Mónéy Matters

Chapter Twenty-One

|Mónéy|

"Can I get you guys a drink while you wait," the waitress ask as we sat at the table of Bernard's a well known and elegant restaurant. They let you order alcohol if your eighteen. Rico order some Sprite for the both of us, even though he was nineteen. He claimed he didn't want to drink any alcohol in front of me and have me feel some type of way.

"This is a really nice place," I said as I looked over the menu.

"I'm glad you like it Mónéy." I looked up from my menu and saw him watching me. I blushed at him before looking back at the menu. Rico was being a complete gentlemen so far. He was opening doors, pushing in chairs, helping me walk since I wore these uncomfortable pumps. He was being my knight in shining armor, I just prayed he remained like this.

The waitress came back with our drinks and sat them in front of us. This restaurant was really fancy. They served us over drinks in champagne flutes. "Are you all ready to order," she asked as she stood on her heels, ready to serve us.

"Uh yes, I'll take the grilled Tilapia with cauliflower and tomato dip. What would you like Mónéy," Rico asked. I looked up from the menu then at the waitress. Everything on the menu sounded nasty so I settled on what I knew.

"I will have the garlic mashed potatoes with the sirloin steak and a side if asparagus please." The waitress took our menu and assured us that she'd be back in a jiffy. When she left Rico and I decided to catch up a little and get to know one another a little bit more.

"So what's the college life like," I asked taking a sip from my sprite. I did a little research on things you should do on your first date. Small talk and getting to know your date was the number one thing. I didn't know much about him, but I did know he was in college. That would be the perfect topic to spark conversation.

"College life is cool. You know late nights, late mornings, handovers, regrets, and finals, that's what college is all about. Aye I thought you graduated?"

"Yea I did, but I wasn't able to walk down the stage. I never really got that real true feel. I guess I'll get over it one day but I'd do anything to live that moment. What about you, who did you feel to walk across that stage?"

"It actually felt....... sensational." We both shared a laugh at that one. That's what I seemed to like the most about Rico, he always kept me laughing. If he wasn't so funny to me I don't think I would be feeling him. "Nahh, nahh seriously when you walk across that stage, you get the feeling of victory, success, power, and fear all mixed into one. Walking across that stage and having people cheer you on every step you take makes you feel good inside, like you've just accomplished one of the hardest parts of life." I nodded my head as I listened to him. I also imagined myself walking across the stage and feeling all those feelings he had just named.

We continued to discuss our lives and short term goals while we waited for our food. A few minutes later the waitress came back with two plates in her hand. As soon as she sat our food in front of us we started tearing it up. I guess we were both hungry. As we ate our food I looked up every once in a while to see Rico winking at me with a mouth full of cauliflower. He was so silly, I was about to go back to eating but I saw a woman sitting at a table in the dark corner eyeing me.

My appetite suddenly had became spoiled. I couldn't see her face but I knew she was pissed off about something. Rico noticed the way I was looking and he stopped fooling around and looked up at me.

"Mónéy, you good? Is everything alright," he asked as he grabbed ahold of my hand. "Your freezing cold and you're shaking. What's going on here?" He looked at me but my eyes stayed trained on the woman in the corner. His eyes finally followed my gaze but he looked at me like I was crazy. The woman had got up from her seat and was making her way over to where I was. I opened my mouth to scream but it was like my breath had got caught in my throat.