“Yes, I am so overly prepared it’s not even funny. Now, have you all done introductions?”
“Yes, doll, I took the liberty of getting that ball rolling.” Vicky stirs her martini with her olive. “And how dare you all have so few wrinkles or gray hairs. It’s disappointing.”
Paige and Sonya snicker, and I’m guessing this topic has already been covered. “I have a couple coming in now, I swear. Especially with the way work is?—”
“Bzzz, wrong answer. No work talk tonight, but that’s okay because I have an idea. I need to talk boys—err men.”
I snicker with the others this time. “Okay, Sonya, go ahead.”
“No, no, I can’t start it. Someone else needs to. Vicky, you’re the oldest, you start.”
“Shots fired.”
She shoots me a playful glare, but responds to Sonya.“I am a widow.”Oh, shit.
“Oh, hell. I’m sorry.” Sonya looks like a kicked puppy with all of her light brown, curly hair drooping over her face in response to this new piece of information.
“Oh, no honey, it’s fine. It’s been nearly a decade. We had good times together. I’m just single now, but simply sayingI’m singlefelt a little deceitful.” Vicky pats Sonya on the head in agood girlmotion, and I choke on my sip of wine they had waiting for me.
“Okay, I’ll go next since I’m second oldest. I am single.” I catch Vicky’s raised brow and scowl. “But, keeping with Vicky’s open door policy, I very recently ended an engagement.”
“Oh, man. Maybe this is a bad idea.” Sonya looks even sadder now, so I throw Paige under the bus.
“Paige is with her high school sweetheart!”
Sonya’s eyes grow wide with excitement, and we all turn to Paige. Who looks like she just ate something rotten.
“Uh, yes.” She throws on a fake as hell smile and I watch in amazement as it transforms instantly into something soft and genuine. “Tell us about your man, sweetheart.”
“Oh, Okay, I can do that.” Sonya takes a long sip of her drink and puts it down, freeing her hands. “He is the sweetest, loveliest, smartest guy I’ve met, and I think you all—well, of course you all know him. Mr. Dawson. Erm, Zach. Zach Dawson.” Somehow, she has made every word into an equal hand movement, and I’m enthralled, until I’m worried.
“Zach, the computer lab?—”
“Yes!” A massive smile takes over her face, revealing two deep dimples in her cheeks. She covers them with her hands and wiggles in her seat.
“Are you kicking your feet?” Paige sounds amused, and I think we all are, to be honest.
“Yes?” The strange rocking stops. Her face looks a combination of embarrassed and giddy, and I burst into laughter, the others quickly following suit.
“Tell us everything, love.” Vicky leans in with a small smile.
“Vicky, no you did not.” I almost snort my drink out my nose at Vicky’s story.
It’s been a fabulous evening so far, and I am having the time of my life. These girls I’m with are special, and I’m so damn happy I lucked out and got to meet them. There’s a full bar for WWW, Wasted Women’s Wednesday, or just Women’s Wednesday as I like to call it. Everybody wants a humpday break, and Joe’s is literally the only place to be.
“Oh I most certainly did.” Vicky responds, poised with her damn cosmopolitan in her decorated hand. Her many rings glint in the neon lights of the bar. Paige returns to the table after leaving for the second time in the last hour, this time looking a bit pale. I raise my eyebrow at her in question, but she just shakes her head and takes a seat. I look back at Vicky and smile despite my concern for Paige.
Apparently, Jill had been dogging on Vicky to stophogging the printer.Vickyneverprints her student work, so this was a ridiculousstatement as is. But, instead of responding verbally, Vicky makes one thousand copies of a blank piece of paper.
“There was no reason to waste ink to make a point.” She says, no inflection in her voice. I laugh again and hear Sonya giggle snort into her drink, again, adorable. Paige just gives a small confused smile, having missed the first part of the story.
I try to focus closely on her. Paige is not being herself. She’s not exactly a chatty Kathy, but she hasn’t even touched her burger where she usually has a huge appetiteafter chasing little, tiny humans all day,and she refuses to order a drink like a spoil sport. The rest of the table is a graveyard of devoured french fries and too many drinks.
Paige and I have always tore the place up on WWW nights. Trevor and…Carter would always go a little crazy keeping us contained. Okay, Trevor would go a little crazy. Carter would laugh his ass off. I smile at a particular memory when my observations hit me.
Oh shit.Pale, weird appetite, no drink?
I miraculously hold in my suspicion and instead lean in and ask quietly, “Paige, are you okay?” Then, the usually calm, collected Paige bursts into tears.
