A Day at the Beach, Tall and Handsome
Susie and I have been friends for years. We decided to take a drive down the coast and go to Newport Beach.
It was a beautiful day, the end of the summer, school was back in session and this was our last week before going back to teaching school.
As we strolled down the Boardwalk, we stopped to watch a volleyball game.
"Look at those pecks on that dark-haired guy, Susie."
"Nancy, you're a forty-year old woman. What exactly
are
you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I would like some of that ass, Susie. How about you?"
"You're disgusting Nancy. You're mind is always in the gutter."
"Don't knock it until you try it, Susie!"
"You haven't been with a guy that young, have you Nancy?"
"No, but I have been out with a 29-year-old I worked with."
"And?" asked Susie.
"And, none of your business if you are going to be so judgmental!" I exclaimed.
***
Susie had been married for years. She married at 46 when I was only 33. WHEN she was in her forties, she would get us in SO much trouble. Prank after prank, one night she met her husband, William.
Gosh, we used to have so much fun. The night Susie met William; she was wearing a long red-haired wig with pigtails.
I knew she was crazy and I was silly for letting her drag me along for another prank that night. I heard a knock at the door and it was Susie.
"Come on, Nancy. Bob has a bunch of ferns in his car and his windows are open."
We proceeded to go down to the parking garage, stealing about six hanging ferns, putting them all over Susie's apartment. Of course, we left the windows and lights on for all to see. We proceeded to go to the local pub with her patio blinds wide open.
Monahanky's pub was the only real hangout at the time in Pasadena. All of us went there regularly. We had a great group of friends in the condominium complex, varied in ages from 20-something to 80-something, whom usually out went together from time to time. I think in those days, I was the youngest of the group but old enough to join everyone.
When Susie met William, he was sitting at a booth reading a book.
What a weirdo, I thought to myself. Who would go out drinking and bring a book?
Well, long story short, we joined William because there were no other seats. William proceeded to tell us how he had just divorced for the second time, having five kids from his two prior marriages, and was out alone for the first time since his divorce.
"Susie, he's cute. Go for it! William seems interested in you."
"No way, Nancy. Who wants a guy with five kids?"
When we got back to our condominium complex, Bob accosted us with a megaphone working his way towards Susie's place.
"This is the plant control," he shouted.
It was a funny night.
A few minutes later, William was walking down the hallway to spend the night at Susie's tramp that she was back then.
"Oh, I thought you didn't like William, Susie. Surprise, Surprise!"
***
Susie and William were engaged a year later when she gave him the almighty ultimatum. They're still married.
William was a pain in the ass as far as I was concerned. In fact, I think Susie was depressed for the first 7 years of her marriage.
When I asked her if she was happy with William, she replied, "It's a good thing I love him."
I never knew exactly what was meant by that comment but I understood it to mean that she was committed and happily miserable, getting used to life as it was and death due us part.
We really never had anymore outrageous drinking nights out once she got married.
***
"How dare you judge me, Susie?" repeating myself. "Do I need to remind you what you were like when you were my age, even older?"
I was approaching 43 now and Susie was 58 years old. I chose to stay single, she was the stepmother of five, losing track of how many grandkids her and William had.
We went to lunch on the beach and caught up on old times. We had a delicious seafood meal and a few margaritas. We laughed and compared old stories.
"Let's go back and see if that guy is still out there playing volleyball," suggested Susie. "And ... if he is, I want to hear all the nasty details later, knowing what you probably have in mind."