14. We Need to Talk
It didn’t take longfor breakfast to arrive, and Carla and Matt didn’t hesitate for a moment. Carla ran to the door, turned both the top lock and the smaller one on the doorknob, and pulled it open. She used one foot to keep it propped open while she reached down to grab the food the delivery person had left on the front step, as instructed on the app. Getting food has become far too easy. I’m gonna have to start watching my figure, thought Carla as she lifted the bag and carried it inside.
“Food!” she announced loudly, beckoning for Matt to join her in the kitchen. He had disappeared into the bedroom a few minutes ago, likely to lie down and nurse his slight hangover before the greasy breakfast arrived. He quickly emerged at the promise of eggs and hash, walking over to the kitchen table where Carla pulled takeout containers out of a bag. He plopped down and joined her in opening them.
“I’m starving,” he declared, reaching his arms up over his head in a stretch.
“Me too… but eat fast! We have things to do!”
“Like, for example, going to the next-door neighbor’s house to explain to your best friend why you may have just invited a healthy—perhaps unhealthy—dose of chaos into her life?”
“Matt, I will. Right after we go online and see what’s going on with our—I mean, Marianna’s—profile.”
Matt rolled his eyes, and Carla rolled hers back even harder. “Where’d you get that name, anyway? Mariannnnna,” Carla emphasized the ‘n,’ drawing it out longer than the rest of the word. Even though the profile was fake, she couldn’t help being mildly offended by the stock photos Matt had selected to encompass the role of this beautiful temptress, none of which resembled Carla in the slightest!
“I have no idea,” Matt said. “Must have been on the TV or just popped into my mind or something. Anyway, let’s eat!”
“…She’s not even that pretty,” Carla added as she divvyied up the food items from the bag and handed Matt the plastic cutlery the diner provided. Realizing that Matt was refusing to take the bait and have an argument over a fictional dating profile, Carla took a bite of her toast. She knew she was mostly upset over her rapidly approaching, and utterly unavoidable, meeting with Gia. They ate quickly, and conversation was minimal as each pondered what they’d find when they opened the laptop on the other side of the room.
Carla was torn. Part of her wanted the meal to be over and done as quickly as possible so she could get online. She also knew that the sooner that happened, the sooner she would have to head over to Gia’s and confess her sins. It had to be done, but she had absolutely no idea how Carla would respond, given that she still hadn’t figured out the true nature of her and Ben’s history. What were they to each other? Why didn’t she tell me?
Carla felt hurt that such a seemingly critical component of her supposed best friend and long-time neighbor’s life had been kept from her—but, at the same time, recognized that maybe there was a reason for it. Given Carla’s online antics over the past several days, it was entirely understandable that Gia would keep something so potentially complicated a secret—probably to keep Carla from getting involved!
As Matt finished his last bite, he rose and began to clear the table.
“Do it later,” Carla begged. “Can you do it while I’m over at Gia’s, Matty? Please? Let’s get to the computer… please?” Carla’s lower lip jutted out and folded over slightly, pouting.
“You’re ridiculous,” Matt said with another eye roll. “But, in this case, fine. Get the computer.”
Carla threw her chair back, almost falling out of it in the process as she rose quickly. She practically skipped to the other side of the room, ignoring the pounding in her head from one—or a few—too many drinks the night before. Carla grabbed the laptop and opened it up, logging onto the home screen. There it was, Only Gardeners—and Marianna. Unfortunately, despite a multitude of ‘likes’ for the fake profile, there were no actual matches.
“Ben didn’t like us—Marianna—back?” Carla looked appalled.
“Maybe he only has eyes for Gia now,” Matt chuckled. “Or maybe he hasn’t been online since last night. I doubt he lives on the dating site.”
“If he’s waiting for a response from her, he should!” Carla declared, standing up for her best friend’s interest even without knowing where her best interest truly stood. Is Ben a friend or foe?
“Okay, my favorite little meddler. It’s time for you to go do your dirty work. Or confess to your dirty deeds, anyway. Trot on over to Gia’s like you promised. We can check again later, depending on how things go between you and her.”
Carla let out a groan. “This is the worst day ever. I don’t want to!”
“Then, you shouldn’t have dug the hole. Maybe you should bring her, like, a peace offering or something…” Matt suggested.
Carla rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment, considering the suggestion.
“Hmm. Not a bad idea. What, though?” Carla’s gaze wandered across the room, searching for inspiration. It lingered on the relatively well-stocked wine rack, but she shook her head after a moment. No, no wine. She’s probably hungover. I know I am. She continued to scan the room. Nothing, nothing, nothing, Bingo!
Sitting on top of the wall unit—in the same place she’d thrown it over two weeks ago—was the gift certificate she’d received to dine at the newest restaurant in town. Charm to Table served 100% local, seasonal, gourmet small farm-to-table fare. Carla knew from the moment she saw it that she’d probably never use it. She and Matt were more of a wings-and-beer-type couple, but since it had been an anniversary gift, she held on to it. Gia, however, with her love for fresh garden produce and growing things in general, would love it. It was right up her alley.
“Matt! Charmed to Table!”
“Huh?” Matt looked up and glanced over at Carla, confused.
“I’ll bring her the gift certificate to the new restaurant—the one my mom gave us for our anniversary. It’ll make her happy, and you and I will never use it together, anyway. She and I could go… or, depending on how the conversation goes today, we can set her and Ben up to reunite!”
“For the love of all things good in the world, woman!” Matt began. “Leave the poor girl alone and let her find peace far away from your meddling! Take the certificate, give it to her, make amends for what you’ve done, and go out to eat with her. The end. Whatever happens—or doesn’t—between Gia and Ben is her business, not yours. Or mine, for that matter,” he finished, glancing at the dating profile he’d created on the computer screen with a guilty expression.
Carla winced. He only called her “woman” when he was truly shocked at her behavior, which didn’t happen very often, given her track record. She sighed and nodded, signaling to Matt that she recognized he was right, and that she’d behave.
“Okay, okay. I get it. I’m going over there now.” Carla took a deep breath and started for the back door, hoping Gia was already outside in the garden. This was a conversation she’d prefer to have in the place where she knew her friend felt most comfortable—Gia’s happy place.
As she got closer to the fence and moved the loose post to enter Gia’s backyard, she pressed her face into the empty space it left, eyeing the garden area. She didn’t see anyone initially, but she’d learned after years of entering this way that it meant nothing. More often than not, Gia would pop up from somewhere between the raised beds, covered in dirt, holding a garden tool or a piece of produce like a trophy.
Feeling a little more awkward than usual this time, given the unknown outcome of the conversation they would be having, Carla didn’t simply slip through the fence and enter. Instead, she called out to her friend, making her presence known beforehand.
“Gia? Are you out here?” Carla questioned.
“Hey, Carla. I’m in here!” Gia’s voice rang out from the largest fenced area of the garden, which housed several varieties of lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, and various other salad greens. Carla glanced over and saw the wide-brimmed gardening hat bouncing up and down with her movements as Gia hand-plucked weeds from between the heads of lettuce.
“So many freaking weeds this year!” Gia complained. “I can barely keep up! I need to hire a second gardener!”
“Only Gardeners-dotcom?” Carla responded, hoping it would come off as a light-hearted joke that would also get the discussion they needed to have rolling.
“Ha! Never again. No more dating. Online or anywhere else!” Gia scoffed.
“Uh… so, Gia… would you say you’re in a good mood today?” Carla’s eyes were open wide, making her appear more like a deer-in-the-headlights than a friendly neighbor and Gia’s best friend.
“I was. Now, I’m not so sure. Carla, what’s up? Should I sit down for this?”
“That might be best.”
“Oh, Lord. Here we go,” Gia grumbled, raising her eyes to the sky in pre-mature exasperation.