Page 52 of The Fast Lane
“They taste better when they’re from your plate,” he said.
“That is not true.”
“It is.”
“What’s this plan?” I asked Mack, and in the split second my attention was diverted, Theo grabbed yet another tater tot.
I glared at him and moved my plate as far away as I could.
“I’m going to start dating.” Mack shoved another spoonful in his mouth.
“Oh.” I sat back, surprised. “I mean, I guess it’s been a little over a year since…you know.”
Mack pushed his bowl to the side. “Since Gracie died.”
I flinched at his bluntness. “Yeah, since Grandma died.”
“I loved your grandmother with my whole heart, I’ll always love her, but,” he put a hand on my arm, “I’m lonely. Real lonely. I talk to plants. I adopted possibly the ugliest dog in the world and sometimes I put clothes on her.”
Karen’s head popped up from where she was tucked in between Mack and the wall. It had been too hot to leave her in the car and Mack had wielded his charm enough that the restaurant staff looked the other way.
Mack patted her head. “You are the prettiest little puppy.”
“You lie to your dog?” Theo asked.
“I told you, she’s delicate.”
Karen caught sight of me and bared her teeth.
“Yeah, delicate,” I muttered. “How does this plan work exactly?”
“First, a makeover.” He spread his arms out to showcase his outfit.
“That explains the hat.”
He frowned. “The woman at JCPenney said it made me look dashing.”
“Absolutely. I like it.”
“Second, my counselor says I need to be open to new experiences.”
“You’re seeing a counselor?”
“Don’t act so surprised. She’s been helping me get all my feelings sorted. It’s not so bad. You should try it,” he said sagely.
“For what?”
“Think of it like taking your vitamins. You take your vitamins every day to keep your body healthy. You take your therapy to keep your mind healthy.”
“I… wow.”
“I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books.” He nodded matter-of-factly. “And I enrolled in a Zumba class at the Y.”
“Zumba?”
“Good exercise. Lots of women.” He winked. “Joined some online dating websites, too.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’ve refused to get an email address for years.”