April 25, 2007

Lunch with Lisa

I have lunch with my friend Lisa one day a week, usually Monday.

This week she picked the place, La Piazza, a favorite in our lunch rotation. We both have a fondness for Italian food and their pasta is good eats. For $8, I get a nice salad, fresh garlic bread, and stuffed shells florentine. The place smells divine. It's a feast, particularly welcome since Wendy and I have not been eating well at home. As soon as Lisa proposed the location I agreed, despite being attired in a white blouse. A white blouse that now has one tiny spot of tomato sauce that somehow avoided my bib. It was worth it.

A woman occupied a nearby table. My casual glance took in a frumpy middle-aged woman wearing frumpy middle-aged woman business attire: mid-length polyester skirt, blouse with a ruffled neck, panty hose and sensible shoes with a moderate heel, all in earthtones. A bottle of red wine and a glass kept her company as she nibbled on her salad, a paperback book held open in front of her. I couldn't see the title.

As we lunched, Lisa regaled me with tales from her recent trip to Italy, a two-week sojourn she took with her mother to visit their relatives.

Lisa and I can be loud. Just a tad boisterous. Yes, yes, I know how odd that must seem. Me? Loud? Boisterous? Well. It happens. Sometimes we don't whisper. We were happy to be where we were and enjoying our conversation. Several times during our meal, the woman with the wine joined us in laughter. She finally said, "I don't mean to eavesdrop, but we are sitting so close!" We smiled and laughed, nodding in understanding. The more, the merrier.

I'm not sure what gave it away. Her mannerisms? The way she held her head? The timbre of her voice? All of the above? Whatever it was, I was reminded that outward appearances can be deceiving.

Soon she finished her bottle of wine and left, waving farewell.

I looked at Lisa and said, "That wasn't a woman, was it?"

She just looked at me and said, "Duh."
We smiled.

It takes all kinds.

.

8 comments:

Me. Here. Right now. said...

A week or so ago, when I was out for a rare sojourn into adultland, I sat next to two couples comprised of two attractive, obviously straight women and two transmen, in their female attire which was quite like what you describe. Get thee to Nordstrom's, they have personal shoppers who can help you dress! Great story, gave me a great morning laugh.

Middle Girl said...

I pulled out my stored box of springy/summery tops recently, only to wonder why I'd bothered to store a box full o tops that must be replaced because...sauces keep missing the bibs. Long since given up wearing white.

Lunch with friends is a great time for boisterous. :)

Val said...

If you can't be boisterous with your friends, while eating and regaling each other with stories, then what good is it anyway?!! Sounds like a great lunch - spillage and all!

Unknown said...

Well I'll be damned! That story took a turn I wasn't expecting, but was extremely interesting all the same LOL! Sounds like you had a good time with a good friend. That's great :)

tiff said...

I've gotten many a look from the refined southern folks while out to lunch with friends. It's not like we're cussing a blue or anything, we just tend to get loud. :>

Never had anyone admit to eavesdropping....therefore, this is my new goal.

SassyFemme said...

"That wasn't a woman, was it?" ROFL, I love it!

I'm craving Italian food now that I read this!

Gina said...

Good times!

agoodlistener said...

Kathy and her sisters and all the respective husbands were out at dinner last weekend, and our youngest son (29) was visiting and came out with us. He now has shoulder length blondish hair and a great big bushy beard. Kathy calls him "the Taliban". A woman at the next table remarked about his appearance to her tablemates, though we couldn't hear what she said. My sister-in-law wanted to pop her one, but we restrained her. We're all going out again tomorrow (with a different long haired son). We'll see what happens.