“Okay.” Toby wiped his mouth with a napkin, then left the table and headed for the restrooms.
Sherry watched him hurry into the passageway.
Then she turned forward and resumed eating her taco.
Wait till I tell Duane about all this. A naked babe grabbing guys at a urinal and…
She remembered that he was missing.
It made her feel sick.
What if I never see him again?
What if he’s dead?
He’s probably just fine, she told herself. Might even be wondering what happened to me.
Chapter Eight
Toby came back to the table, smiling and shaking his head.
“What happened?” Sherry asked.
“Nothing.”
“Is she gone?”
“I think she was still in the stall. Somebody was. But she didn’t come out. I went ahead and pretended to use the urinal.”
“What about the kid?”
“He wasn’t in there to go. He was trying to buy rubbers out of the vending machine.”
Buy rubbers?
“You’re kidding,” Sherry muttered, shocked.
What is this, the Night of the Condoms?
“They’ve got this vending machine in there,” Toby explained. “Two of ’em. One has stuff like cologne and aspirin, and the other has nothing but different kinds of rubbers.”
She shook her head.
“So the guy, like, bought some while I was at the urinal. He left before I did. And the girl stayed in the stall the whole time.”
“Good deal.”
Smiling, Toby said, “I guess he’s gonna score with his girlfriend tonight.”
“Apparently he hopes to.”
With a shrug, Toby picked up his remaining taco. “Guys like that always score,” he said.
“Scoring isn’t what counts,” Sherry said. “But I think you already know that, having recently turned down a rather amazing offer.”
He almost smiled. “I guess so.”
“It’s finding the right girl.”
“Yeah,” he said, then bit into his taco.
“It’s being in love.”
Chewing, he nodded. “You in love with Duane?” he asked, his mouth full.
Sherry almost said, “Sure.” Instead, she tilted her head, smiled and shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s love, exactly. We certainly care a lot for each other. I know I want to find him.”
Toby swallowed and said, “But you don’t really love him, huh?”
“I sort of love him.”
“And you sort of don’t?”
Sherry forced herself to smile. “You practicing to be a shrink?”
He took another bite, shrugged and chewed.
“Anyway,” Sherry said, “we haven’t been seeing each other for very long. It’s only been three weeks. He’s a terrific guy and we get along really well for the most part.”
Toby took a drink of Pepsi and said, “Must be something wrong with him.”
“Not really.”
“If you don’t always get along, must be something wrong with him.”
“The only thing wrong with him right now is that he’s missing. Or maybe he isn’t, anymore. He might be he back by now and wondering where I am.”
“Guess we’d better get going,” Toby said.
“You can finish…”
He stuffed the remains of the taco into his mouth, wiped his bulging lips with a napkin, wrapped a hand around his drink and started to stand up.
Sherry waved him down. “Take it easy. I’m not in that big of a hurry.”
Toby settled back down in the seat.
Sherry thought about making a trip to the restroom herself. She felt a need to go, but it wasn’t urgent.
Maybe I’d better wait. They’ve got a naked gal ambushing guys in the men’s john, no telling what I might find in the ladies’.
Twisting around in her seat, she looked for the gray-haired man who’d spent so much time staring at her.
He was no longer at his table.
She couldn’t see him anyway.
Maybe he left.
Maybe he’s waiting for me in the john.
He’ll have a long wait, she thought.
Done chewing and swallowing the taco he’d shoved into his mouth, Toby sucked Pepsi up his straw. After a few seconds, the straw made sputtery sounds. “I’m ready,” he said.
On the way out, Sherry saw the young lovers still sitting across from each other. They were holding hands in the middle of the table and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.
Deeply, searchingly, sincerely.
Sherry figured the guy was at least sincere in his desire to screw her.
Can’t blame him for that, she told herself.
Just hope all the goo-goo eyes stuff isn’t a big act.
She tossed her garbage into a container near the door, then followed Toby outside. The wind grabbed her and shoved her. She stumbled and almost fell before regaining her balance. Toby hurried over to her. He put an arm across her back. Hand firm against her side, he held her steady.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Thanks. I’m fine.”
“I’ll help you over to the car.” Keeping his arm around her, his hand planted just below her