Sudden horror crawled up Anne’s arms. She’d been observed, and without noticing it. “You’re making me sound like I have a problem.”
She pulled into a parking spot, then looked at Sadie, who had her eyebrows raised. She didn’t have to speak out loud; that look did it for her.You said it, I didn’t.
There was nothing wrong with her. Anne ate just like every other woman she’d known before Sadie entered her life: three meals a day with light portions and wholesome nutrients, everything organic and healthy. And on those rare occasions when a snack was called for, she’d indulge in three or four of the no-shell pistachios she kept wrapped up in her purse. After all, you only got one body, and it was your responsibility to give it the cleanest possible fuel. How was that a problem?
“Do you want to have this conversation?” Sadie asked quietly. “We can. Not in retaliation. A real talk.”
Anne didnotwant to have any sort of conversation on this particular subject. No conversation was necessary. She didn’t have a problem.
And she’d goddamn well prove it to make her point.
“I’m getting a fucking cheeseburger,” she announced and then unbuckled her seatbelt as Sadie’s jaw dropped.
Inside, Burger Bliss was a fluorescent-and-neon nightmare. The sad miniature ficus trees on top of the trash bins did precisely jack shit to make the place any less formulaic or depressing. The only positive Anne could see was that the place was nearly empty. At least they’d have some privacy while she forced down her grease vessel.
While Sadie went to order for them at the front counter, Anne grabbed an out-of-the-way booth in the back corner. The fabric of her cotton joggers stuck to the plastic seat, and she pulled one leg up with disgust. When was the last time anyone had cleaned this place?
At least making her point to Sadie seemed uncomplicated compared to—everything else. Anne would eat a cheeseburger right in front of Sadie, and then Sadie would have to admit she’d been wrong. Plain and simple.
She looked up in surprise when, after only a few minutes, Sadie returned with a tray containing two wrapped burgers, twosodas, and an order of fries. Anne had been counting on more time to brace herself.
“Already? Did they actually make the food to order, or is it just hanging out in the kitchen all day waiting to murder some innocent taste buds?”
“You can summarize a seawater quality report, you can pull a perfect simile out of thin air, and you can plan a flawless fundraiser with one manicured hand tied behind your back, but you can’t figure out that ‘fast food’ means fast food. What a shame.” Sadie sat down across from Anne, sliding the tray in front of them.
“Ugh.” Anne poked at the wrapped burger with one finger. A sudden spike of anxiety sliced through her, hot and queasy. “It looks menacing. Like it can’t wait to clog my arteries.”
Sadie’s brow furrowed. “Look, I won’t push for you to do this. If it bothers you that much to even think about eating it, maybe—”
“Bothers me?” Never mind that Sadie was right. Like hell Anne would ever admit it out loud. “It’s a pile of processed chemicals. I’m notafraidof a pile of processed chemicals.”
“That’s my girl,” Sadie said softly. “Then give it to yourself.”
Given how hot they’d suddenly gotten, Anne’s cheeks probably resembled brake lights. It was foolish, incredibly foolish—she was a grown woman past menopause, not a girl!—but just the thought of beingSadie’sgirl made her feel so—
Unable to make eye contact with Sadie, Anne unwrapped the burger. Of course she didn’t have a fork and knife, meaning she couldn’t do this in a dignified manner. Well, nothing about her life at the moment was dignified. Why should this particular meat-filled instance be any different?
She picked up the burger, aware of Sadie’s intent focus on her, and made a spur-of-the-moment decision. Anne Lowell didn’tdo half measures. No dainty nibbling. If she had to do this, then she would cannonball into the deep end.
She shoved way too much of the burger into her mouth and bit down.
A sharp, shocking burst of salt flooded Anne’s mouth, cheese and meat and ketchup kicking her tongue as she began to chew. Her eyes widened.Flavor. Real flavor. She’d almost completely forgotten what that tasted like. No faded pastels, just bright, deep primary colors. A stadium roar inside her. Exclamation points.
How long had it been since she’d eaten anything like this?
Astonished, she groaned.
Sadie’s intent expression shifted suddenly, that stunned look she’d had at Anne’s house returning. Her lower lip disappeared briefly under her front teeth.
“God,” Anne managed before she swallowed. “Oh my God, that’sgood. You were right. This is incredible.”
“I’ve never felt closer to you than I do right this second.” The words should’ve been light, but Sadie’s tone was off, almost hesitant. “You’ve got some of it on your face.”
Anne looked around her tray for napkins. “I should get—”
“Let me,” Sadie said. “Please.”
And then she reached across the table and touched her two extended fingers to the side of Anne’s mouth.