Chapter Eleven
Karen and Rick are at their usual places at the bar, so we detour over to say hello to them. Rick stands as we approach and offers his chair. Sam perches on it and I stand behind her. Slinging an arm around Rick, I ask how everything has been going for them.
“Just gearing up for the big party,” he says.
“Need any help with anything?”
“Well, I’d be happy if you would be willing to bring a cooler full of ice. We always seem to run out.”
Sam nods. “I’ve got a couple of big coolers. We’ll get several bags on our way.”
“Thank you,” he replies. “I think we’ve got everything else under control.”
Karen hasn’t said a word, so I pat her on the shoulder and ask how she’s doing.
“Fine. Thanks for asking.”
“I’m looking forward to the party. Call me if you can think of anything else you need.”
“I will. Do you know if Roxanne is coming?”
Sam grins. “Absolutely. The entirety of The Love Sucks Club will be in attendance.”
Laughing, Rick waves at the waitress to bring a round of drinks over. He shakes his head. “Are you still doing that? How old are you? Twelve?”
Feigning hurt, Sam puts her hand over her heart. “Twelve? Come on. This club offers an important public service to those who have been wronged by love. We gather together in solidarity and console each other on the suckiness of love.”
He laughs again. “Isn’t it kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy? You call yourselves The Love Sucks Club and you wonder why love sucks.”
Karen sniffs. “You’re all lesbians. Imagine how much more your love lives would suck if you had to be with men.”
With my arm around Rick, I can feel his muscles tighten when she speaks. Speaking slowly, he replies, “Not all men are villains.”
Karen ignores him and orders another drink. Sam raises an eyebrow at Rick in question, but just gets a shrug in response.
“Well, at any rate,” Sam says in an overly cheerful voice. “We’re going to get some food and head back to Dana’s place. Her ex is camped out in her yard right now and we need to figure out how to get her to leave.”
“Call the police,” Karen says.
“Yeah, right,” Rick and I both say at the same time. The three of us laugh hysterically while Karen purses her lips and turns away from us. She’s giving us the cold back of death. I would know – I’ve experienced it a million times in my life. Saying goodbye to the two of them, Sam and I sit down at a table and order some food. We’re just settling in to eat when Susannah and Thomas come in, trailed by Olivia.
“Aw shit,” Sam mutters. She immediately starts shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she can.
“What the hell, dude? You’re going to choke.”
“Just hurry up and eat so we can get out of here.”
“Stop it. We’re going to have to suck it up.”
The ladies and Thomas arrive at our table and pull up chairs without waiting for an invitation. Olivia dips her fingers into my basket and steals several fries.
“I don’t know where your hands have been,” I snap.
“I’m sure they’re cleaner than anything else you’ve touched today.”
Sam is still jamming food into her mouth at an alarming rate. Susannah gives her the once over, but refrains from commenting. Thomas smiles at me. “How are you feeling, Dana?”
“Fine, thank you. How are you feeling today?”
He’s not oblivious to the sarcasm in my voice. “I just heard you had a hard time after we saw you in town the other day.”
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with me. Life is wonderful. Life is grand. In fact, I’m feeling so great, that I think I’ll order some ice cream to celebrate.”
“Wow,” Olivia intones. “Bitter much?”
“I’m not bitter. I just don’t want to have to keep talking about my brain damage.”
Susannah laughs. “Yeah, that’s an old subject.”
“Anyway,” Thomas continues. “We were up at your house to see if you needed help evicting your unwanted tenant. She wasn’t there and all of her stuff is gone, too.”
“Well, I know where her stuff is.” I grin.
Sam laughs out loud, spraying bits of chewed food out of her mouth.
“Since she didn’t come back, maybe she got the hint.”
“Good,” I say, still grinning. “Maybe she decided to harass someone else.”
Thomas nods. “We’ll still go home with you, if you want. Better safe than sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Sam and I can handle her on our own.”