Chapter Five
“Hello?” Mel answered the phone,
“Hey is Larson home?”
“No, she isn’t. Can I take
a message?”
“Oh weird, she said that she’d be home by now.”
“The girl’s a work-a-holic, she should be home any minute
now. Do you want me to have her call
you back?”
“That’d be great.”
“And you would be?”
“Oh, sorry, this is JC. Is this Mel?” There was silence on the other line, “Uh, hello? Is anyone there?” All JC heard was a few squeaks.
Then he heard Larson in the background,
“Mel, I’m home! Where are
you? Mel?” Then he heard Larson come on the line, “Hello?”
“Larson? It’s JC.” He said and she began to giggle,
“I think you just killed my roommate.” She laughed a little harder, “Mel, go sit down before you fall
and hit your head.” She went back to JC
on the phone, “She was a little shocked to talk to you. Does that normally happen when you talk to
females?”
“Sometimes, just the star struck ones.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She said
giggling a little at her roommate who was staring blankly at the wall as she
sat on the couch.
“Is Mel okay?”
“She will be, I think I just have to smack her sane again.”
“Well, don’t let me hold you up.”
He teased,
“You’re a pain.”
“I know, but could I convince you to hang out with me?”
“Depends on what we’re doing.”
“I was thinking maybe a concert that my friend was doing and
possibly dinner.”
“As long as dinner is first, I’m all yours.” Larson took another side-glance at Mel who
was still staring, but now it was at her,
“We can do that.” JC said,
“Pick you up in an hour?”
“You need that long to get ready?”
“No, I was thinking for you.”
“I can be ready in twenty.
Probably how long it will take you to get here. Plus then you can meet Mel. I don’t think I can handle her like this,
though she is a lot quieter.”
JC chuckled, “Okay, I’ll be there in twenty. Bye Larson.”
“Bye.”
Larson quickly
changed and was ready just as JC pulled into her driveway.
“Perfect timing.” She said
as she opened the door, inviting him in.
“I try. You look great.”
“Thanks, you’re not looking too terrible yourself. Want a quick tour?”
“Where’s Mel?”
“She had to run actually.
She stayed as long as she could hoping that you would come over early
but you didn’t.”
“Aw, that’s too bad.”
“Please, I don’t know if she could handle meeting you. You might give her a heart attack.”
“Nothing new.” He winked
making her laugh.
Larson gave him a
quick tour of their apartment and then they were off. JC kept his word and went to his favorite restaurant. It was a place she had never been before but
she was up for anything.
Larson frowned as
she glanced over the menu. It was all
sushi and seafood. She glanced around
at everyone eating squid, lobsters, crabs, oysters, everything. It was making her sick. She hated seafood and everything associated
with it.
“Larson, are you okay?” JC
asked noticing her look. She swallowed,
“Um…” She bit her lip because she didn’t want to be rude. JC was taking her out and it was his
favorite restaurant.
“Larson, you’re turning green.
What’s wrong?”
“I, uh, don’t deal well with any type of seafood.” She managed to get out.
“Do you want to leave?”
“No, it’s your favorite place to eat.” She said and JC stood up,
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
He held out his hand to her. She
quickly took it and he led her out of the restaurant. She sighed once they were outside and the fresh air hit her.
“Thank you.”
“Why didn’t you mention that you didn’t like seafood?”
“Didn’t know really, till we were in there and I didn’t want to be
rude.” He helped her into his car,
“I think getting sick at the table would’ve been worse.” He teased and she smiled,
“Very true.”
JC quickly hopped into the car, “So, plan B.”
“What’s plan B?” She
asked,
“Not quite sure. I’m positive we’ll figure it out though.”
“Good deal. Do we have a
lot of time before the concert?”
“Yeah, we have like three hours, but it depends on where we eat if
we have time.”
“I’ve got the perfect place and it should be around here.”
“Where to?”
“Ever hear of The Ape?”
“The Ape? Not really.”
“Mmm, are you in for an experience.” She smiled and coached JC on how to get there.
The Ape was a
little diner squished between many buildings and barely visible to the street.
“How does this place stay in business, it’s barely visible.”
“Loyal cliental.” She
shrugged and walked in the door.
“Larson, sweetie!” A
robust Italian man yelled from behind the counter.
“Hey Mikey!” She waved
back, “How’s it going?”
“Not to bad babe. You want
your regular?”
“You know me too well. Add
some garlic fries and I’m good. Jace
here’s gonna need a menu.”
“Coming right up darling.”
He said and Larson slid into one of the empty booths. JC sat down across from her.
“Come here often I take it?”
“I actually used to work here part time when I first moved out
here. Mikey’s the best and they have the best sandwiches in the world. I love it here.”
“I can tell. I still feel
bad about the seafood thing.”
“You didn’t know, don’t worry about it.”
“I know but if something like that comes up again, just lay it on
me, okay?”
“Gotcha, I will, you do the same.”
“Deal.” JC smiled at her
and then looked at his menu.
They had fun
hanging out at the diner eating and talking.
The place was so out of the way that no one recognized him. It felt good to be out and just have a
normal conversation with someone. After
he had his sandwich, JC was a complete fan of the place and knew that he would
be back.
After they were
done eating, JC took Larson to his friend Tony’s gig at a little club. She enjoyed the show and meeting Tony
afterward. During the gig, JC was
approached a few times and Larson couldn’t help but make fun of him for
it. It felt strange for her because to
her JC was just a normal, down to earth guy.
Not someone she would expect to be a celebrity.