This was the 50th Class Reunion. Really... the 50th anniversary of our graduation from high school.
Unlike the 40th reunion (see that story), my wife was in fine fettle and able to attend, she had even ordered a VERY fetching little red dress, which she looked quite marvelous in.
Being one to cover my bets, we left the house for the reunion quite early, and arrived well before the appointed time. Still there were a fair number of classmates there...mostly gathered at the bar. I ordered my usual Guinness, and my wife's merlot.
A minute later, one of the guys from my class said, "Didn't you get the drink tickets?"
Well, obviously not. I retrieved those from one of the women at the check-in table. I had gotten my name tag there; but, no one had offered me the drink tickets!
Didn't see anyone I remembered for a little while; but my wife, Dolores, and I had a good time at the bar... people watching. Eventually, I saw Tom. (see the 40th Reunion story) He was looking quite a bit more haggard than I last remembered him, and he had put on a bit of weight. Nevertheless, we had a good time conversing.
After about ten minutes, I noticed Joan entering the bar. Now, Joan was the woman that I walked home from school three years of high school; and we had a history from the last reunion.
Joan was busy working her way through the now crowded bar. This was to be her first time meeting my wife; she was to have met her at the last reunion, but Dolores was sick and could not attend.
I was a little worried as to how this would work out.
At last, she approached, "Joe, is this your wife, Dolores?"
"No, Joan..." I answered "... this is someone I just picked up ten minutes ago."
"Oh Joe, you're still an asshole, aren't you."
Well things got better from then on. We talked and it turned out Dolores and Joan hit it off pretty well. Joan arranged so that the four of us, including Tom, could sit together. It was very noisy and we could barely keep the conversation going across the table.
Several other classmates sat next to us. I recognized Sandy and Suzanne, as they looked the most, out of any of us, like their high school yearbook pictures. They may have been sitting with their husbands, but initially ignored our group completely.
Later, after the snacks and the buffet were done, and as we were having our coffees and dessert; Sandra piped up and started talking to me, very self-assured and proud of her long, prosperous career.
Suzanne's career had a few missteps, but she finished it off with a rewarding twenty years in teaching. I could not help but notice how good she looked, so I turned to her and said, "Of all the people here, you have retained your looks the best."
