“Because you didn’t call. Because she stayed up half the night waiting for you.”
Lincoln took a bite and waited to see whether his stomach had forgiven him yet. “What’s in these egg rolls?” he asked.
“Goat cheese, I think, and maybe salmon.”
“They’re really good.”
“I know,” she said, “I ate four. Now, stop stalling, and tell me where you were all night.”
“I went to a bar with Justin.”
“Did you meet anyone?”
“Strictly speaking?” he said with his mouth full. “Yes.”
“Were you with a girl last night?”
“No. I was asleep and drunk in the back of Justin’s truck. Is there still a yellow SUV in the driveway?”
“No.” Eve looked disappointed.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lincoln was feeling better already. Maybe he’d even take a shower before he went back to bed. “Would you really rather hear that I’d spent the night having premarital sex with a girl I’d just met at The Steel Guitar?”
“You went to a country bar?”
“It’s only country on Thursday nights.”
“Oh. Well.” Eve took one of his egg rolls. “You could have stayed up all night talking to a girl you’d met at The Steel Guitar. I would love to hear that.”
“Okay,” he said, getting up for more, “next time, that’s what I’ll tell you.”
From: Jennifer Scribner-Snyder
To: Beth Fremont
Sent: Mon, 09/06/1999 10:14 AM
Subject: ALL HAIL THE GOLDEN VIKINGS!
I know how you devour the Sports section, so you’ve probably already read how the North High Vikings trounced the Southeast Bunnies Friday night. The only thing missing from our coverage was the way the Viking defense rallied when the band played “Whoomp! (There it is).” You missed quite a night.
<<Beth to Jennifer>>
1. Why is every school in this city named after a direction? Would it kill them to name something after John F.Kennedy or Abraham Lincoln or Boutros Boutros-Ghali?
2. Mitch has them playing Jock Jams? Has he no shame?
<<Jennifer to Beth>> Well, it is a football game. Besides, the kids love that song. It’s really cute, the tubas do the “Whoomp” part. How was your weekend? Did you go see Chris? Did his band play any Jock Jams?
<<Beth to Jennifer>> Yeah, you should hear his guitar solo on “Tootsee Roll.” My weekend was good. I did stop at the Sacajawea show Friday night and ended up catching their whole set. There were a few songs I hadn’t heard before.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> Was Chris surprised to see you at the show?
<<Beth to Jennifer>> Nyah.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> Nyah? You’re so coy. I’ve been thinking about why you won’t tell me how you met. I think it must be scandalous. Was he married? Are you related?
<<Beth to Jennifer>> Yes and yes.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> There you go again. Coy.
<<Beth to Jennifer>> Sorry. It’s just …
I know how you feel about Chris. (I know how everybody feels about Chris.) And it feels weird telling gushy romantic stories about him. I can sense your disdain.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> How do I feel? And who’s everybody?
<<Beth to Jennifer>> You don’t like him.
And everybody is everybody. My parents. My siblings. You, did I mention you?
<<Jennifer to Beth>> That’s not fair. I like Chris.
<<Beth to Jennifer>> But you think I can do better.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> That’s not quite true.
I love you. And I want you to be happy. And you’re not happy. So I look for what in your life is making you unhappy. And I think Chris sometimes makes you unhappy.
<<Beth to Jennifer>> Mitch sometimes makes you unhappy.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> That’s true.
<<Beth to Jennifer>> You’re thinking, “But …”
<<Jennifer to Beth>> I’m sorry. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me things about Chris, gushy and romantic or otherwise. I tell you everything, and it’s such an enormous comfort to have someone to tell.
Also, maybe if you told me all the gushy, romantic things about Chris, I would understand why you put up with the other things, the things that do make me roll my eyes.
<<Beth to Jennifer>> That’s a good point.
<<Jennifer to Beth>> So …
<<Beth to Jennifer>> So?
<<Jennifer to Beth>> So, tell me something gushy and romantic. Tell me how you met.
Once upon a time, at a family reunion , I met a married man …