I saw her in a store, and almost didn't recognize her. "Time flies!" she said. "Do you remember last time we saw each other? You asked me to lunch." Did I remember?
It was ten years ago. I was earning very little then. She asked if I would treat her to lunch at Carlo's, a fancy restaurant. I couldn't really afford it, but I was too young to have learned to say no to a woman. In the restaurant, I glanced over the menu, and my heart sank at the prices.
"I hardly ever eat lunch, " she said. "And when I do, it's never more than one thing. I wonder if they have lobster." I asked the waiter, hoping he would say no. Yes, some exquisite lobster had just come in. I ordered it for my guest. The waiter inquired if she wanted anything else.
"No," she replied. "I never eat more than one thing, unless you have a little caviar." I knew I could not afford caviar, but I couldn't tell her that. I told the waiter to bring caviar. For myself I picked out the cheapest thing on the menu, a pasta dish.
"I think you're unwise to eat too many carbs," she commented. Next came the question of drinks.
"I never drink anything for lunch," she said.
"Neither do I," I said quickly.
"Except white wine," she went on. "It's exceptionally good for digestion." I ordered half a bottle, and some water for myself.
Throughout the meal, she chatted happily about her plans. She was starting a modeling career, she said. As she babbled on, I sat worrying about the bill.
The waiter came again.
"No, no, I couldn't eat any more... Wait a minute... Let me see the dessert list." My heart sank lower. I knew the desserts were guaranteed to be as expensive as everything else.
"Aren't you going to have any dessert?"
"No, I don't like sweet foods."
"Typical man. I think you ruined your appetite with those carbs."
"Coffee?" the waiter said.
"Yes, and also some of that mouth-watering cake, with ice cream and fresh cream," she answered.
I no longer cared, so I ordered coffee for myself as well.
"You know," she said, as she ate the dessert, "I believe you should always end a meal feeling you could eat a little more."
"Are you still hungry?" I asked weakly.
"Oh, no, I was talking about you. You've filled your stomach with carbs and you can't eat anymore. But I just had a light meal, so I could indulge myself with dessert." The bill came, and I was barely able to pay it. When I left the restaurant, I had three weeks until payday and hardly any money left.
"Follow my example," she said as we shook hands, "and never eat more than one thing for lunch."
"I'll do better than that," I said, "I'll eat nothing for dinner tonight."
"You're so funny," she replied, jumping into a cab.
When I saw her again at the store, I wanted to ask how the modeling was going. But the answer seemed evident. Unless she was modeling clothes for extremely large people, she was definitely pursuing a different career path.
我在店裡看到她時幾乎認不出來。「光陰似箭!」她如此說。「你還記得上次我們見面的時候嗎？你約我吃午餐。」我還記得嗎？
那是十年前了。當時我收入微薄。她問我能否請她去高檔的卡洛斯餐廳吃午飯。我其實負擔不起，但我太年輕還沒學會拒絕女生。在餐廳時我瞄了一遍菜單，標價讓我心中一沉。
「我幾乎不吃午餐。」她說。「如果要吃也不會超過一樣。不知道他們有沒有龍蝦。」我問了服務生，希望他說沒有。有的，一些肉質細緻的龍蝦剛送到。我為我的客人點了一份。服務生問她還要不要點其他餐點。
「不了。」她回答。「我從不吃超過一樣東西，除非你們有一點點魚子醬。」我知道我負擔不起魚子醬，但是不敢告訴她。我跟服務生點了魚子醬。自己則選了菜單上最便宜的品項，義大利麵。
「我覺得你吃這麼多碳水化合物很不明智。」她評論道。接下來該點飲料了。
「我午餐什麼都不喝，」她說。
「我也不喝，」我趕緊說。
「除了白酒之外，」她繼續說。「它對消化特別好。」我點了半瓶，然後自己要了一些水。
她整頓飯都興高采烈地聊著她的計畫。她說自己的模特兒事業正起步。當她滔滔不絕的時候，我卻坐著擔心帳單。
服務生又來了。
「不，不，我再也吃不下了...等一下...讓我看一下甜點菜單。」我的心更沉了。我知道甜點肯定跟其他東西一樣貴。
「你不吃甜點嗎？」
「不，我不喜歡吃甜食。」
「男生都這樣。我覺得那些碳水化合物壞了你的胃口。」
「要咖啡嗎？」服務生說。
「好，還有那種可口的蛋糕也來一些，搭配冰淇淋跟鮮奶油，」她回答。
我豁出去了，所以也點了一杯咖啡給自己。
「你知道嗎，」她邊吃甜點邊說，「我認為你應該在每次吃完飯的時候都覺得胃還有一點容納的空間。」
「妳還餓嗎？」我無力地問。
「喔，不，我是在說你。你的胃塞滿碳水化合物，才會什麼都吃不下。但我只吃了輕食，所以可以縱情於甜點。」帳單來了，我幾乎付不出來。當我離開餐廳時，還有三個禮拜才到發薪日，但口袋已經所剩無幾。
「照我的方法去做吧。」當我們握手道別，她說，「午餐永遠不要吃超過一樣東西。」
「我會做得更好，」我說。「我連今天晚餐也不吃了。」
「你真風趣，」她回應，然後跳進一輛計程車。
當我再次在店裡看到她，我很想問她模特兒當得怎麼樣。但答案似乎很明顯。除非她在當大尺碼模特兒，不然絕對是改行了。
- earn [ɝn] v.
賺得 - fancy [ˋfænsɪ] adj.
高檔的，昂貴的 - glance [glæns] v.
掃視，一瞥 - lobster [ˋlɑbstɚ] n.
龍蝦 - exquisite [ˋɛkskwɪzɪt] adj.
精緻的，精美的 - inquire [ɪnˋkwaɪr] v.
詢問 - reply [rɪˋplaɪ] v.
答覆，回答 - comment [ˋkɑmɛnt] v.
評論 - exceptionally [ɪkˋsɛpʃənəlɪ] adv.
特別地 - digestion [dəˋdʒɛstʃən] n.
消化 - caviar [͵kævɪˋɑr] n.
魚子醬 - carb [ˋkɑrb] n.
碳水化合物 - throughout [θruˋaʊt] prep.
在...的期間 - career [kəˋrɪr] n.
職業 - babble [ˋbæb!] v.
喋喋不休 - guarantee [͵gærənˋti] v.
肯定（有某種結果） - typical [ˋtɪpɪk!] adj.
典型的 - ruin [ˋrʊɪn] v.
毀壞，糟蹋 - appetite [ˋæpə͵taɪt] n.
食慾 - mouth-watering [ˋmaʊθ ͵wɔtərɪŋ] adj.
令人垂涎的 - indulge [ɪnˋdʌldʒ] v.
沉溺於 - barely [ˋbɛrlɪ] adv.
幾乎不 - payday [ˋpe͵de] n.
發薪日 - evident [ˋɛvədənt] adj.
明顯的 - extremely [ɪkˋstrimlɪ] adv.
非常 - definitely [ˋdɛfənɪtlɪ] adv.
一定 - pursue [pɚˋsu] v.
追求 - path [pæθ] n.
道路 - cab [kæb] n.
計程車
