The next time Eden and Annie saw Meg, she was with Park, and there was no trace of the crying, nearly cowering, shrinking woman that had accompanied the other man to the coffee shop on Meg’s previous visit. The coffee house employees watched the couple as they always did, and Meg and Park did what they always did. Leaned in. Made eyes at one another. Smiled constantly. Left with longing painfully painted into their expressions.
“How long would you give it?” Annie asked one day after Meg and Park had finally left after a lingering goodbye by the door that lasted a full ten minutes.
“Hard to say,” Eden said. “I mean, clearly, she was over that other man a long time ago. How, long has she been coming in here to see Park?”
“A year?” Annie said, her tone raised in a question.
Eden considered that. “So if a year ago, she as already thinking about an out, it might not be very long until they actually do get together.”
“If they aren’t together already,” Annie said.
The next week when Park came in, he came to the counter immediately, instead of waiting for Meg like he normally did. He was smiling, but he was also shaking. Eden was briefly concerned until Park pulled a small black box from his pocket and popped it open for her to see. Without preamble, he asked, “Do you think she’ll like it?”
Annie was peering over Eden’s shoulder to see. The ring was an emerald cut diamond. Eden guessed it was a half carot. A simple solitaire in a white gold band. She imagined it sliding down Meg’s finger, and the shining smile she would have to match its sparkle.
“Yes, Park. I think she will like it.”
As soon as the words left her, Meg came through the door. Today she was looking as sharp as always, her slim fit blazer dressing up the blue jeans she wore. Her nubuck heels clicked against the tile floor, a crisp sound filling the stillness of the shop. Park was frozen in place as she approached him, and he didn’t hide the ring box. Eden was as stiff as stone, and Annie didn’t move as inch, both transfixed on the couple standing before them.
Meg noticed that everyone was staring at her. She slowed, and then noticed what Park was holding out for Eden and Annie to see. “Park, is that…?”
He didn’t wait for her to finish. He dropped to one knee in front of her, nervously holding up the ring box and sputtering, “I know, we’re not even really together, Meg, but I love you so much and I just thought that maybe we could skip right to the end.”
The coffee house went silent. Meg’s face betrayed no expression for an uncomfortable eternity. Then she began to cry. It was an ugly cry, but one that Eden could tell was born of relief and joy. Not at all the like crying she had seen from her when she and her ex-husband had been in together, arguing and signing papers. She didn’t wipe her face. She didn’t say anything. She just wept in front of God and everyone, until Park couldn’t take it, and rose to wrap her in his arms.
Eden stole a quick glance to Annie, who was also transfixed on the strange proposal and Meg’s response. He proposed to her, but they weren’t even dating? Eden wasn’t sure what to think, but she could hear Meg and Park whispering to one another as they embraced, and it didn’t sound like her answer was no. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling. There three other patrons in the coffee house were all watching too, as Park took the ring from the box and slipped it on Meg’s finger. Somebody whistled, and then there was clapping. Meg was still crying, but now she was also beaming. Park was also crying, and smiling, and Eden also felt like her eyes were too wet.
Park and Meg turned to face her, and before they could say anything, she blurted, “Whatever you want is on me today.”
Park tried to protest, but she insisted. She rang in their drinks and watched the couple as Annie started to make them. The rest of their time together was the same as it always was, although Eden was sure there was a glow coming off them.
When they left, Annie bumped her with an elbow. “Told ya,” she said.
“You didn’t tell me anything! I told you!” Eden said, laughing.
Annie sighed. “Who are we going to gossip about now?”
Eden wondered at that too. She felt like she was a part of Meg and Park’s story now. No longer an outsider. It wasn’t quite as fun to imagine what was happening, because now she didn’t need to imagine.
“There’s always people to watch,” she said, just as a patron she had never seen before came in the door.
The next day, Annie was not working and Eden wished that was not the case around 11:30, when Meg walked into the coffeehouse with another guy. It was nearly shocking. Meg’s entire demeanor was different. She was not smiling. Her hair was not shining. She was not glowing from happiness. She looked tired, old and mean, even though she was wearing the same kind of sharp outfit complete with blazer and heels that always adorned her. Even her earrings seemed to have less life in them, as they dangled around her face.
“Hey Meg,” Eden said as she approached the counter. “You want the usual?”
Her eyes when wide at the question, and before she could answer, the man she was with looked at her curiously and asked, “The usual?” He was a whole head taller than Meg. He had graying curly hair and a very trim beard. He looked like an aging villain from a Saturday morning cartoon. Handsome, yet ominous, smiling but in a dangerous way. Meg seemed to shrink away from him when he spoke to her.
“I come here a lot for work,” she said, brushing away his inquiry. “The usual is fine,” she said to Eden.
Eden wished she could pass her a note. Meg was clearly in distress with this man. Why didn’t they have something like an “angel shot” on the menu, only known to those who used the women’s bathroom. She wondered if she mentioned it, if Meg would pick up on what she was asking. Instead, Eden just stared at her for too long, smiling, waiting for her to say anything, or suggest anything, or ask for anything else from her. When she didn’t, Eden very slowly turned her attention to the man. “And what can I get for you?” she asked.
“The usual, I guess,” he said. He was smiling, but Eden could see the way it made Meg shudder. She stepped out of the way so that man could pay and Eden’s eyes went to the man’s left hand, where she saw a plain gold wedding band. Her stomach dropped. This man must be Meg’s husband.
“Anytime else?” Eden asked, trying not to let her voice waver. She glanced at Meg, who just looked away from her, and crossed her arms. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“No,” the man said. And he sounded rude when he said it.
Eden made the drinks and passed them over to the couple. When they left the counter, she immediately pulled out her phone and texted Annie. She’s in here with another guy.
Meg? Annie’s reply was instant.
I think it’s her husband. I don’t like him. I don’t think she likes him. She furiously typed out all the details, sending about 12 messages in a row before she finally ran out of things to say about it. She chewed on her thumbnail as she tried to watch the two of them surreptitiously. They were arguing in hushed tones. The man had a folder full of papers that he was flipping through, pointing things out to her as she shook her head. Eventually, Meg got up from the table and headed towards the bathroom.
She’s going to the bathroom. I’m going to follow her and ask what is going on.
Annie sent a thumbs up emoji with the words Good choice. This guy sounds like a prick.
Eden waited about a minute before she started to move. “Wendy, I’m stepping away,” she called to the back room, where her coworker for this shift was organizing the delivery from that morning. Eden marched to the bathroom and nearly threw open the door in her haste to find out what was going on with Meg. When she entered the bathroom, she heard the crying, but it quickly stopped.
She was in one of the two stalls. Eden didn’t even pretend like she needed to use the unoccupied one. “Meg?” she asked softly.
The sniffling stopped, but she didn’t answer. After about a minute of uncomfortable silence, the stall door opened and Meg emerged, wiping away her tears with a wad of toilet paper. She looked at Eden with desperation, but the words that came out of her mouth were, “It’s okay, Eden. Don’t worry about me.”
Eden wasn’t going to let her back away though. “It’s not okay,” Eden said. “I can see that. I’ve never seen you look…like this,” she said, gesturing at Meg. “Do you need to call somebody? You want me to get the police to get him out of here?”
“No!” Meg said. She looked horrified, but only for a moment, before it melted into a smile. “No, Eden, I don’t need that. Although, I really appreciate you looking out for me.”
“Of course,” she said. She was confused, but she was just going to let the situation play out. “I wanna help, if I can. What can I do?”
“Well,” Meg said, moving to the sink and starting to wash her hands. “You can let me finish signing the divorce papers, so that he can get out of here.” She finished washing, and pulled a paper towel from the dispenser. She looked right at Eden, and she could see that beautiful, bright smile, the one she had when she was with Park, trying to spread across her face. “I love that you came in here to check on me.”
“I…I had to,” she said.
Meg nodded. “You’re a really sweet person,” Meg said. She threw the paper towel away and moved around Eden towards the door. “Hopefully this won’t take long.” She left the bathroom, leaving Eden with too many questions.
She pulled her phone out of her smock. It is her husband. They’re getting divorced.
The Quick and the Dead 