A Short Story I Wrote

A Conversation with Lunch
John walked into the diner. He saw Tory sitting already with her back to him.
‘Damn,’ he thought, ‘Late again.’
He quickly indicated to the greeter that he was sitting with her and he rushed to the table. He was glad when she smiled as he sat down.
“Sorry, got held up in traffic,” he said. The waitress stopped, and he told her he’d take a Coke.
“Don’t worry.” She said with the smile that warmed his soul. “I just got here myself."
She quickly filled him in on all of the things she had going on. Work was tough, and her roommate was out of town for two weeks.
He quickly told her about the crazy things going on at work.
The small talk went on until their food arrived. He had ordered a ham sandwich with fries, and she had tuna salad wrap with chips. He was able to wrangle the pickle from her.
Halfway through the food, he decided to end the tension and broach the subject he was most uncomfortable with.
“How is Steve?” Steve was Tory’s boyfriend. John didn’t like him, but never told her so. They had only met once four years earlier. John and Tory had just met and she had brought Steve to see their college. Steve had been cold meeting John, as if meeting a competitor not a friend. John, on the other hand, had disliked how possessive Steve seemed with Tory. In the years since, John and Tory had graduated, Steve and Tory had been engaged, and John had been worried, for reasons he was unsure of.
John did not like talking about Steve, but the man was part of Tory’s life, and he had to get used to it.
“We broke up.” Tory said quietly.
To say that John was stunned would be saying the Atlantic was a puddle.
Part of him was overjoyed. He wanted to celebrate. To jump up and down. Scream his joy from mountaintops kind of joy. He didn’t.
The thing that stopped him wasn’t his modesty. Or his reserve. No, nor his nature.
It was her eyes. The hurt and pain behind her eyes stopped him cold. It was something unnatural.
Her eyes were supposed to be joyous and full of laughter, even if she wasn’t laughing.
The hurt in her eyes told him volumes. She had not been dumped by Steve. She had been the one to “kick him out”. Steve had done something to hurt her, and she had left him. John could tell. And it had happened recently. The pain was fresh.
John was filled with anger. How could someone do this to Tory?
John forced himself to calm down. “Sorry I brought it up. Is there anything I can do?”
“Not right now.” She said. She was still quiet, the subject obviously hitting a very sensitive nerve.
John decided to change the subject. “How is your family?”
Tory told him. Her parents were fine. Her brother was seeing someone, but he was trying, and failing, to keep it from their parents. John chuckled at that.
Soon, they were finished with the food, and John grabbed the check before Tory could. The last time they had gone out for lunch, she had grabbed it and paid for her part of the bill. He didn’t mind, but he felt that this time, he should pay the whole thing. If only to apologize for bringing up the touchy subject.
He stood up, and she stood up. He grabbed her and gave her a hug. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t tell her. He never did. Instead he said, “Always glad to see you. Hope you feel better.”
“Thanks,” she said, “you are a great friend.”
“I do my best.” He replied. He pays the bill, and leaves two dollars for the tip.
He escorted her to the door, opened it for her, walked her to her car, and let her go. She drove away, and he mentally kicked himself once again.
I love you. He always thinks it, but he never says it. I love you.