“Hi, Frank.” She had a hand on her hip and an attitude on her face. She glanced at Gavin, who sank back into his seat while staring at her as if she were a wild zoo exhibit. The idea that Gavin cowered to a harsh look from a female was not boding well with Frank. What was he going to do when a bullet stared him down? “Can we have a moment?”
Frank indicated Gavin should leave.
Gavin gathered his plate, water, and utensils and wandered off to find another table. Angela slid into his seat.
Frank kept eating. “I’m minding my own business here.”
Her face softened. “I know, Frank. I know.”
“How did you find me?”
“It’s Sunday. You eat at this buffet every Sunday unless you’re not working, in which case you order supreme pizza and stay at home.”
“I might’ve changed my routine since we were together.”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
Frank finally set his fork down. He was rapidly losing his appetite. “Why are you here? To harass me some more?”
“Who is harassing whom?”
“I hate when you talk like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you ain’t never met a piece of grammar that didn’t turn you on.”
“And I hate when you use ain’t.”
“I know.” Frank smiled.
“And we wonder why we didn’t make it.” Angela stood. “Maybe this was a mistake.”
Frank waved her back into her seat. “No, please. I’m sorry. Yeah, I’m kind of reeling from you reporting me to my supervisor. But I’ll get over it.” He started eating again. “You look nice.”
“Frank, I don’t have… I don’t know who else to turn to.”
Frank shoved his plate to the side. “What’s wrong? I can tell something’s wrong.”
She nodded, tears brimming. “I’ve gotten…”
“Yes? What is it?” Frank reached across the table and took her hand. “Ang, you can tell me. You know that. What’s going on?”
“I’ve gotten myself into a terrible mess.”
“Talk to me.”
“First of all, that awful Web site…”
“I know of it.”
“One of my conversations is on there. I mean, I’m not named but I know it’s me. I remember saying it. We’d gotten into a fight and-”
“We? You and I?”
She bowed her head. “No.”
Frank sipped his drink, glancing away to try to hide the pain that was surely surfacing. He saw Gavin across the room staring at them.
“Things are getting very… complicated. I think I’m in way over my head.”
Frank studied her. One shoulder slouched, a sign of perhaps a bigger imbalance in her life. “You’re going to have to be more specific. You have to tell me what’s going on. Is your life in danger?”
“I think so.”
Frank’s chest tightened and his ears burned, probably turning bright red. “All right, I’ll handle this. What’s his name?”
“It’s not him. It’s her.”
Frank sat back. What was she trying to say here? That she was dating a-
“It’s his wife.” She clutched the napkin on the table. “Not my finest moment, I know. But they were in the middle of separating, and he swore it was over. But then she found out.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure. I think maybe the Web site… She probably figured out it was Mike in that conversation.” She looked at Frank now, her eyes begging for forgiveness, understanding. “She’s very angry, threatening a lot of stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“You know… she’s going to kill me.”
“Does he think she’s serious?”
Angela tore the edges off the napkin. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. He’s acting weird too.”
Frank tried a calming breath. This was a lot to take in. “Weird how?”
“He’s very upset that the conversation is on that Web site. I don’t blame him. I would be upset too. And… you’re going to be upset also.” The napkin was in shreds. Usually when she said he was going to be upset, she was right.
“What?”
It took three false starts, but finally Angela said, “The conversation on the Web site is about you.” She opened her hands up, trying to explain. “I was angry with you. I didn’t mean what I said. I was upset and I said some things. I never intended for anyone else to hear them.”
“What exactly did you say?”
“Mike’s scared of you, okay? It’s no secret what you put Vincent MaLue through.”
“Get to the point.”
“We were having a fight, and he said he wasn’t going to put up with you harassing him. Things were already getting weird. I was aggravated, and I said some things about you, all right?”
Frank felt his nostrils flare. That wasn’t a good sign. “All right.”
She reached for his hand. “I knew you’d understand.”
“I don’t understand why you’re here.”
Tears again, shiny and plump, balanced on her eyelashes. “I’m scared. I’ve made a huge mess here. His wife is furious, and I’ve heard a few things about her. I think she’s unstable. And Mike… he’s got a temper. He’s never hit me or hurt me or anything like that, but he keeps getting more agitated, and when he’s agitated, he doesn’t seem to think clearly.”
“What do you want?”
“I didn’t mean all that stuff I said to Damien.” Angela stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Frank’s heart thumped heavily with dread.
“I would never sue you. And even though I saw you there, over the fence, I know deep down inside you’re a good-”
“What are you talking about?”
They exchanged a tense stare, even as the waitress came and refilled Frank’s Diet Coke.
“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Angela said.
“Know what?”
“I’m trying to have an adult conversation with you. I came here, told you what’s going on, even though really, you already knew, didn’t you? Because you were spying on me.” She took a deep breath. “I thought you were the one that put the conversation on the Internet. But when I went to look at the Web site, there are so many conversations. I don’t know… I don’t think you did it anymore.”
“You thought I was the one doing this?”
“I saw you that day. You were behind the fence of Mike’s house. You were walking away when I came out the back door.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re telling me you weren’t spying on me and Mike?”
“I don’t know who Mike is. I didn’t know you were seeing someone. If I did, I wouldn’t have filed a missing person report. Because I would’ve known you’d probably moved in with him after the fourth date.”
Angela’s eyes widened with offense. “That was cruel.”
“What do you want from me? Why are you here?”
She wadded up what little bit was left of the napkin and threw it on the table. “I don’t know. You act like I’m the only person in your life, and then when I need your help, suddenly you’re not interested?”
“You need my help to get yourself out of this tangled web you’ve created; is that it?”
Her voice reduced to a whisper. “I’m scared. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think that woman might do something crazy. I’m going to break it off with Mike, but I don’t really know what he’s going to do either. I just thought…” She bit her lip, smiled sweetly at him. It was that very smile on a Sunday in May that had made Frank realize he would marry this woman. “I need your help. That’s what I’m saying. I need your help to get out of this.”
Frank’s elbow went into his plate and came out with sweet and sour sauce dripping off it.
Angela grabbed his napkin, stood, leaned across the table, and dabbed. She was close to him, her hair swinging in front of his face, her perfume filling his nostrils.
He closed his eyes, trying to find clarity, but all he saw was their wedding day. Her dress, with a lovely, blissful train of white, flowing with life as she gracefully strolled down the aisle. The wispy veil, with tiny pink flowers dotted across it, fluttered against her face, giving him only glimpses into her eyes. The moment he lifted the veil and smoothed it over her beautiful hair, his heart had skipped a beat and caused a deep devotion that he couldn’t explain to this day.