I took the plate with a towel around my waist. We sat on the edge of the bed. “I desperately need to buy a table.”
She nodded. We finished at the same time and she took my plate away while I dressed. Then she lay beneath the covers and watched me until I was ready to leave. I climbed on top of her.
“You going back to sleep?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I shook my head at her. “You’re evil, making it so hard for me to leave.”
“I’m not evil. I’m an angel.”
“An evil, evil woman. A termagant, really.”
“What’s a termagant?”
“A violent, spiteful woman.”
“Hey! I’m no termagant. I’m an aaangel,” she said in a cute voice.
“That you are.” I kissed her. “Have a great day. I’ll give you a call when I can.”
She nodded. “Don’t miss me too badly.”
“Impossible,” I said, then walked out the door.
I made it to work by seven thirty. Linda walked in an hour later.
“It’s Monday morning; what in the hell are you so happy about?” were the first words from her mouth.
I was smiling at her, and her tone made it widen.
“How in the hell do you do that?”
“Wisdom and age,” she said. “And people so rarely smile here that it’s hard not to notice when they do.”
“Good point.”
She sat and faced me in her swivel chair.
“So are you going to tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you?”
“Just had a good weekend is all.”
“I can see that. What’s her name?”
“You’re an amazing woman, Linda. You know that?”
“Of course I do.”
“Her name is Carolyn.”
“Pretty?”
“In her own way, yes. Very pretty.”
“Well, good for you. If we all could be so lucky.”
“Eh, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll screw it up in time.”
“That’s the attitude.”
I laughed. “The eternal optimist. How was your weekend?”
“A bust. Had a terrible date on Friday with a man who seemed to have irritable bowels and a small bladder. Excused himself to use the restroom six times during dinner, I shit you not. Excuse the pun. Six times.”
I laughed. “How do you feel about a retired sixty-one-year-old military man named Gene who smokes and drinks too much?”
“I would say he sounds like my second husband. Can he hold an erection?”
“Surprisingly enough, Linda, I don’t really know. But I’ll see if I can find out for you.”
“You do that.” She turned back around and began shuffling through the papers on her desk. She sighed, then said to herself, “Just another damn day in paradise,” a comment that kept me laughing most of the day.