CHAPTER NINE
"Would you like anything else?" asked the server, pouring more coffee into his cup. Ash could tell she wasn't offering him anything off the menu.
Ash smiled and shook his head. "This last cup of coffee is all I need, ma'am."
"Well," she said, bending just enough for him to catch a glimpse of her breasts, "if you change your mind, my name's Tisha." She winked, then retreated from the table.
He watched her go, waiting for the usual stirrings in his loins, but nothing happened. Dismayed, he glanced down at himself and wondered if he'd had too much caffeine.
"I don't know why I even bother going out in public with you," said his friend Bobby.
Ash pulled his gaze from his lap, then looked towards the kitchen doorway where Tisha had disappeared. "Because I always pick up the check?"
Bobby laughed and wagged his finger. His ruddy face nearly matched the color of his red hair. "There's that." He then rubbed his nose before slouching in his chair. "Is that Lenore?" He thrust his chin forward, towards the back of the restaurant.
Ash turned in his seat to look.
"For fuck's sakes, Coop, you're not supposed to be that obvious."
Ash whipped his head around, then plucked the napkin from his lap and threw it at his friend. "You're paranoid."
"Was that Lenore?"
Ash grinned. "Not unless she's lost fifteen pounds and shed a good decade off her age."
"I heard she's using the alimony to make upgrades. It's possible she went on a diet, hired a trainer, and found a good plastic surgeon." Bobby again rubbed his nose, and Ash noticed the tiredness around his eyes.
"You doing okay?" The bitter destruction of Bobby's marriage left a sour taste in Ash's mouth. When he'd first met Bobby, the guy had been happily married for four years. That was five years ago. Since then, Bobby had learned that his wife had been unfaithful during his deployments. And Ash's once happy-go-lucky friend was now a bitter, lonely guy who feared running into his ex-wife.
Bobby sat quietly, clutching his cup between his hands. He took a couple of sips before sniffing loudly. The divorce had been hard on him. He'd gained a good twenty pounds that he was struggling to shed; if he didn't lose the weight before his next physical, he risked being separated from the Air Force for not maintaining physical standards. "I'm good. What about you? Come to realize your mistake yet?"
Ash quirked his eyebrows. "What mistake?"
Bobby glanced around the crowded restaurant, then leaned over the table. "You know what I'm talking about. Your stupid plan to game the system."
"I'm not gaming the system." Yeah, he was totally gaming the system. But he would do anything for Reggie.
Bobby leaned back in his chair. "Really? You're marrying some girl just so she can provide free labor."
Ash chuckled. "Trust me. It's not free."
"Whatever." Bobby shrugged.
"This is a mutually beneficial relationship." Ash rapped his knuckles against the table. "And, if all goes well, it's only temporary." He cocked his head to the side and pointed at Bobby. "Just like yours."
"Fuck you."
Ash folded his hands on the table and grinned. "For the right terms, I'd be open to it."
Bobby laughed, then turned sober. "Look, Coop, I just don't want this to blow up in your face. `You always told me you had no plans to get married. I just don't want you to make a colossal mistake, especially when you can avoid it." He puckered his lips. "You don't know her. She could have a string of ex-husbands and a slew of little bastards."
"What happened to you?" Ash asked, squinting an eye. "You were the one who loved kids, remember? Now you're calling them bastards."
"Coop, I'm being serious."
Ash knew his friend meant well. Ash had spent the entirety of their friendship celebrating his singlehood, and now he was about to jump head first into marriage. "I did some research. Her credit's decent. No criminal background." He shrugged. "Plus, she's cute enough."
Bobby's brows lifted towards his receding hairline. His blue eyes danced in merriment. "Cute, huh?"
Ash nodded.
"I thought you were hoping for someone plain."
Ash nodded again. "Yeah, well, it didn't work out that way."
"What does she look like?"
"Why?"
This time, Bobby shrugged. "Just curious. Humor me."
Ash clicked his tongue and conjured up a mental image of Phoebe. "She's about five seven or so. Maybe a size medium? I don't know."
"Go on," said Bobby, rolling a finger. "That sounds average, not cute. Tell me more."
Ash released a breath. In the brief time he'd known Phoebe, he'd memorized her features, but Bobby didn't need to know that. His friend would crow about it and make it into a bigger deal than it was. Tilting the coffee cup in his hand, Ash watched the liquid slosh back and forth against the sides as he made his voice disaffected. "She's got black hair and dark brown eyes."
"Wait," Bobby slapped his palm against the table, turning a few heads. He lifted a hand in apology before lowering his voice. "You're telling me that your soon-to-be wife isn't tall, blond, and Northern European?" He threw back his head and laughed. "I want to meet her."
"You will. I need a witness."
Bobby sniffed and rubbed his hand over his nose. "You're really serious about this? You're about to be leg-shackled to someone you hardly know?" He squinted at Ash. "What are you two going to do about sex?"
Ash's eyes widened. He would have loved to tell Bobby that it hadn't crossed his mind, but it would have been an obvious lie. He loved sex. Except for deployments and his recent stint babysitting Reggie, he rarely went a few days without it.
When he'd first concocted this idea, he'd thought about coming to a mutual understanding with his wife. An understanding that included them being able to see other people as long as their affairs were discreet. But that was when he thought he'd be marrying a plain Jane, someone who wouldn't stir his interest.
It still surprised him how much Phoebe intrigued him. He could barely tolerate being around her for a few minutes before his vivid imagination took over. He found himself thinking about her frequently, to the point that he didn't find himself lusting for anyone else. Not even the women who fit within his usual type.
Ash flattened his hands against the table and stared down at his fingers. Soon he would be wearing a wedding band. And the thought wasn't as abhorrent as he had previously imagined.
"Maybe in time, she and I might come to an understanding. We're two mature--"
Bobby laughed loudly, once again drawing attention to their table.
Ash screwed up his face, but continued with his thought. "We're two mature and rational adults. She seems to like me, and I"--he lifted his hands from the table and placed them on his lap--"like her enough."
"You're seriously going to fuck this up." Bobby pulled a tissue from his pocket and blew his nose.
"If you say so," Ash said, pushing away from the table. "We better get back. Traffic gets bad around this time."
"Does your wife know you were eating out for dinner?"
Ash removed his wallet, counted out enough bills to cover the check and a generous tip, then walked away from the table.
"You didn't tell her, did you?" Bobby called out from behind him.
As Ash exited the restaurant, he started to feel a bit of heartburn. Stepping away from the door to let Bobby out, he began to pound on his chest. "I shouldn't have eaten the enchiladas."
"No one orders the enchiladas," Bobby said, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Two young women walked past them, one shooting a scathing glance in Bobby's direction. He smiled apologetically but removed a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. He took a couple of steps to put distance between himself and the restaurant's door. Then he pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit his cigarette.
Ash watched him, feeling the burning spread across his chest. He shifted his weight from one foot to another.
"By the way," Bobby said, pulling the cigarette from his lips, "that's not heartburn you feel. It's guilt."