“Well, come on. Let’s get in there before your mom comes looking for us.”
As we walk into the large dining room, Dad announces, “Look who I found!”
Everyone stops their conversations they’re having to turn in our direction. Over the next few minutes, I’m making the rounds, saying hi to all of my siblings and their families.
First, there’s Liz, the oldest of the bunch. She’s married to Jack, and they have Beth who is close to turning four.
Then, there’s Michelle, her sixteen-year-old daughter, Eve, and her boyfriend, Dane.
Next is Ronnie, her boyfriend, Drew, and Drew’s eight-year-old son, Colton.
And of course, Dylan, Leah, and their girls.
As we all sit down to dinner, the antics begin. No matter how long we’ve been apart, when we’re all together, it’s like nothing has changed.
“So, Jo, where have you been?” Liz asks.
“California,” I reply.
Michelle’s face contorts.
I ask, “What’s wrong? Too much sunshine for you?”
“No. Too many people.”
“You don’t like people?” Liz asks.
“My anxiety doesn’t like people.”
“That’s fair,” I say. “I mean, I like dogs way more than I like people, and it has nothing to do with anxiety.”
“What happened to the job you just got?” Liz questions. “Weren’t you waiting tables or something?”
“Uh, yeah.” I pick at my dinner roll. “It didn’t really work out.”
Mom jumps in, “Joanna Leigh, did you get fired?”
“Technically? Yes. But I stand by my actions.”
Ronnie’s smile looks like a cat who just scarfed down a canary. “What were your actions?”
I glare at her because now, everyone is expecting an answer.
Setting down my fork, I lean on my elbows. “Well, there were two gentlemen who came in and ordered a shit ton of food and a couple beers. They were a huge pain in the ass, but I smiled and dealt with it. When they left, one of them slapped my ass and told me to call him, so he could see me without the jeans.”
Dylan gives an, “Uh-oh.”
“No, once again, I behaved. I looked down at their credit card receipt where they wrote CASH on the tip line. Looking at the table, I see they left me three pennies.”
“What an ass,” Liz says.
Dad looks confused. “Wait a minute. It sounds like you really did behave, so why did you get fired?”
Ronnie practically vibrates with excitement. “Oh, I’m guessing she’s not finished.”
I roll my eyes and mutter. “I may or may not have followed them into the parking lot, threw the three pennies at them, and told them to put it toward buying a new set of balls.”
Ronnie pumps her fist in the air. “There’s our girl!”
