Part 8 (1/2)
The two guys shook hands, and Todd said. ”So how did you two meet?” Christy thought he looked a little surprised.
”At school.” Katie gave Christy a startled look. ”Didn't Christy tell you? It was a designed meeting.”
Designed meeting? Katie, a week ago you would have said it was a *G.o.d-thing.' What's happened to you? What's this *designed meeting' stuff?
By then Todd was up at the window, and Michael quickly pulled some money from his pocket and told Todd, ”Two more of whatever you're buying.”
Todd paid for the tickets, and the four of them entered the theater. Katie chattered on as they found four seats together near the front, right when the previews began to run.
”Just in time,” Katie whispered to Christy. The two girls were wedged together, with the guys sitting on either side of them. ”Isn't this the cheekiest thing?”
”Cheekiest?” Christy questioned.
”Oh, Michael says it all the time.” Katie giggled. ”Isn't he terrific? Don't you just love this? Do you realize you and I are finally doing what we always wanted to? We're finally on a double date together!”
Christy smiled warily in the darkened room. ”Yeah, this is great!”
Michael put his arm around the back of Katie's chair, and she snuggled a little closer to him as the movie started. Christy slipped her right hand through Todd's arm, and he grasped her fingers and wove them around his.
Todd squeezed her hand as if to say ”Relax!” She gave him a squeeze back and settled into her seat. Katie was right. This was what Christy had always dreamed of, going to the movies and holding hands with Todd, double-dating with Katie and...that's where the dream didn't seem to match up. Christy had never imagined anyone like Michael in Katie's life.
Now that he was here, she didn't feel settled about him. Why couldn't it be Doug or Glen? Or any other normal guy from church? Why did Katie have to get involved with this strange guy, who most likely wasn't even a Christian? What was going to happen?
”We brought our own snacks.” Katie reached for Michael's leather backpack and pulled something from it. ”You want some?”
Come on. Christy, relax. Enjoy this time withjour friends. Sit back, eat some M&M's, and try to act like everything is the way it should be.
”Sure,” Christy whispered back. ”What did you guys smuggle in? M&M's? Snickers? Ding Dongs?” Christy tried to think of what other favorite junk food Katie might have brought with her.
”Raisins,” Katie said, offering Christy a small box. ”We brought raisins and unsalted sunflower seeds.”
”Raisins? You mean those chocolate-covered raisins?”
”Nope. Just plain, ordinary, healthy raisins. Michael says they're full of iron and something else. They're good. Really! Here, have some.” Katie plopped the little box in Christy's lap and tossed a handful of raisins into her own mouth.
She brought raisins. Katie is eating healthy raisins! Oh Katie, this is worse than I thought. You're really serious about this guy, aren't you?
”Do you have any bottled water?” Michael asked the waitress at Marie Callender's Restaurant and Bakery a few hours later when the foursome stopped in for an after-movie snack.
”Yes, we do. Would you like anything else?”
”No. thank you. Just water.”
The waitress turned to Christy. ”And for you?”
Christy felt a little embarra.s.sed ordering pie after Michael ordered only water. ”I'd like a piece of cherry pie, please.”
”Would you like that with ice cream or whipped cream?”
She thought ice cream sounded good but turned it down. ”No, thanks.”
”Would you care to have it heated?”
”No, thank you.”
”Good choice.” Michael leaned across the table and confided in Christy. ”It won't be until the next generation that we'll see the side effects of all this microwaving we've done to our food. Can't be good for humans, I think. Best to avoid it whenever possible.”
”Right,” Christy said with a slight smile.
”A small salad, please,” Katie ordered. ”No dressing.”
After the raisins in the theater, nothing should have surprised Christy, but Katie ordering a salad did.
”Not the iceberg lettuce,” Michael added to Katie's order. ”It retains pesticides even after it's been washed.”
”Would spinach be okay?” the waitress asked, looking a little annoyed at Michael, the ”nature boy.”
”Sure,” Katie said. Then turning to Christy, she mumbled in a low voice, ”I guess it wouldn't hurt to try spinach for the first time in my life. What do you think?”
Christy knew this was neither the time nor the place to tell Katie what she thought. Instead, she returned Katie's friendly smile and waited to see what recommendations Michael might have for Todd's order.
”Pumpkin pie with whipped cream and a gla.s.s of water.”
”Is tap water okay, or would you prefer bottled water as well?”
”No, city water is fine. Hasn't killed me yet.”
The waitress turned with a swish, and Christy felt certain she was miffed with them. Christy didn't like anyone to be upset with her. Not even a waitress.
”So tell me about Belfast,” Todd said to Michael, who jumped right in and in his wonderful accent talked about the political unrest in his beloved city. He told of being in a grocery store as a child and leaving only minutes before a bomb exploded. The bomb sheared off the front half of the store, but Michael and his mother were unharmed.
Christy enjoyed listening to Michael speak with such pa.s.sion about his homeland. She had to admit that his accent was charming, and he spoke with beguiling animation. Katie looked so proud to be with him. He was nice-looking in his natural, earthy sort of way. His thick, dark hair fit well with his fair skin and green eyes, and his personality and looks were intriguing. If only he would say he was a Christian, it would make everything perfect.
When the food arrived, Todd said, ”Would you guys mind if I prayed before we eat?”
”Pray for a piece of pie?” Michael asked with a laugh.
”I like to give thanks to G.o.d whenever He provides me with something to eat.”
Michael looked amused. ”But the waitress provided it. The cook prepared it. It's the money from your own pocket that will pay for it. What has G.o.d done to provide your pumpkin pie?”
Now it was Todd's turn to look amused. ”G.o.d made the pumpkin. I want to tell Him thanks.” Bowing his head, Todd said in a jovial voice, ”Thanks, Father, for making the pumpkin. Thanks too for making Michael. You did a good job on both of them. Amen.”
Michael laughed aloud. ”I don't suppose I've ever heard a prayer like that before. You sure G.o.d heard you?”
Todd nodded and gave Michael a confident smile. Just before the first forkful of pumpkin pie touched Todd's lips. he said with complete a.s.surance, ”Oh, yeah. He heard me all right. G.o.d hears.”
Michael took a swig of his bottled water and shook his head. ”Your friends are a bit daft, Katie. Anyone ever tell you that?”
”They're the best friends a person could ever hope for, Michael.” Katie quickly retorted, moving the spinach around on her plate, apparently trying to work up the nerve to take her first bite. ”You won't find better than these two anywhere.”