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“Good,” he replied. “You know. Just hangin’ out, taking it day by day.”
“One paying customer at a time,” I said.
“Yep. And you? You here for the reunion?”
It seemed like a stupid question but I was in one of those situations where any talk was good talk. I wanted to avoid awkward silence.
“I sure am.”
Why was I using the word sure so much, like I was some kind of Mayberry mom? Or was that a Wisconsin thing? Like, “I sure am, dontcha know?”
Ha! Just kidding around. If you’re from Wisconsin, don’t hate me. You guys have outstanding cheese, and the Packers are the only football team I watch (ever since the yummy Brett Favre I’ve been kinda hooked) and Wisconsin Dells fucking rocks!
Ok, enough kissing my Wisconsin friends’ asses. Love ya, dontcha know? Wait, is that more North Dakota than Wisconsin? Fuck it. Back to my story. I was worried I’d be stuck talking to Roy, but Jill poked her head in and all attention went to her. Thank God.
“No fucking way!” he said.
Yes, before you ask, Jill fucked him too. Like I said, he was a football playing hunk. How could she pass that up? She couldn’t.
“I need a drink,” Jill said. “Ben keeps singing fucking hits from the nineties. If I have to hear ‘Baby Got Back’ one more time I think I’m gonna puke.”
“Jilly?” Roy screeched.
And I do mean screeched. Sounded like a car coming to a halt.
“Yes?” she replied, obviously having no clue who he was.
I had to stifle my laughter. This poor guy, who’d had such a way with the ladies, and by way I mean his way, was having a hell of a time reconnecting with them.
“Jill,” I said, “Remember Roy Brady? That guy you were so into back in the day?”
She glanced at me quizzically. The name wasn’t ringing a bell. Then again, he was younger than she was so it wouldn’t surprise me if she’d fucked him without ever learning his name.
“Roy,” Jill said, turning the name over in her head with a fake smile only her best friend would recognize. She was about to turn on the charm. “Of course I remember Roy. How could I forget?”
“You guys should totally hookup tonight at the reunion,” I teased.
She could kill me later. Watching her squirm was totally worth it. Ben saved her, as he bounded through the door, waved at Roy, and said, “Hey Roy! Good to see you!”
How the fuck does he remember him?
This time it was Roy’s turn to look confused. He had no idea who Ben was, but that didn’t surprise me. Ben had put on a bit of weight and other than being the showtune singing drama club member, Ben didn’t make an impression on many of our classmates. Some would mutter the word “queer” as he passed in the hall and the quiet girls in his classes loved him, but to anyone else, he failed to exist. We had a large graduating class though.
I couldn’t pay Roy quickly enough. I only wanted to get to the hotel. The thought of facing more people I had no desire to see made me nervous. That was the evening I had to look forward to. The sole reason for me being back home was to go to a big room full of people I’d avoided for many years. Why had I been so willing to come along for this trip?
***
The hotel was big and brand new. Jill hopped out of the car, yanked
her bag out of the backseat, and bounded up the steps, leaving Ben and me in her dust. She was way too excited for this weekend. Me? I was busy trying to come up with a way to explain my job. Saying that I sold the advertisement space surrounding an indoor arena sounded too lame.
“Are you gonna lie?” I asked Ben as he passed me the handle to my rolling suitcase while humming what sounded like the chorus to Tom’s Diner, you know the doot…doot…doo…doot…”
“Lie about what?” he replied. “I’m out and proud and there’s no way I’m going back into the closet.”
“No, about your job.”
“What? I love my job! What’s not to love about being a personal shopper?”
