Jolene picked up the menu and looked over the specials of the day for the sixth time, or was it the eighth time? She had started to lose track of how many times she could read about the grilled steak served with a potato glaze and cooked in a red wine, whatever that meant. Apparently it was a dish that was created when the head chef swapped bodies with the janitor and allowed them to make a meal, becoming a large hit for the restaurant. Her eyes darted across the table to where an untouched menu remained sitting on the table, exactly where the hostess had placed it down. Her eyes moved up to the empty chair that sat on the other side of the table, still waiting for a warm body to sit down.

“Ma’am.” The voice of the waiter started Jolene as she jumped a little in her seat. Part of her hoped that it had been who she was waiting for, only to have been dashed away. “Would you like a little more time to consider your options?” The waiter, not so subtly, gestured to the empty chair.

“Just a little bit more,” Jolene said as she feigned her best smile.

The waiter nodded and walked away to other tables. Jolene could hear the other patrons murmur whispers to each other about her. She wanted to slink away and hide in the bathroom until the end of time. She could feel all the eyes that were on her. Maybe no one would notice if she just left. Jolene reached for her phone to look at the time. About 15 minutes past when the reservation was, and about 30 minutes since the time that Jolene had arranged to meet. Maybe it would be better to cut her losses.

“Ma’am,” the waiter said as they approached the table again. “I’m going to have to ask you to order something soon, or we have to give up your table to someone else.”

“That’s fine,” Jolene said as she slung her purse over her shoulder and tapped onto the edge of the glass of water she was provided. “I was just about to-”

“Oh, hey, there you are.”

Just before Jolene was about to get up, a blond haired man sat down on the other side of the table. He loosened up his green tie. “Oh good, the waiter is already …