Page 75 of Rigid

“Calling her a bitch.”

Thank you.

P-Nut shrugged one shoulder. “Didn’t call her a bitch.”

“You said, gotta respect a bitch that’ll carry her own boxes.”

“Yep, sure did.”

“And, I’m saying you need to watch it.”

“Big difference between saying what I said and calling someone a bitch.”

Eager to hear his explanation, my head swiveled back and forth between P-Nut and Smokey.

Smokey put his hands on his hips and sighed. “You just called her a bitch.”

“Listen carefully,” P-Nut said. “Gotta respect a bitch that’ll carry her own boxes. That, my friend, is giving a bitch much needed respect. Hey, bitch, get away from my bike. That, my friend, is calling a bitch a bitch.”

Smokey narrowed his eyes and stared back at him. “I don’t see the difference.”

Eddie glanced at me, grinned, and rolled her eyes.

I smiled back at her, then flopped down on the loveseat and waited for the conclusion of the argument.

P-Nut shook his head and then turned toward the kitchen. “You’re simple-minded, that’s why you ain’t seein’ it, Smoke. The difference is there.”

“Where you going?” I asked.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Getting’ a beer.”

Smokey cleared his throat. “I’m not done with this.”

“Nothing more to talk about,” P-Nut said. “No harm no foul.”

While P-Nut got a beer from the fridge, Smokey turned toward me. “Do you like being called a bitch?”

I shrugged. “I don’t…it…I…” I widened my eyes and grinned falsely. “It’s…I’m okay. It wasn’t a big deal.”

His lips thinned and he glanced down at the floor. After exhaling through his nose, he looked up. “Do. You. Like. Being. Called. A. Bitch?”

Oh, wow.

I shook my head. “No.”

Smokey turned toward the kitchen and tilted his head back. “You offended her, Nut.”

“Sorry, Sandy.”

“Bullshit,” Smokey said. “Come in here and say it. Doesn’t count if you’re not looking at her. Apology from the kitchen while you’re sipping a beer doesn’t count.”

“Who the fuck makes up these rules?” P-Nut complained.

“No cussing in the house, P-Nut,” Eddie hissed.

I felt like I’d joined the circus. As the sound of someone chugging beer came closer and closer, I glanced over my shoulder.

“Didn’t mean to offend you,” P-Nut said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “But I wasn’t calling you a bitch in the bitch context, I was calling you a bitch in the affectionate context. Like when people say, that’s my bitch. Or, you’re my bitch. In the right context, anything can be said.”