A La Carte

"So what's for dessert?"

The three women scanned the menu, still full from lunch but wanted to indulge just a little bit more.

"Nick, probably." Rachel said directing her comment to Josie.

"Don't tell me you are still hating?" Josie bellowed.

"I can't believe you're still on this kick!" Rachel shot back.

"What kick? What's going on??" Anna stammered.

"This is not a "kick" Rachel, it works. It's not the way you want it, but I'm living my life until it's time."

"Time for what?" A confused Anna sighed.

Rachel turned to Anna and explained.

"We both know that Josie has had her share of fly by nights..."

"Hey!" Josie exclaimed.

Rachel reformed her statement. "Heartbreaks, she's had a lot of heartbreaks. Remember the night Tony left?"

"As a matter of fact I do!" Anna exclaimed happy to now be apart of the conversation, she had been gone for months and it seemed she had no idea what was going on in her friend's lives. Since the wedding, they hardly talked anymore.

"That was the night Josie fussed and cussed for him to leave then when he started packin... she started trippin."

"Trippin ain't the word honey." Rachel put in with an image of her best friend only weighing in at 130 attemptingto sit on a 190 lb man so he wouldn't get up.

"Whatever girls. So what does Tony have to do with any of this? That ended, I went on. Isn't that what you said do?"

"Right Josie, but not replace one sack of potatoes with 3 and 4 bags of potato chips. You don't need all these men." Sang Rachel's single and loving it record ."Nick, Sam, Justin...." She then counted them off with her fingers.

Josie sighed with frustration. "No, I don't. How horrible for you to even suspect I'm doing this because I need them. See, that's the thing I hate about being a single woman. Just because I see a lot of men, for different purposes does not indicate that I'm desperate."

"No one said you were desperate." Anna said in her comforting voice.

"Need and desperate go hand in hand." Josie said. "You're still assuming I "have" to have something that I don't. Men do it all the time, but when they lay down the excuse, I can't commit because I'm not ready", then its okay. Well, I'm doing the same thing. I have them for what they are worth, till I'm "ready." I'm not in a relationship because it's my choice. I hate hearing whispers of "She's desperate" if I so happen to conversate with a nice looking stranger." Josie shot at Rachel seeing this battle as her fight also. Rachel's I don't need a man moto came out of her family's constant matchmaking.

"Okay now I'm clueless." Anna backed her chair away from the table and folded her arms in her usual I've had it stance. "What exactly is going on here?"

"Since we have to go there," Josie said, "after my breakup with Tony, there were no words to describe how utterly frustrated I felt about love, commitment and marriage. I tried really hard to make Tony happy, then I realized that I was the only one trying and knew I had to let it go, but I was scared too."

"Scared of what?" Rachel cut in. "It's not like he was there anyway. He wasn't good to you. He did nothing for you."

Josie raised her eyebrows, still tired of hearing Rachel's "He don'ts".

"That is true Rae," She continued, "but I wasn't scared of letting go. I was scared of starting over with someone else. I knew there would be another one, right around the corner. And I didn't want to spend or waste more time learning this other man when I already knew the bastard I had."

"What does this have to do with Nick, Sam and Justin?" Anna asked.

"Anna, you know me. I like the company of people. I don't see where I have to totally eliminate men from my vocabulary just because I've had a bad time or two. And too, I don't see why I commit to another asshole just to please the world. This is my time, my space, and my way. Tony didn't want the marriage like atmosphere we had going on. He still wanted to see other women for what ever reasons he had. I loved him, but whatever it was that I couldn't give him, he got it somewhere else. But what he couldn't give me, I just went without. Is that fair? Tony fulfilled only one emotion of mine, he was my friend. I could talk to Tony about anything. He was a great friend, but a horrible boyfriend. Now, that's where Sam comes in. Sam takes me out to dinner, we go to the movies or sit at home and have fun. Sam is my eternal date. We don't talk about my problems or do anything sexual, that is where Nick comes in. He knocks it down and hits the bricks."

"And Justin?" Anna asked.

"Justin is very crazy about me, he's just there for emotional support. He's a one call ego booster. All men have at least one. Anna, you've been one of them."

"Forget you Josie, I'm a married woman now. I don't have time for these games you singleton's play."

"Sure," Rachel folded her arms. "And it was a game that got you there."

Anna bucked her eyes and Rachel added quickly, "Don't front Anna! Henry didn't want you until you kicked him to the curb and started seeing Ro-Bert."
"So, but it wasn't a game, I got on with my life..."

Both girls grunted with annoyance from Anna's comments. "We told you to do that Anna! Have you totally forgotten your roots?" Rachel screamed.

"However it happened, Henry saw that he couldn't live without me."

"And you still wanted him back right?" Rachel said determined to get her point across.

"Of course, I married him."

"And you made him jealous on purpose,"

"Yes, well no. It was indirect. I wasn't playing a game."

"Whatever" Josie said, disgusted sometimes of how uptight Anna was. "You played the game and you won."

"Naturally. The game is done and has been but in the basement." Anna announced.

"On the contrary, the game goes on, the rules have just changed. You got the man for sure, now keep him. But we're talking about ME here." Josie rolled her eyes at the married friend.

"Okay," Anna proclaimed, " So Tony's gone and three men have replaced him?"

"Noooo! Tony's not gone. He's just on the back burner. Like I was. Now he's my friend. We still have a wonderful friendship."

"If you two are getting along now why don't you just get back together? Or just start a relationship with one of these guys?"

"If it was that easy, I would have been with Tony. I even tried throwing his stuff out the window and being hysterical. That seems to work for other women, you know... the one's who get the man and he just will not leave this crazy bitch? But, I can only be me. And I'm too cute to be looking stupid."

Rachel sighed jumping back into the conversation. She was leaned back with her arms folded. "Josie, I didn't know you were still seeing Tony. How is that working? You were crazy about that man."

"Still crazy about him Rae, I'm not going to lie, Tony had it down... the sex, the intimacy, the fun, the friendship but somehow it wasn't enough. So, maybe it will work out with us, maybe not. Maybe the right man will find me, maybe not. Until then, I'll have some Nick topped with whip cream, Sam in front of the tube, Justin on the phone, and Tony on the back burner. If it's meant, it'll work out regardless. No sweat on my behalf. No commitment intended. I'm young and having fun. Something you should be doing Rachel. Don't worry about what your family thinks. Unless a guy is ready for marriage, you're not giving him a return phone call. Stop making it all or nothing. Take a friend to your parent's house and tell them not to judge his nose with visions of what their future grandkids nose will look like. Announce that he's a friend. Don't take a chill pill, get a prescription for God's sake. Sit back and relax for while, and get free dinners in the process."

Rachel cared not to respond.

"But Josie, why don't you just pick a package, I'm sure at least one of them has some things you can tolerate."

"Anna, why tolerate? That means settling. I won't do that. Not anymore. If I'm an old decrepit woman without a mate, you guys'll take care of me."

"Sure," "Oh, yeah...right." They both said together while taking a sip of their drink almost choking. They all looked at each other and laughed.

"Okay," Rachel broke down. "Do your thing Josie. Maybe I'll consider going on a date, no strings and friendship only. It won't hurt I guess."

Josie smiled then looked at Anna.

"I support you Josie. We can double date with you and...which one is it? The date guy?"

"Sam."

"Right, and maybe we can go to church with Justin..." Anna smiled mischievously, "and take on an orgy with Nick."

"I knew you had some freak in you Anna."

They laughed, "One thing is for sure," Josie said, "the three of us make one hell of a perfect woman."

"I second that." Rachel said.

"I call it a done deal. Married for life and ready to change bed pans..." Anna winked at her friends, "just in case."