The Truth Behind a Smile

“Fine, I’ll sit in the stupid chair.” Hugo plopped into the chair and glared at Stephen, letting Stephen know he was doing him a favor.

“Thank you,” Ana said sweetly as she reached for the handles of the chair.

Stephen stopped her and grabbed the handles.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

“I’m just going to wheel my friend out of the hospital.”

“But a staff member has to be the one to escort the patient out of the hospital.”

“Well, my mother would be disappointed if she saw me letting a pretty lady push my friend around while I just stood by and did nothing.”

“But I really should be the one who’s pushing his chair out.”

Stephen leaned close to Ana’s ear and whispered to her, “I know you mean well, but he’s already a big baby about sitting in this thing, and if our friends outside see him being pushed out by a nurse he’s just going to feel even more embarrassed. Will you let me do this for him?” Stephen leaned back, a cheesy grin on his face.

Ana couldn’t help but smile back. “Fine. I will never understand men.” She opened the door to let the two men out.

Stephen and Ana talked as he wheeled Hugo out, and, distracted by their conversation, he almost bumped into a wall and then into a gurney. Stephen turned what should have been a two-minute trip into a long walk by moving slowly and stopping often so he could continue talking with Ana. She fed into the conversation but urged him forward whenever he blocked the flow of traffic in the hall. Eventually, the three of them made it outside, where Frank and Tyler had been waiting in Frank’s truck.

“There you guys are. It’s about time!” Frank exclaimed.

“Yeah, get me out of here.” Hugo lifted himself out of the chair and walked over to the truck to greet Frank and Tyler. He shot a last look at Stephen as he jumped into the passenger seat.

“Well,” Stephen said to Ana, “I guess we gotta say goodbye now.”

“I guess so.” She smiled eagerly at him.

Suddenly all the ease Stephen had built up throughout their walk in the hospital disappeared and a golf-ball-sized lump appeared in Stephen’s throat as he debated on asking her to go out with him again.

“Well, thank you.” Stephen said as he shot out his hand again like he did when he had first spoken to her in the hallway early in the morning.

Ana looked at his hand and disappointedly smiled as she took it and told him, “It was a pleasure.”

The two stood there for a moment, awkwardly shaking hands. Finally, Stephen let go. “Well, goodbye, Ana.”

“Goodbye, Stephen.” She smiled as he turned to go.

Stephen looked up from the ground as he walked away and saw the evil look that Hugo was giving him and instantly gained the courage to turn around. “Hey, I really enjoyed talking to you. Would you want to get dinner sometime?”

“I was starting to think you were really about to leave without asking.” An enormous smile lit up Ana’s face. “Yes, I would love to. Are you free tonight? I get off at 4:30.”

“Uhhh, yeah, yeah. I’m free. Tonight’s perfect. Um, where can I pick you up?”

“I wrote my number on your friend’s doctor’s note, hoping you’d see it. Pick me up at, say, six?”

“Six tonight. You got it.” A smile as large as Ana’s covered Stephen’s face, which he felt turning red. “I’ll see you then.” He walked slowly backward, waving goodbye.

Ana bit her lip and waved back.

Stephen jumped into the bed of the truck, his eyes on Ana as Frank drove off.

* * *

A cloud blocked the sun, softening its light before it passed through the mesh-reinforced windows, shining a kinder light on Stephen’s face, erasing some of the wrinkles and creases. I wasn’t sure whether it was the illumination or the fact that Stephen had enjoyed sharing this story a little more, but his smile felt genuine whereas the previous ones had seemed forced.

“We ended up going to this little steakhouse a few minutes outside of Beaumont. A real nice place with classy woodwork, inside and out. We got steaks of course, and let me tell you, that girl was frying size, but she could eat like a horse after race day. She scarfed down her steak so fast I almost choked on mine just watching her.” Stephen laughed as he picked at the inside of his palm.