing each other.
“Spill it, Babe, you’ve always been terrible with secrets,” Elizabeth states plainly.
Elsie lets out a sigh, not really knowing where to start.
Elizabeth’s brows rise slowly, still scrutinizing her friend.
“You fucked him, didn’t you? John,” she throws at Elsie. A small smile plays at Elizabeth’s mouth as she’s trying to hold in her laughter from the idea of her two friends together.
“NO!!” Elsie exclaims.
“Well something happened, you look like you’re about to snap, you’re strung so tight.”
Elsie opens her mouth to start talking and Elizabeth stops her holding up a hand.
“Wait, let’s order first, then we can talk without interruptions. Come on, drive Woman, I’m starved.”
Elsie backs up and finds a spot at the drive-thru order board. The friends place their order before the interrogation begins.
“Ok, shoot,” Elizabeth states in a no nonsense tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest and waiting.
“We made out,” Elsie says a little shyly.
Elizabeth blinks at her not saying anything.
After a moment she asks, “And?”
“That’s about it,” Elsie answers her nervously, chewing on her fingernail.
“Don’t give me that, Elsie! If all you did was make out, you wouldn’t be all freaked out about it. What happened? Was he disrespectful or did he hurt you?”
“No, not at all, he was too fucking great actually. Which makes it worse…it makes it hard to say no,” Elsie answers her with a pained expression on her face.
“Do you want to say no, Elsie?” Elizabeth asks gently as she places a comforting hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but Elizabeth can see that it’s causing a major struggle inside Elsie.
Turning her big blue eyes to her friend, “No I don’t. What I want is to dive right in ripping my clothes off, and screaming ‘Yee haw’, then ride that bull until I can’t walk anymore,” she tries to laugh but it comes out sounding more like she’s choking.
“So what’s the problem, Elsie?”
“Elizabeth, someone like me doesn’t have sex with someone like him, even if it’s just sex. He’s too perfect, too together, too…..everything,” Elsie puts her head down on the steering wheel again, shaking it.
“Honey,” Elizabeth starts, squeezing her shoulder, “Whatever it is that is holding you back, can’t be as bad as you think it is. Talk to me, tell me what’s going on in here. It looks like it’s tearing you up.”
Elizabeth was right, it is tearing her up. All of those old demons, which Elsie thought she’d exorcised years ago, were rearing their ugly heads and were front and center in in her mind. Their acid covered claws are digging at and opening up, all of her old wounds, making them all scream out at once.
“It’s nothing, nothing I can change, and I can’t do anything about it. But,” Elsie brightens up, “That man can kiss and he’s got to have the biggest dick I’ve ever felt in my life!”
“You’re kidding me?!” Elizabeth takes the cue that Elsie wants to change subject.
“I kid you not, girl! That thing had to be as big as my forearm,” Elsie exclaims holding it up with a clenched fist to show her just how big she was talking about.
“No way! He would break you girl. It’s a good thing you didn’t go any further. That right there would give new meaning to deep throating. Damn!”
Tap, tap, tap on the window. The waitress stood outside, holding their order, and not looking very happy about it.
“Chow time,” Elsie says as she opens her window.
Taking their food out of the bags, Elizabeth asks Elsie,
