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This was met with groans, but I couldn’t help myself. I loved Tawny’s stories. I loved her wild optimism.
She beamed at me, and I smiled right back. Anything was possible, right? Why not Tom Cruise hanging out in rural Oklahoma?
I kept an eye on the time while we worked, knowing I needed to say goodbye and get ready, even though I’d just gotten on. I couldn’t exactly go in what I was wearing. I still had a mustard stain on my shirt, and I’d grown tired of having my hair down in my mother’s hot kitchen, so I’d thrown it into a bun on the top of my head. But then Winnie texted, saying she was coming over in a few, so I’d just wait until she arrived. By then, I’d be done with this last star.
Chapter 16 - Isaac
After college, when I got my own apartment, I went years without meeting most of my neighbors. The second I moved into the historic Craftsman bungalow I decided to buy last year, all my neighbors found me. They came as a small horde and inspected the moving truck, welcomed themselves to a walk-through, instructed me on how to care for the bushes in my front yard, and invited me to their monthly neighborhood watch meetings. These days, I couldn’t pull my truck into the driveway without being accosted by at least one of them. Usually, it was the kids playing street hockey with little skill and a lot of noise, or one of the many retirees patrolling the neighborhood. I sort of loved it.
It took me a while to realize there was one set of neighbors who never came out. Mimi and Beebee were elderly sisters who lived next door and watched TV all day. I assumed their reclusiveness was out of choice, so it wasn’t until the neighbor kids tossed my soccer ball over their fence that I introduced myself. Turns out, they liked visitors to join them in their TV watching. It took three episodes ofThe Golden Girlsto get my ball back. And a promise to come the next day.
Mimi and Beebee had come to expect my visits after work, including the flowers I brought for the vase they kept on their kitchen table.
Today, I brought vivid pink peonies to match the color of Beebee’s hot pink lipstick. The woman gasped in mock horror when I mentioned it and called me a cad. She’d probably get along famously with Uncle G, but that match wasn’t likely to happen. Mimi and Beebee gave me blank stares when I mentioned maybe bringing them along to bingo night. They had no intention of going anywhere. But they did want to know about Carmen. All it took was one little mention of her.
I’d moved in right after my breakup with Toni, and I’d purposely avoided any discussion of my love life. Until now.
Beebee launched into me the moment I sat down between them on their ancient couch. “Isaac, did you call your girl yet?”
“She’s not my girl. But yeah, I texted her today.”
“And?” Beebee’s eyes were so large behind her glasses. I was convinced she could successfully interrogate anyone.
“And I’m meeting her in a bit to go to dinner.”
Mimi put her hand up for a high-five. She was a woman of few words unless we were on a commercial break.
“Where are you going? Is it somewhere nice?” Beebee asked.
“It’s not anything formal. We’re going to check out some food trucks with her friends.”
“Why would you eat food in your truck?” Mimi asked. As usual, she was only half listening. On screen, Dorothy was dishing out a deep burn to Blanche for staying out all night with her date.
“It’s not foodina truck, Mimi. It’s one of those Oscar Meyer Wiener trucks shaped like a giant hot dog,” Beebee explained.
“I had a boyfriend named Oscar once,” Mimi mused. “Remember him?”
“Oh yeah.” Beebee glanced at me. “He had hands like a short order cook.” At my confused look she added, “Busy. And everywhere.”
“Got it.”
“I should know. I dated him after Mimi.”
“What was that?” Mimi asked, tearing her gaze away from the screen.
“Nothing, dear.”
“Hmph.” Mimi leaned around me so she could glare at her sister. Her show had gone to commercial break. “I remember perfectly. Oscar’s eyes were as wandering as his hands.”
“Well, it’s a good thing neither of us married him then.”
“Darn right.”
I got up so they could argue unobstructed and picked up their dishes, taking them to the sink and rinsing them before sticking them in the dishwasher. They had a once-a-week cleaning lady who came, but she wouldn’t be back until Saturday.
“I better get going, ladies. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Let us know how it goes.” Beebee groaned as she got up from her seat and followed me to the door so she could lock it behind me. “My doctor says I’m not allowed to eat hot dogs anymore. Have two or three for me.”
