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Earth To Trilby

“Did you see that?” Trilby grabbed Marta’s arm ferociously.

“Hey, this is brand new. Don’t rip the sleeve off.” Marta looked around. “What did I see?”

“You missed it?”

“What did I miss?”

“She handed him a box.”

“A box of what?”

“Who knows? She owns a bakery. It was probably something baked.”

“Sure, I guess so. Well, that’s bad. Right?”

“Kind of, but no. She handed it to him like she wanted to jam it down his throat.”

“Well, that’s good. Right?”

“Kind of. I guess. I don’t know. It does present an opportunity, though.”

“Opportunity?”

“Look at him! He’s standing still. He’s in line.”

“That’s new. He usually sneaks out the side door.” Marta slid out of her friend’s tourniquet grip.

“I’m on it. Come on. Don’t dilly dally.”

“Gee, Trilby. Calm down.”

“C’mon!” Trilby locked her icy blue eyes on Marta as if to mentally command her obedience.

Marta rolled hers in response and straightened her decorative blazer. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

Trilby scooted out of the pew and into line behind Jeb. Marta staggered out behind her.

Trilby looked at her friend with a joyous smile. They were standing right behind Jeb Powell.

Neither of them stood more than chest-high to him.

“Doesn’t this strike you as a problem?” Marta hissed into her friend’s ear.

“So, he’s tall. We knew that.”

“Maybe you should pick on someone your own size.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business.”

“Your wellbeing is my business. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

“I’m not going to chew on him. I’m going to, well, maybe. If he lets me.”

Marta leaned into Trilby hard with her shoulder. Trilby stumbled into Jeb’s back.

“I’m sorry.” He said as he turned around to see who had bumped into him. “Trilby?”

“Hi, Jeb.”

“Hi.”

“How are you?”

“Not sure, actually. Would you ladies like to join me for breakfast?”

Trilby smiled so widely, Marta thought her friend’s cheeks would rip.

“Is that a yes?” Jeb smiled.

“Definitely.” Trilby looked up at him.

“I don’t know if you need a third wheel.” Marta watched Aundrea slipping out the side exit.

“Third wheel?” Jeb shrugged. “The more the merrier, I say. I was going to invite Pastor Greg to come along.”

“Doesn’t he have to stay and do church stuff?” Trilby asked. Her eyes never left Jeb’s face.

“I suppose so.” Jeb stroked his bearded chin. “As long as I have you two to keep me company, it shouldn’t be such a long wait.”

The line was making its way slowly toward the pastor. Trilby wasn’t sure how she felt about having Pastor Greg along on her first date. She supposed that as chaperones go, Jeb couldn’t have picked one more certain to keep things from going too fast. Of course, Marta’s parents would probably be thrilled that she was dating a pastor.

“Earth to Trilby.” Marta said flatly.

“What?”

“You checked out on us for a moment. Are you feeling alright?”

Her chest began to tighten. “What? I feel fine. I’ve never felt better.”

“You’re looking a little pale, Trilby. Even by your standards.”

“No, I’m…”

“Where are my glasses?” Trilby asked.

“I’ve got them.” She heard Marta say.

“What happened? Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital.”

“The hospital? How’d I get here?”

“What do you remember?”

“Jeb invited us to have breakfast with him somewhere. We were chatting and now we’re here. What happened?”

“Apparently, your blood pressure bottomed out and you just keeled over. You bonked your head on the end of the pew.”

“My head?”

“Yes, Trilby. It was horrible. You were bleeding all over the place. It got all over my suit and Jeb’s pants and the carpet at church will probably have to be-”

“The church rug? Oh, my God. How much blood did I lose?”

“Well, I had to give you a transfusion in the ambulance on the way here.”

“A transfusion? Marta! You saved my life!” Trilby tried to sit up and hug her friend but she was all wired up and fastened down.

“Lie still, for Pete’s sake. Do you want to pass out again?”

“Oh, Marta. I ruined breakfast.”

“Oh, Trilby. I made you breakfast in bed. Don’t you remember? You didn’t ruin anything but the church carpet.”

“But Jeb is going to think I’m a pathetic loser.”

“No, I don’t.” Jeb said from somewhere in the periphery.

Jeb? He’s here? For me? “Jeb?”

“Hi, Trilby. Are you feeling better now?”

“Um, kind of? What’s that I smell?”

“Oh, I brought you a bouquet to brighten up your room.”

“How thoughtful.” She reached up to take it but the wires and tubes attached to her arm restricted her movement. “What the heck?”

“Here.” Jeb lowered them to where she could smell them and see them up close. It was as colorful as it was fragrant.

“Oh, they’re so nice. Thank you, Jeb. I’m sorry about your pants.”

“Not a problem. I stopped home and dropped them in the laundry.”

She was thinking about Jeb with his pants off when she started to get lightheaded again. A chorus of machines began beeping and flashing.

The nurse came in and chased everyone out. “I need you to take a couple of slow, deep breaths.”

Trilby complied as she settled back into her pillow.

“Have you eaten today?”

“Yes, Marta made a lovely breakfast for me.”

“Oh, that’s nice. You make a nice couple.”

“We what?” The machines began beeping again.

“Deep breath, Trilby. Take slow deep breaths.”

“We’re not a couple, um…”

“Julie. Right here on my name plate.”

“I’m sorry, Julie. I can’t see your name plate without my glasses.”

“Oh, your friend left them for you. Would you like help getting them on?”

“Yes, please.”

A teal blur moved around at the extent of her vision and drew closer. “Here you go. Carefully now.” She slid the glasses into place with care not to displace the oxygen tube that looped under her nose.

With her glasses on, Nurse Julie stopped being a teal blur and became a matronly redhead in teal scrubs.

“Thank you. That’s much better. Am I going to be alright?”

“You lost a fair amount of blood on site but your friend gave you a full unit on the way over.”

“She’s my best friend. We’ve been besties since Middle School. Practically sisters.”

“Uh-huh.” Julie fussed with her blankets and pillow. “In any case, you’re a lucky young lady to attract such devotion.”

“Devotion?”

“I know Jeb. He built a curio shelf for me. Beautiful work. I couldn’t get more than three words out of him at any given time. Not only was he speaking to you in full sentences but he went all the way out to his farmstead, changed his clothes and came all the way back with a bouquet for you. I’ve never seen such a thing. He must be as madly in love with you as your girlfriend is.”

“Julie! Marta is not my girlfriend. She’s just my best friend ever and Jeb hardly knows me. How can he be…? What makes you think he’s madly in love with me? It’s just a bouquet of…” She turned her head to look at the enormous bush of flowers he’d brought for her. “Oh, my goodness. Are you serious? He’s in love with me?”

“You’d have to be blind not to see it, honey.” Julie grabbed a clipboard and began making notes about all the readings on the machines she was connected to.

Trilby adjusted her glasses nervously. “Well, you don’t have to rub it in.”