EATING OUT:...Dining Solo In The City Of Palms...How She Ate...How My Food Got Cold...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | I sat solo three tables over but with a straight line of view from her eyes to mine. I would look over and see her mouth receive the fork and take the food to her teeth, which were pretty, even from the five- or six-feet distance that separated us at the restaurant.

She was not all that attractive, although certainly not unattractive.

Initially, I had looked at her because of the slow way she ate. It was almost melodic, perfect timing and for sure a sexy bite accompanying her every bite. I had caught her style after the third or fourth look-over.

Perhaps it was her usual way, but I was taken by how she would lift the fork up to her mouth, grab the piece of meat by her teeth and then stash it there while chewing it. The fork would stay up there next to her lips, as if some moment of thanks.

And here's why we're here: Unnerved is what I was when she began taking a bite and then looking over to me. For a brief moment, but it was discernible. I wanted to run over to her table and kiss her, a huge smack right there right behind the next bite.

As I said the semi-attractive woman, about in her mid-30s, was no great beauty. She was, however, messing with my mind and especially with my own lips, which were dying to get over there. It never happened.

But when she got up to leave, she threw me a Texas wink, one adorned with a tiny smile and an open range flirtatious look all across her face, teen-age laughter on a fast gallop from her lungs.

I was having meat loaf and it had gotten cold...

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