“I went to a party with my friend Jessica and we got drunk of course. Her eyes got glassy and suddenly I didn’t feel like eating either. “Yeah…in that case they did.” She looked down at her pizza and then back up at me. “The sheriff tried to suppress evidence against his son but it leaked out and the motherfuckers got convicted anyway.”

“I remember that,” I said, forcing myself to listen and trying not to react much. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise up. She was passed out drunk when him and two of his buddies f**ked her and toyed with her on the pool table.” A sheriff’s son made a video of a girl at a party. “There was this news story that went viral in California a few years back. I just listened and soaked in the sight of her so close to me. She picked up her wineglass and stared into it like she was remembering. I couldn’t imagine Brynne like that and didn’t want to either, but the pragmatic side of me realized most everyone had a past, and my girl was no different. I was spoiled and immature, and very stupidly reckless.” I didn’t make great choices in the boys I dated and I didn’t care about my reputation. Who knows, but bottom line? I was a slut in high school.” She lifted her eyes to mine, steely grey and determined to get her point across. I’m an only child so I suppose I reached out for some kind of validation or maybe it was to get back at them for the divorce. She looked very far away in her head when she started telling me about her life, I didn’t like the sad body language nor the defeated sound to her voice, but those points were irrelevant. Best to just leave her alone and hope for the best. Women don’t like to be told about what to eat or not eat. I grew up with an older sister and the lessons learned from Hannah have definitely stuck with me throughout the years. I found myself wishing she would eat a little more but kept my mouth shut on that matter. I smiled at her and commented on how good the food tasted. Across from me Brynne looked like she was struggling with how to begin. I did my best to be a considerate listener instead.

I tried not to make her uncomfortable by staring too hard but it was damn difficult not to because my eyes were starved for the view of her. We had a table in a dark, private corner, a bottle of red wine, and one giant sausage and mushroom to share. But Brynne needed food and I needed to hear her story, so Bellissima’s would do as well as any other place. For me, the right person was sitting across from me and it wouldn’t have mattered where we were as long as we were together. Candlelight and pizza are excellent with the right person.

All in by raine miller