Cadence arrived at the restaurant, which was really more like a fast food joint with some healthier choices on the menu, a good five minutes early, but Ashley was already there and waved at her from a booth up close to the counter. She had a broad smile on her face but looked a little nervous as well. Remembering what she’d promised herself, Cadence took a deep breath and returned the smile, hoping she didn’t look like a snarling Vampire about to attack.
“Hey,” Cadence said, dropping her bag on the seat in the booth and sliding over. “How’s it going?”
“Good, thanks.” Ashley seemed to relax only slightly. “How are you?”
“Good.” Cadence stared at her for a moment, trying to think of something interesting to say. Ashley had very pretty, large eyes. Her blonde hair looked styled, like she’d actually blown it dry after her shower, and her makeup was beautifully applied, unlike Cadence’s, which she’d just slapped on so it looked like she’d put in at least a small amount of effort. Ashley was wearing a red top that matched her signature lipstick nicely. None of these things seemed to be a topic one might bring up while meeting with an acquaintance over lunch. Finally, something came to her. “How was your workout?”
“Good,” Ashley nodded.
And we’re back to good again, Cadence thought to herself. “Well, I guess we should go order.” Ashley nodded, and Cadence approached the counter. There were a few people milling around, some she recognized as new recruits, but no one she even knew by first name. In contrast, several people said hello to Ashley, and she called them by name.
“Hi, Miss Findley. How are you?” the older woman behind the counter asked with a toothy grin. “What can we get you today?”
Even the fast food workers knew her. “Hi, Tammy.” She realized it was cheating to use her name tag, but maybe if she made a conscious effort, she’d remember what she looked like if she ever saw her outside of this restaurant on campus and could call her by name. Or maybe she should take a picture of her and file it under “Tammy—restaurant worker.”
Cadence looked over the menu and ordered a hot ham and cheese on rye with a side of french fries and a large soda. She paid with her IAC and moved out of the way so Ashley could order. Tammy handed her a cup, and she went to fill it up at the soda fountain, hearing Ashley order a salad. Cadence grumbled to herself that of course she would eat like a dainty bird.
Once she had her drink and enough ketchup to paint the town red, she took her seat. Ashley was sipping what looked to be water through a straw in the same sort of fountain cup Cadence had filled with her favorite caffeinated, sugary beverage. She took a big slurp and remembered Ashley's comment in the gym. Cake sounded delicious.
“So… you’re from Iowa, right?” Ashley asked, holding her receipt in front of her like she wouldn’t otherwise remember the three digit number of her order.
“I am,” Cadence nodded. “Where did you grow up?”
“Florida,” Ashley said, smiling. “Near Orlando. I went to college in Tallahassee, though.”
“Oh, you went to college?” Cadence asked, genuinely interested and only slightly jealous.
“Yeah, I took a lot of classes for dual credit in high school, so I was able to get my degree in two years,” she explained. “Not that I’ll ever use it.”
“What’s your degree in?” Cadence took another drink of her soda, trying not to slurp.
“American history,” she replied, rolling her eyes slightly as if to imply that it was a waste.
“That’s cool. I bet you and Christian will have a lot to talk about seeing as though he’s lived through all of it.” She laughed to herself and then realized they were calling her number. “Excuse me.” She slid out of the booth and hurried to retrieve her food, thanking Tammy by name, and returned to the table wondering why it took so long to make a salad.
“Yeah, I guess Christian and I could talk about that,” Ashley replied, like Cadence hadn’t been gone at all. She looked a little leery.
“Christian’s cool.” She took an unusually long french fry and dipped in ketchup long enough to drown it before plunking it in her mouth. Once she was mostly finished chewing, she realized she was being rude. “Do you want a fry?”
“Oh, no thanks,” Ashley replied, waving her off. “Grease doesn’t do my complexion any favors.”
Cadence stared closely at the pristine face in front of her and saw not a flaw, but she didn’t see the point in arguing against what the girl thought of her own face.
Tammy called Ashley’s number, and she went to get her chef salad with ranch on the side, with very little cheese and no croutons, and came back to the table. Cadence eyed the concoction suspiciously. It didn’t look appetizing in the least. She smiled, though, because this was a day for smiling.
“So… you really think Christian’s okay?” Ashley asked spearing a bit of lettuce and dipping it only slightly into the dressing as if it only wanted to poke its toes in and see how cold the water might be.
“Oh, yeah. He’s… a peach.” Both of Ashley’s perfectly manicured eyebrows raised, and Cadence suspected her tone had come across as sarcastic. “I mean, I went out with him myself sort of once.” That wasn’t quite true. “That is… let’s just… he’s good. He’s a good guy.”
The stare altered a bit but didn’t defuse. “You went out with Christian?” Ashley asked.
“Something like that.” She took a big bite of her sandwich and the warm cheese melted in her mouth, all the deliciousness of the salty ham mixing together with it. The crunch of the perfectly toasted, buttery bread topped it off, and she wondered how in the world anyone would choose leaves over this.
Cadence’s mouth was still full when Ashley said, “Oh, wait a minute! Wasn’t it Christian who had that recording—the one that what’s her name--Eliza? The one she got ahold of and showed to Aaron?”
Unable to respond with her mouth full of sandwich, Cadence only stared in disbelief until she managed to swallow. “How do you know about all of that?”
Ashley's face paled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…. I don’t know. People talk, I guess.”
Even though Ashley dropped her eyes, Cadence continued to stare for a moment, not wanting to talk at all about that recording or anything associated with it. The thought of what she’d gone through with Eliza, how they had been friends, and she had stabbed her in the back without a second thought, still smarted.