'Now what was that frown for?'
'Nothing that can be changed.' Only forgotten. 'Ah here comes our entrée.'
For a small woman Darlene could certainly put it away. Cathie was no slouch either. Darlene was pleased to see that she had no inhibition about eating food and enjoying it in public though she often didn't finish. So many of Ethan's lady friends that came for dinner seemed to view the meal, that she had spent hours slaving over a hot stove-O.K. minutes staring at a microwave -, as the sworn enemy. As for eating in public it was equal to a public flogging. Cathie's delight in the menu and the meal earned another tick on Darlene's mental checklist.
'How can I so easily eat like this and yet be so underweight?'
'Maybe you normally didn't eat so much as you were stressed about something.'
'Maybe.'
'And you're not now.' Darlene reinforced.
'I should be.'
'Why?'
'No past, uncertain future.'
'You have Ethan.'
'Yes, there's Ethan.'
'Well whatever or whoever was causing you to be stressed it must have been serious for your weight to be so low. Or maybe you're just one of the lucky ones who don't need to watch what they eat.'
'Either way this…' Cathie's sweeping hand encompassing their meal the restaurant '…had better not become a regular occurrence. No way could anyone eat like this every day and not put on weight.'
The desert menu was reluctantly waved away as both women finally succumbed to a concern for kilojoules if not their full stomachs. A leisurely coffee while admiring the view rounded off the meal.
'I wonder what the poor people are doing?' quipped Cathie not expecting an answer.
Darlene reaffirmed her belief that Cathie was not one of the rich set. The use of such a self mocking tone by her lunch partner showed she was uncomfortable with such extravagance and very aware of her elevated status. A perfect as a rich mans partner.
Working on it.
The ladies decided to walk off lunch and meet David at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens. Once again Cathie realised no one questioned an illegally parked limousine. The ride back to the Eastern Suburbs was smooth and relaxing with only one short stop at Darlinghurst to purchase a mobile phone for Cathie.
Darlene ignored her protests.
This time to her face.