“Say no more. I see what you mean.”
“Ladies! We’re drinking,” Tillie slurs as she and Lunar walk over. Tillie slumps down next to Ria. “Still with the straws, Ria? We’re friends, right? I can call you Ria now, yeah?” Tillie slurs, and I smirk as I look at Lunar and giggle.
Ria giggles too. “Yes, you can all call me Ria. We’re definitely friends now… and Tillie, you’re drunk.”
“I am. Yes, that’s true. I will not deny those allegations. But… I’m not drinking from a straw.” She laughs.
“Okay, I’m going to tell you ladies something. I only recently told this to Nate, like, as in a couple of nights ago,” Ria says.
We all shift closer to her as if she’s going to reveal a secret of epic proportions, and Lunar opens her eyes wide like she’s surprised.
“My dad was an Israeli soldier. He would go away on military exercises all the time when I was young, but every time he came back from service, he would bring me a straw. You know, a crazy curly one from whatever country he’d been to. He always said to drink through a straw, and that when I used one, he was with me.
“Then, one day, we got the call that he had been killed in action, and I was devastated, so devastated that I took all the straws to bed with me every night for comfort. That continued until we moved to America, where Mom said I had to stop sleeping with them, and I could only have them on display in my room and use them to drink from. I know it’s unhealthy, and it’s a psychological thing, but every time I drink, I have a straw…” She closes and reopens her eyes with a sigh. “So my dad’s with me. I want to feel close to him. He was my real-life action hero.”
My eyes mist up, and I watch Tillie wipe a tear from her cheek, and Lunar purses her lips like she’s trying not to cry too.
“Wow! I’m so sorry, Ria,” Lunar says.
Ria smiles, shaking her head. “It’s okay, you didn’t know.”
“No, I judged you, thinking you wanted a straw because you were a bossy cow. Fuck!” She rubs her hand over her face. “Working with you, getting to know you, and seeing the real you now, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I ever hated you.”
“You hated me?” Ria asks with a smirk.
“Maybe not hate… that was a strong word. Sorry. I’m glad I’ve taken the time to know therealyou.” Lunar leans in, hugging Ria, and I smile while Tillie sits back, wiping more tears away from her cheeks.
“This is so beautiful,” Tillie chimes, and I chuckle.
“Where’s my wife?” Danger calls out as he comes over with the other guys.
“Here, babe.”
Ryan furrows his brows.
“Babe, why are you crying? Who made my girl cry?” Ryan acts like he’s out for blood.
Tillie laughs, slapping his chest, and shakes her head. “No one. It’s just so beautiful, Ry. We’re going to get married like this, too, and it will besooobeautiful.” She starts crying again, and Ryan looks down at her, laughing.
“Ha… you’re smashed!”
She nods, and he chuckles, bending down to lift her over his shoulder. Tillie squeals as he smacks her butt. “I’m getting this one home… night, guys.”
“Night,” I call out as everyone laughs.
I’m more than a little annoyed at Matt.
People are leaving to go home, and he’s missed the entire event.
This shit is terrible form.
And it’s all because of a girl.
She better be damn good, is all I’m saying.
Suddenly, my cell rings, breaking me from my thoughts. I fumble with my purse and grab my cell to see an ‘unknown number’ flashing. I think about letting it ring out, but figure I may as well answer it, seeing as it’s in my hand.
“Penelope’s Sperm Bank, you yank it, we tank it,” I say into the cell with a smile.
