been a teen during the 60s. I could see her protesting the Vietnam War and listening to Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Joan Baez.
“How old is your son?” Cookie asked.
“Jack’s ten.”
“Does he play baseball like his old man?”
I laughed. “Yeah, and he’s a lot better than I was at his age. Playing baseball is all he wants to do. What about you? Any kids? ”
Cookie rolled her eyes. “Two girls. They’re twins.”
“Oh, no. Double trouble, huh?”
“You can say that. They’re teenagers and the shit they wear to school drives me freakin’ mad. The guys gotta have constant hard-ons. Zara was sent home from school the other day because her ass was sticking out of her skirt. Of course, I told her that would happen but did she listen to me? Noooo. Mom’s never right. ”
We laughed.
“Just be glad you don’t have a girl,” Cookie said.
“Sounds like they take after their mother,” I told her.
Cookie playfully hit me on the arm. “What’s that supposed to mean? I never dressed like a whore working the Boulevard.”
“True. But you did dress differently and you never cared what anyone thought. It’s one of the things I liked about you. You always did your own thing. Remember the time you wore three sets of leg warmers and that oversized sweatshirt that came down to the middle of your thigh?”
Cookie laughed. “I remember. My legs were so hot that day! I felt like a damn bear in heat.”
I scanned her ivory silk blouse and black pants. “Now look at you. The typical suburban mom.”
Cookie chuckled. “Sooner or later, we all end up there, I guess.”
I turned around and realized there was a gap between me and the person in front of me. I closed the gap, with Cookie following on my heels.
“Whatever happened to that guy you went out with after you broke up with Keith?” I asked.
“You mean Bill. We didn’t even last a month. He wanted to be able to date other girls in college. He kissed like a damn frog anyhow. Too much lick. Always felt like a damn fly. The last I heard he was working as an engineer for some oil company in Texas.”
Cookie was killing me. I felt like an asshole laughing while standing in line to see a dead man. I thought that maybe we should switch to a more somber topic, given the occasion and all. “Shame about Doug dying. Every time I drive past where it happened I think of him.”
“Yeah, me, too,” Cookie said. “He was the first one in our class to die. Not sure about any others. Guess we’ll find out at the reunion. Are you going?”
I grimaced. “Man, I don’t know. I haven’t been to any yet.”
“This is the 20; you should come. Bring your wife.”
Guess Cookie hadn’t heard about the divorce. “We’re not together anymore.”
Cookie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Damn! Sorry, Mike. Me and my big mouth. I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have gone on like that.”
“It’s OK. We’re friends. It wasn’t one of those divorces where people end up hating each other. Just didn’t work out.”
“So do you have joint custody of Jack?” Cookie asked.
I nodded. “And we live close so Jack can come and go as he pleases no matter which house he’s sleeping at. He has a baby sister so he seems to be at my house more lately. I don’t think he likes the crying.”
Cookie popped a mint in her mouth. “That’s cool that you and your ex are friends. That has to be great for Jack. I don’t know of any divorced couples who ended up on good terms. Most of the ones I know would kill each other if they had the chance, including me. The only thing good about the loser I was married to was that he stopped being able to get it up because of his health. Suited me just fine because he was a lousy lay anyway. Mr. Vibrator did a better job than he ever did. When Hubs No. 2 came along, didn’t need the vibrator anymore.” She laughed.
One thing about Cookie, you always knew what she thought. The woman definitely didn’t hold
“How old is your son?” Cookie asked.
“Jack’s ten.”
“Does he play baseball like his old man?”
I laughed. “Yeah, and he’s a lot better than I was at his age. Playing baseball is all he wants to do. What about you? Any kids? ”
Cookie rolled her eyes. “Two girls. They’re twins.”
“Oh, no. Double trouble, huh?”
“You can say that. They’re teenagers and the shit they wear to school drives me freakin’ mad. The guys gotta have constant hard-ons. Zara was sent home from school the other day because her ass was sticking out of her skirt. Of course, I told her that would happen but did she listen to me? Noooo. Mom’s never right. ”
We laughed.
“Just be glad you don’t have a girl,” Cookie said.
“Sounds like they take after their mother,” I told her.
Cookie playfully hit me on the arm. “What’s that supposed to mean? I never dressed like a whore working the Boulevard.”
“True. But you did dress differently and you never cared what anyone thought. It’s one of the things I liked about you. You always did your own thing. Remember the time you wore three sets of leg warmers and that oversized sweatshirt that came down to the middle of your thigh?”
Cookie laughed. “I remember. My legs were so hot that day! I felt like a damn bear in heat.”
I scanned her ivory silk blouse and black pants. “Now look at you. The typical suburban mom.”
Cookie chuckled. “Sooner or later, we all end up there, I guess.”
I turned around and realized there was a gap between me and the person in front of me. I closed the gap, with Cookie following on my heels.
“Whatever happened to that guy you went out with after you broke up with Keith?” I asked.
“You mean Bill. We didn’t even last a month. He wanted to be able to date other girls in college. He kissed like a damn frog anyhow. Too much lick. Always felt like a damn fly. The last I heard he was working as an engineer for some oil company in Texas.”
Cookie was killing me. I felt like an asshole laughing while standing in line to see a dead man. I thought that maybe we should switch to a more somber topic, given the occasion and all. “Shame about Doug dying. Every time I drive past where it happened I think of him.”
“Yeah, me, too,” Cookie said. “He was the first one in our class to die. Not sure about any others. Guess we’ll find out at the reunion. Are you going?”
I grimaced. “Man, I don’t know. I haven’t been to any yet.”
“This is the 20; you should come. Bring your wife.”
Guess Cookie hadn’t heard about the divorce. “We’re not together anymore.”
Cookie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Damn! Sorry, Mike. Me and my big mouth. I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have gone on like that.”
“It’s OK. We’re friends. It wasn’t one of those divorces where people end up hating each other. Just didn’t work out.”
“So do you have joint custody of Jack?” Cookie asked.
I nodded. “And we live close so Jack can come and go as he pleases no matter which house he’s sleeping at. He has a baby sister so he seems to be at my house more lately. I don’t think he likes the crying.”
Cookie popped a mint in her mouth. “That’s cool that you and your ex are friends. That has to be great for Jack. I don’t know of any divorced couples who ended up on good terms. Most of the ones I know would kill each other if they had the chance, including me. The only thing good about the loser I was married to was that he stopped being able to get it up because of his health. Suited me just fine because he was a lousy lay anyway. Mr. Vibrator did a better job than he ever did. When Hubs No. 2 came along, didn’t need the vibrator anymore.” She laughed.
One thing about Cookie, you always knew what she thought. The woman definitely didn’t hold
Similar Books
