{"id":2151,"date":"2023-09-12T01:55:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T01:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=2151"},"modified":"2023-08-14T11:25:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T11:25:52","slug":"chap-5-vying-for-susies-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=2151","title":{"rendered":"Chap. 5 – Vying for Susie’s Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huck and Steve Vying for Susie\u2019s Attention<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In 2 Parts)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIRST PART<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     The last thing that happened before we left Boulder was Max deciding to get off the bus<\/em> to help Eloise with her election campaign (and catch up with us later), and Susie-the-waitress deciding to get on the bus<\/em> (at least as far as Seattle to visit her daughter). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Susie was a great addition.  Athletic-looking, tallish, a blond with hair tied back in a ponytail, Susie had twinkling eyes to go with a broad smile on a pretty face that belied her 66 years.  Our roster was now more evenly balanced with four men and three women.  The men more or less thought of themselves as single, so there was plenty of sparking to Susie\u2019s enjoyment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Huck fancied himself a \u201cladies\u2019 man,\u201d always trying to please any woman in sight.  Huck had been a budding musician back home in his 20s and 30s and occasionally played back-up guitar for touring rock bands, but mostly made a living doing landscaping.  When he heard about the trip, he thought it sounded like an excellent opportunity to meet a whole bunch of new lovelies.  He had his acoustic guitar with him, which he used to impress Susie, changing the lyrics in Tommy Roe\u2019s song to \u201cSusie<\/em> said she loved me, said she\u2019s never leave me; true love will never die . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Several of Huck\u2019s connections in the music world were on our list of folks to visit.  Huck had never married but most of us could recite the names of four or five of his past amours, all still in our friendship circle back home.  On stage, in tight jeans, even with grey hair, he still had Mick Jagger moves:  pelvis out, exaggerated licks, leaps and slides.  Huck was constantly tapping his left foot and bobbing his head as if listening to a beat.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Steve was on the trip to get away from his wife for awhile, and with her blessings.  She wanted time away from him as well, both of them knowing their marriage was tilting towards the rocks now that the kids were out of the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Steve was our lawyer (in case we needed one).  Still looking the part even though two years retired, Steve had neatly parted silver hair, a trimmed mustache, short sideburns, and was in great shape.  Always the first one up, he\u2019d go jogging and then laze about drinking coffee in his running shorts, showing off his muscles.  Maybe having heard so often about his good looks, he came across as a little too full of himself.  Plus, he was always right, others usually wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Riding across Montana into the Rockies on Interstate 90, under clear skies, Steve was engaging Susie with his best stories.  \u201cNext, you want to hear about my first kiss or my first law case?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cTell me both,\u201d Susie answered, demonstrating genuine interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cOkay,\u201d Steve said, standing up, showing his profile, \u201cjust imagine I\u2019m in my best suit . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cNah, I\u2019ve heard this one before.  Sit down,\u201d Huck interrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cDon\u2019t pay him any attention, Susie.  Huck\u2019s nothing but a failed musician,\u201d Steve retorted, and without pausing kept going: \u201cLast year of law school I was a certified student attorney.  Si, yo hablo espanol, so when Fabio Melendez came into the Legal Services Office \u2013 I got the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cFabio had bought a car at Fleasmor Brothers Used Cars.  The Spanish-speaking salesman at Fleasmor\u2019s told Fabio there was a 30-day warranty, \u2018No va \u2013 lo devolviere, si.\u2019  (Anything goes wrong, just bring it back) he told Fabio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cTurns out the car was no good and he brought the car back.  Fleasmor alleged they never got the car back \u2013 and even claimed they didn\u2019t have a Spanish-speaking salesman!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cI\u2019m all excited about doing my first jury trial.  Me and Fabio show up, me in my finest Brooks Brothers suit, and the Judge bangs his gavel, \u2018Next case, Fleasmor Motors vs. Melendez – let me see the lawyers in chambers.\u2019  As we enter his chambers, even before he takes off his robe, the Judge slams the door and says, \u2018What the FUCK is this case all about?\u2019   I\u2019m shocked at this kind of language \u2013 nobody in my family even said \u2018fart\u2019 \u2013 but manage to be the first one telling the story . . .   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201c. . . when the lawyer for Fleasmor interrupts me: \u2018Now look young man! . . .\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201c \u2018Don\u2019t you young man me,\u2019 I\u2019m quick back with, \u2018this is lawyer to lawyer! . . . \u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cThe Judge goes, \u2018Yeah, you tell \u2018em!  Now settle this god-damn case.  If you never got your car back, tell your insurance company it was stolen \u2013 now get out of my courtroom!\u201d  And that was my first lesson in how imprecise justice can be \u2013 sometimes fair, oftentimes not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Barely taking a breath, Steve kept right on going, \u201cOkay, let\u2019s tell about first<\/em> kisses.  You remember yours, Susie?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cYeah I do, but I think<\/em> I want to hear yours first,\u201d Susie says with mock apprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cOkay,\u201d Steve says, moving closer to Susie, \u201cMy folks were prim and proper types.  No swearing.  No public displays of affection.  Most I ever saw was the peck on the cheek when dad came home from work.  Keep in mind I didn\u2019t have any older sisters to teach me about kissing.  Plus, we didn\u2019t have a TV in the house and we weren\u2019t allowed to go to the movies, \u2018Too many kids peeing in their pants, and never any sunlight on those theatre seats,\u2019 mom would say.  So my kissing lessons were just plain non-existent . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     At this point Rocky jumps in, \u201cCome on Steve, nobody wants to hear how bad a kisser you are, or were.  Anybody want to play cards?\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     But Steve keeps going, \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll shorten it up.  The first time I kissed a girl was the summer after freshmen year in high school, and I was so bad at it, I gave up kissing the rest of high school – three friggin\u2019 years before I ever kissed a woman again \u2013 that\u2019s how freaked I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cHow did<\/em> you do it<\/em>?!\u201d Susie asked, inching away from Steve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cNo, you tell me about your first kiss,\u201d Steve says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

     Susie looked around, saw that all of us were enjoying Steve\u2019s story, so she said quietly to Steve, \u201cI\u2019ll tell you later,\u201d and loud enough for the rest of us, \u201cSo how did all you guys get to know each other?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 5 Huck and Steve Vying for Susie\u2019s Attention (In 2 Parts) FIRST PART      The last thing that happened before we left Boulder was Max deciding to get off the bus to help Eloise with her election campaign (and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2151"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2151"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2154,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2151\/revisions\/2154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}