Returning back into the gym with ego of Zeus, Nicola smiled at Brooks proudly preparing to boast on his good fortune. “Good looking out. It appears that I’m going to spending my birthday with Masquerade.” He leaned against the treadmill and looked at his watch.
“Masquerade? You mean the girl from the Black Tie.” Brooks was a regular as well, and prided himself on knowing each exotic dancer by stage name and all equivalent aliases.
“That’s exactly the one,” Nicola said returning to his weights.
“Ain’t that some shit.” Brooks was loss for words. He should have gone over and talked to her on his own instead of worrying about Nicola.
“She wants me to meet her down at the Black Tie tonight. You feel like going?”
“When do I not feel like going to the Black Tie, man? But I’ve got to get some rest. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. My folks are going to want me and Trina at their place early.”
“Well, I’m going to head down at about ten. So meet me down there.”
“Why don’t we just ride down there together?” Brooks could always use a designated driver.
“Because I won’t be going home alone,” Nicola said winking at Brooks. “Ms. Kitty is definitely going to have to call a chiropractor in the morning.”
“Whatever you say, man. Are you finished making a fool out of yourself over here on these weights.” Brooks asked getting off of his treadmill.
“Yeah. I think it’s time to head out. Where are we eating today?”
“Let’s go to that new Chinese buffet out on Perkins. I heard they have 202 different items on the menu.” This was Brooks’ favorite part of their workout.
“Sound good, but do they have beer?” It was the most important part of Nicola’s well-balanced meal.
“Alright. Applebee’s it is.” Brooks said forgetting the Chinese food. “I don’t know why we even bother to work out, if we’re going to have a beer right after.”
“You don’t have to have a beer. I’ll drink it for you,” Nicola said already beginning to enjoy his birthday. “You know, today could be a good day.”
An hour later, Nicola and Brooks walked into the Union Avenue Applebee’s showered, hungry and seeking refuge from the sleet and snow. Taking seats at the bar, they ordered a couple of beers and settled down to the watch the highlights of the Tennessee Titans game they missed the night before. As Nicola was about to get up and walk to the restroom, he caught a glimpse of a woman in a booth who closely resembled Ivy. Hitting Brooks on the arm, he pointed her way.
“Isn’t that Ivy?” he asked sitting back down.
“Where?” Brooks turned hesitantly from his beer.
“There. Right there in that last booth.” His heart began to pound like a schoolgirl.
“Yep. That’s her.” Brooks smiled. “Why don’t you go over and say hello.”
“You think I should?”
“Better than standing over here gawking at her all day. Go on over there,” he said nudging Nicola in the arm. “Get your scary ass up and go.” He had never seen his partner like this over a woman before.
“I’m not scary,” Nicola said taking a deep breath.
“Come on, man. I’ll go over with you and speak to Trina.”
*
It had already been a long day for Ivy. Even though she didn’t appear pregnant on the outside, she felt nine-months pregnant on the inside. Almost every food and drink that she used to love, she now could not bear to smell. Her prenatal vitamins gave her monstrous gas and her dizzy spells came and went throughout the day, complicating her already tenuous life.
To make Ivy feel better, Trina suggested that they step out for a bite to each at Applebee’s, which was her favorite hangout and only minutes from the dorms. The only torturous part of it all was that Ivy couldn’t order a house margarita, and Trina already sucked hers down and had ordered another. Still sulky, but feeling better, Ivy sat in the booth looking through her menu.
“You know what you want to get yet?” Trina asked putting her purse in the far corner of the booth.
“No. I guess that I’ll stick with something safe like soup and a salad.”
“Well, just make sure that you take your prenatal vitamin after you eat. You didn’t take it this morning.”
“Okay, momma, “Ivy said cynically. “You know I hate those things. I’m going to ask the doctor to give me a different kind…something with Phenegran.”
As Nicola approached, Ivy looked up at him and stopped her conversation in mid-sentence. Feeling her stomach tighten and little beads of sweat form on her forehead; she kicked Trina under the table and bucked her eyes.
“Nicola’s here,” Ivy said smiling fretfully.
“Nicola’s where?”
“Right here,” Nicola replied as he walked over and kissed Ivy on the cheek. “So good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too.” Ivy moved over in her booth to make room for Nicola. “Please have a seat.”
“We don’t want to interrupt your lunch. We were just stopping to say hello.” Nicola said declining her offer to join them.
“Yeah, but since you offered, I think that we should join you.” Brooks sat down beside Trina. There was no way he was going to let Nicola back out of this.
“Please, it’s no trouble,” Ivy said patting the seat for Nicola to sit down. She smiled gently at him.
“Did you order food already?” Trina asked kissing Brooks on the cheek.
“Yeah at the bar. Why?” Brooks felt Trina pinching his side with her free hand.
“Because we should go down there and get it.” Trina pushed Brooks out of the seat. “We’ll be back.”
Ivy looked up in disapproval. Again she was left alone with Nicola. This time they were more than familiar with one another, yet the discomfort seemed almost too much to stomach.
“You look great,” Nicola
