She flashing back now. She done had a wreck a few weeks ago. She done went out with some friends of hern, Betty and Glynnis and Sue. She done bought clothes for Randy and towels for her mama and cowboy boots for Alan. Pretty ones. Rhino’s hide and hippo’s toes. She working then, she still have a job then. It a Saturday. Randy and Alan at Randy’s Little League game. She think she going over later, but she never make it. She get drunk instead.

They gone have just one little drink, her and Betty and Sue and them. One little drink ain’t gone hurt nothing or nobody. Betty telling about her divorce and new men she checking out. She don’t give no details, though. They drinking a light white wine but Angel having a double One Fifty-One and Coke. She ain’t messing around. This a few weeks ago, she ain’t got time for no wine. And she drink hers off real quick and order and get another one before they even get they wines down. She think maybe they won’t even notice she done had two, they all so busy listening to Betty telling about these wimps she messing with. But it ain’t even interesting and they notice right away. Angel going to the game, though. She definitely going to the game. She done promised everybody in the country. Time done come where she have to be straight. She got to quit breaking these promises. She got to quit all this lying and conniving.

Then before long they start talking about leaving. She ask them to stay, say Please, ya’ll just stay and have one more. But naw, they got to go. Glynnis, she claim she got this hot date tonight. She talk like she got a hot date every night. Betty got this new man she going out with and she got to roll her hair and stuff. But Sue now is true. Angel done went to high school with her. They was in school together back when they was wearing hot pants and stuff. This like a old relationship. But Sue know what going on. She just hate to say anything. She just hate to bring it out in the wide open. She got to say something, though. She wait till the rest of them go and then she speak up.

She say, “I thought you goin to the ball game, girl.” She look at her watch.

“Yeah,” Angel say. “Honey, I’m goin. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. But first I got to have me some more One Fifty-One and Coke.”

Sue know she lying. She done lied to everybody about everything. This thing a problem can’t keep quiet. She done had troubles at work. She done called in late, and sick, done called in and lied like a dog about her physical condition with these hungovers.