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“Okay then,” he said to a dead line and hung up.
It was better this way. Then it came to him. He didn’t like her. He liked the superficial Lily that everyone saw, but the real Lily, the scary Lily, he didn’t like her. He was glad she didn’t know all his skeletons.
Getting in his car, he made his way to the convenience store to have coffee with Pam. She was already there with two coffees, standing outside like a teenager, her hair in a ponytail, big dark glasses.
“You look great,” he said, taking the coffee from her.
“The glasses hide a multitude of sins,” she said, sipping coffee. “I reached a crossroad last night. This is probably not the kind of thing you tell a guy, but we’re friends, and I like not having to pretend with you. I’m not going to be young again. I’ll do what I can to look nice, but I’m tired of trying to look younger.”
“Okay. You know I support that one hundred percent,” he said. “I hated it that you had plastic surgery for me.”
“It wasn’t completely for you, Dan. Well, maybe a little bit. But I’ve had more since. Not as extensive. My ass appreciated it because that fanny lift was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had. I had stitches across both cheeks where they cut into the tissue and sewed it back together.”
“Oh God, knock it off,” he cried, bending over. “I feel like I just got kicked in the balls.”
She laughed at him. “It was awful. From now on it’s going to be the natural me.”
“I think you’re beautiful, Pam. Always have.”
“So! What are you going to do about Lily?”
“I already did it, and she told me to fuck off.”
“Oh, not so good.”
“No, it’s perfect. And as I’ve just discovered, I’m the only one who is alone. Even Hocus has a person.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to go it alone. I want to find out what I’m avoiding by numbing myself with these relationships that never go anywhere, and if they do, I destroy them.”
“Do we have Lily to thank for this?”
“No, actually, Marcus.”
“Why Marcus?”
Dan told her about Marcus’s growing issues with discrimination in the classroom and his struggle with acceptance.
“I can’t help my son if I don’t work on myself.”
“I’m shocked. Lisa never mentioned a thing to me.”
“She doesn’t want you to worry. So I go into the school and raise hell. I’m not allowing it. If the teachers won’t nip it in the bud, I’ll sue them.”
“I’m ready for my family to win a few lawsuits for a change. I’m glad school is almost out for the summer.”
“That was a class act, inviting Andrew Roman to your party, by the way.”
“I did it for Jake. He’s become friends with him. And now I guess I did it for Sandra, too, because they hit it off.”
“I’m glad for her,” Dan said. “Alex Morrison was too old for her.”
“Right. He was too old for me, and we’re the same age.” She downed the last of her coffee. “I guess I’d better head home. Hocus is keeping the grandmothers’ creeps in line so I could get a breather. She wants to read palms this afternoon, so I’ll relieve her.”
“Thanks for having coffee with me,” Dan replied. “Do you want to take a walk on the beach later? I thought I’d get my boys and do beach time with them.”
“Sure. Send me a text. I’ll beachcomb.”
