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“I know you won’t blow smoke up my ass, if you’ll excuse the disgusting imagery.” Emily was used to being teased by her friends about her boobs. “So yes, I’m guessing this guy likes big women. How lucky am I? But I’m not going to get too excited because it’s just a swimming date at my pool. It might not go anywhere after that.”
“Emily, you’re such a catch, and you don’t even realize it.”
“Okay, let’s talk about you now. What’s going on?”
“I’m working at the library again, three days a week. I think Billy got cold feet because we aren’t talking marriage again. Ha! Didn’t I go through this with him last year? He doesn’t want me to lose my alimony. If I get married again, I’ll have to move out of the house, and I like living here.”
“Aw, I was looking forward to you being my neighbor.”
“I can’t live up there permanently. It’s beautiful, but I’d miss my shopping.”
“You sound like my mother,” Emily said, laughing. “Okay, I’ll let you go. If I’m entertaining tomorrow, I’d better get busy and clean this place. By the way, I think I lost five pounds this week doing the physical labor.”
“Good for you! Talk later!”
With a smile, Emily went inside the house to prepare for her guest. While she cleaned house, Paul and Danny washed the truck and the battalion chief’s SUV.
“I’m glad I don’t have to lug a weed whip around every day,” Danny complained. “My arms feel like they’re going to fall off.”
“Remember you’re still recovering from trenching for twelve hours a week ago. No wonder you ache.”
“Don’t you?”
“I ache,” he replied. “And I’m starving.” He said it just as the dinner bell rang.
“Let’s eat before that alarm goes off,” Danny said, emptying the soapy water onto the gravel.
They went inside, up to the dining hall. A neighbor had prepared a turkey dinner for them. They served themselves and took plates of food out to the dining room.
“Who was that girl you were talking to?” Danny asked.
“Emily Porter. Kindergarten teacher.”
“She’s a heavy-duty beauty.”
The remark pissed Paul off, but he dug deep to get his poker face in place. “We have a date tomorrow.”
“Oh, bro, sorry about that. She’s nice looking. But she’d be a real looker if she lost thirty or forty pounds.”
Paul ignored him; let him keep putting his foot in his mouth as he rambled on.
“After Bethany, it’s like you’re purposely sinking to a new low. You had those two gorgeous babes at your place the other night, the vet and the college student. They were both trying to get your attention. Thank you for passing them on to me. Why would you settle for Emily Portly, er, Porter when you could have those other two?”
But the name-calling was too much, even for Danny.
“You’re a jackass, Ferguson,” Paul said. “Quit while you’re ahead.”
Taken aback, Danny rambled on in defense of his words until one of the other men who had been listening told him to shut up. “You are being a dick, Fergie. Knock it off before I beat the shit out of you.”
Laughter went around the table, but it had a deleterious effect on Danny, his face flushing, fists clenched.
“This is a delicious dinner,” someone called out.
“Yummy,” Paul said, breaking the ice. “Let’s move on.”
“Sorry, bro,” Danny mumbled.
But Paul didn’t reply. He knew Danny wasn’t really sorry. The situation revealed something about him that Paul had suspected, but had let go because they’d gone through high school and fire academy together and hired in at the same station. For all Paul’s unsophistication, he was not superficial, and Danny was. He was shallow. At least he was being shallow at that time.
