SECOND PART – Vying for Susie’s Attention
“Well, college friends,” Patty starts, answering Susie’s question, “I knew Max in college, and we all played softball together on Sunday mornings (taking a swing to imitate her batting stance) . . . and we kept on doing that after we graduated, and then Skip started showing up . . . ”
“Yeah,” Huck jumps in (aiming to regain Susie’s attention), “Patty got me playing softball, but the big thing is – we met when my band had a regular gig at the Longhorn Bar back in Minneapolis. One night she thought I was so good she bought me a drink, and we kept on talking all night . . . and don’t you think, Patty, it was pretty good . . . while it lasted. You know Susie, I’m a lucky guy – all my exes are still in love with me.”
“No,” Patty was quick with, “Don’t make it sound like we might still be rolling in the hay – not true – I admit once upon a time you knew how to show a girl a good time. Here’s the thing Susie, Huck loves everybody, if you know what I mean . . . and we all love Huck.”
“Okay, so who’s single, and who isn’t, on this bus?” Susie asked looking at all of us.
“Well,” Patty continues, with a smile in Huck’s direction, “it depends upon how you define ‘single,’ if it’s Huck’s way, then everybody is – well, maybe not Max, now that he’s hooked back up with Eloise. I’ve been married twice, once divorced, and happy living by myself with my 25 year-old daughter . . . ”
Susie jumps in, “Geez Patty, kinda like me – still married, but without a man in your life.”
“Yeah, well, but I’ve got all these guys around me,” Patty replies, looking towards Rocky driving and Skip checking the map to see how far it is to Utah.
Rocky looks in the rear-view mirror towards Steve: “The way it sounds, Steve, I must have known you before you even learned how to kiss a girl – no, just kidding. But Skip here, shit, we’ve known each other more than 50 years, starting in college, playing poker, partying, smokin’ pot. Different college though, than Max and Patty.”
Continuing his comments in Steve’s direction, Rocky goes on, “Steve, good thing you didn’t know me and Skip back then. Probably never would have become a lawyer; instead, a drop-out like me, having too much fun doing things like kissing girls the way they want to be kissed. And then you never would’ve had to been my freebie lawyer getting me out of trouble having too much fun.”
“Don’t get the wrong impression, Susie,” Skip interjects. “Yeah, true, Rocky’s always had a great definition for what is fun, but listen — Max is a doctor — Steve’s a lawyer — and I’ve been a legislator . . . so, yeah, well, . . . we’re all perfect gentlemen . . . well, maybe not Huck.”
That got a pretty good chuckle from Patty and Sally, but not Huck. “Well,” Sally says, “I can vouch for Max at least, but I haven’t known the rest of these guys for very long. I was Max’s investment counselor. We both love fishing – he even took me ice fishing in Canada on his float plane. A couple months ago we were at the same dinner party and he tells me about this fishing trip he and Skip are planning – and my husband hates fishing – so here I am . . . and, by the way, we’ve only gone fishing once so far!”
“You’re saying, Sally, you never knew any of these guys, except Max, before you got on the bus!?” Susie asks incredulously, “and yet you wanted to come?”
“Max told me one of the rules for the trip is that anybody can bail anytime – and still retain their part ownership of the Land Yacht . . . but, yeah Susie, it’s good to have another female on board – maybe more nights staying in motels with hot showers.”
Sally still looked more like the businesswoman she was than the avid fisherwoman she was hoping to be. Prim and proper at 5’5”, always manicured, with jet black hair (probably dyed) neatly pinned down, she preferred V-necked cashmere sweaters over sweat shirts. It was easy to guess she might prefer bubble baths to out-houses. Sally also wore a wedding ring, but none of us really knew her story yet. She was always twisting it.
As storm clouds started showing-up over the mountain tops in the west, Steve continued vying for Susie’s attention. Lowering his voice, fingering his moustache, turning towards Susie, he starts again: “Long story short, Susie. Yes, I am still married . . . but like you, right? Just on paper. Jodie and I get along okay, but we’re both talking about maybe moving on . . . I’m single . . .”
“I heard that!” Huck interrupts, “You’re not single. You’re still living together, right? And Jodie’s a real babe, don’t tell me . . .”
“Dry up, Huck. You’re too short for Susie anyhow.”
Slightly changing the subject, Steve continued his pursuit of Susie: “I’ve known Skip and Rocky a long time. I was a big reason Skip won his first campaign for office – was a big donor and the campaign’s legal advisor. Got to know them playing in the same fantasy football league. I liked taking Rocky’s money betting on football. But then, you know, wife and kids came first. Now the kids are gone, and I’m mostly single again.” And then very quietly he says to Susie, “You still haven’t told me about your first kiss . . .”
“Spin the bottle – what’s to tell,” Susie said.