Thirty-Six

  

If you smoke after sex, you’re doing it too fast.

~ Graffiti in the ladies’ room of the Tuff Luck Tavern

  

Mavis hummed “I Could Have Danced All Night” as she waltzed with a broom down the housewares aisle of the Bottom Dollar Emporium. She was so lost in her reverie, she didn’t notice when Birdie pushed through the front door.

Birdie watched Mavis glide around the floor for a moment, than interrupted her solo dance by saying, “The party’s over, but the memories linger on.”

“Oh!” The broom clattered to the floor. “You startled me.”

“I’m sorry.” Birdie shook out her wet umbrella. “I smell coffee. Just what I need. It’s practically a monsoon out there.”

She patted the damp bag she was holding. “I brought some doughnuts.”

The women retired to the break area, and Mavis waited as Birdie poured cups of coffee for both of them.

“Just like old times, huh?” Mavis touched her mug to Birdie’s.

“It’s so good to be back,” Birdie said as she selected a chocolate-covered doughnut from the open bag. She smiled at Mavis. “I bet your dogs are barking today. You and Hank wore a groove in that dance floor.”

“You and Morty didn’t sit out many numbers,” Mavis teased.

“Guess where we went after the dance?” Birdie whispered.

“Where?” Mavis leaned closer to her friend.

“Thrill Hill!” Birdie said, suppressing a giggle.

“You didn’t?” Mavis gasped. “People used to gossip about Thrill Hill in high school. But I never went.”

“Neither did I,” Birdie said. “Nice girls didn’t go to Thrill Hill. They worried they’d ruin their reputations.”

“How was it?” Mavis asked eagerly.

“Exciting.” Birdie took a swallow of her coffee. “I half-expected a policeman to shine a flashlight in the window.”

“Oh my,” Mavis said with an involuntary shiver.

“There we were, parked under a magnolia tree, admiring the full moon. Then, just as Morty’s arm was inching towards my shoulder, we heard an unearthly moan. I was terrified. All those scary lovers’-lane stories ran through my head. I thought, what if some maniac was lying in wait in the dark?”

Mavis’s eyes grew rounder. “What happened then?”

“Morty got his flashlight from the glove compartment and went to investigate, with me creeping behind him,” Birdie continued. “Turns out there’d been a car parked nearby. We didn’t see it because it was hidden behind a row of bushes. The moaning just kept getting louder and louder. It sounded like a dying coyote, and then, when Morty shone his flashlight in the window of the car, I saw the most disturbing sight of my life.”

Birdie’s story was interrupted by the rumble of thunder and the jingle of the bell above the door as Attalee stormed in.

“There she is!” A soaking wet Attalee leveled an accusing finger at Birdie. “The peeping Tom. Is there no place a gal can go to get some privacy with her fellow in this town?”

Mavis burst out laughing.

“So Attalee was the one who was moaning. What on earth were you doing?” She held up her hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Attalee said, wringing water from her long, gray hair. “We were just necking. I told you me and Dooley had trouble finding places to be alone. Thrill Hill was our love nest, until Birdie and her beau came around and broke up the party. That hill’s not big enough for the both of us.”

“Not to worry, Attalee,” Birdie said. “I’m done with Thrill Hill.” A secretive smile crossed her face. “But I’m not necessarily done with Morty.”

“So you like him?” Mavis said.

“Maybe. He’s no Brew,” Birdie sighed. “But that’s probably a good thing. Morty’s invited me to come to Camden and test-drive a new car. Who knows what that might lead to?”

“A sales contract and 2.5 percent financing?” Attalee said.

“You know what I mean,” Birdie said. “Enough about Morty; I want to hear about last night.”

“Well, Dooley was hot as a pistol,” Attalee said, rubbing her hands together. “But I guess you gathered that from my howls of pleasure. I’m telling you, it’s getting harder and harder to save myself for the wedding night, ‘specially when he starts lolling his tongue in my ear.”

“Attalee, I saw what happened between you and Dooley last night, and I’m desperately trying to forget it,” Birdie said. “I want to hear about Mavis and Hank.”

“So do I,” Elizabeth said, having caught the tail end of Birdie’s comment as she came through the front door. She slipped out of her rain slicker and sat down with the others. “What’s the dish?”

“The romance of the decade,” Birdie said, her eyes cast heavenward. “Hank and Mavis were dancing in each other’s arms all night long.”

“What happened to Brew?” Attalee demanded. “I thought he was the man of your dreams.”

“It’s a long story,” Birdie said. “But, in a nutshell, Brew threw us both over for his old high school sweetheart, Prissy Stevens. But that doesn’t matter. The most important thing is Mavis and I have resolved our differences. We’ve vowed never to let anything or anyone get in the way of our friendship again.”

“Hear, hear,” Elizabeth said clapping her hands.

“So Hank came to the reunion and the two of you finally made a love connection,” Attalee said. “Didn’t I tell you he was the man for you?”

“It was a magical evening, and I’ll never forget it,” Mavis said. “Too bad Hank’s on his way back to California. He took an early flight this morning.”

“So.” Birdie tugged on Mavis’s sleeve. “When’s he coming back?”

Mavis shrugged. “Who said anything about his coming back? He lives in California now.”

“Yes, but what about last night?” Birdie demanded. “The air in that gym just crackled with chemistry. You two were meant for one another.”

“So we’re supposed to drop everything and run off together?” Mavis got up to refill her coffee mug. “We’re not teenagers, you know.”

Birdie’s face dropped.

“I realize that, but you’d think the two of you would have discussed a future of some sort.”

“And you call me overly romantic,” Mavis said. “We exchanged email addresses, and I’m sure we’ll keep in touch. But California and South Carolina are thousands of miles away from each other.”

The front door opened, bringing in a pair of customers. Mavis smoothed the apron of her uniform. “Let me go wait on these folks.”

As Mavis crossed to the cash register, Birdie spoke in a low voice to Attalee and Elizabeth. “You should have seen the two of them together. It was like Romeo and Juliet, Cleopatra and Marc Anthony—”

“Mittens and Lulu,” Attalee said, taking off her glasses and wiping them with the corner of her soda-jerk jacket.

Birdie rolled her eyes. “Dare I ask?”

“They’re the names of the two cats that live behind me at the Shady Oak,” Attalee said. “They get passionate every Saturday night in the alley.”

“I might have known,” Birdie said with a frown. “I think Mavis is being awfully casual about this. Last night, she and Hank were like two kids in love.”

“Speaking of kids.” Attalee turned to Elizabeth. “Where’s your crumb-snatcher?”

“She’s with a sitter,” Elizabeth said. “I have lots of errands to run today.”

“I thought I saw your car parked in front of the courthouse earlier when I went to pick up my wedding license,” Attalee said. “What were you doing there? Paying a speeding ticket?”

“Nope.” Elizabeth smiled. “It’s kind of a secret. I’m having a special party for Glenda’s first birthday, and I’ll make the announcement then.”

“A secret? I can’t wait to hear,” Birdie said. “It’s been such a whirlwind of social activity lately. The Business Person of the Year Banquet, the high school reunion, Attalee’s wedding—”

“My bachelorette party,” Attalee said, slurping the cream out of a donut.

“Your what?” Birdie said.

“The night before the wedding, after the rehearsal dinner. Gotta have one last fling.” Attalee licked the sugar from her fingers.

“What, pray tell, are we going to do?” Birdie asked.

“I’ll give you a hint,” Attalee said. “It’ll be a night you’ll never forget.”

The overhead bell jingled once again, and Mrs. Tobias walked in shaking the rain from her umbrella. Mavis, who was checking out her customers at the cash register, greeted her and said, “Help yourself to some hot tea in the break area.”

“Thank you, Mavis,” Mrs. Tobias said. “I’ll do that.” She sauntered over to the back of the store. “Hello everyone! What a gorgeous day!”

Attalee gazed out the window and saw the trees thrashing in the high winds of the thunderstorm. “It is, if you like to dodge lightning bolts.”

“I enjoy a little pyrotechnics now and then. Livens things up a bit,” Mrs. Tobias said as she untied her rain bonnet.

“I’m glad you’re here, Mrs. Tobias,” Birdie said. “Attalee insists on having a bachelorette party after her rehearsal dinner. Now you can imagine what that might entail—”

“Some sowing of wild oats, I assume.” Mrs. Tobias sat next to Attalee. “Sounds like great fun. I can’t wait.”

“You heard what the lady said,” Attalee said to Birdie.

“But—” Birdie said.

“Give me five, girlfriend.” Attalee held up a hand for Mrs. Tobias.

“You’re not yourself today,” Birdie said, as she watched Mrs. Tobias slap palms with Attalee.

“No, I’m not, Birdie.” Mrs. Tobias pulled off her glove and extended her left hand. “I’ve been transformed by love.”

“Would you look at that?” Elizabeth gulped. “Mavis, get over here.”

Mavis shut the cash-register drawer and darted over. “What is it?”

“Look who’s engaged!” Elizabeth picked up Mrs. Tobias’s hand to examine the ring more closely.

Attalee squinted at it and grunted. “I hope you and that fancy-pants doctor will be very happy.”

“No, Attalee.” Mrs. Tobias shook her head. “I followed my heart. You were right. Rusty’s the one for me.”

“I knew it!” Attalee said, throwing her scrawny arms around Mrs. Tobias’s neck. “You done good.”

Mavis beamed at her friend. “And I’m so happy for you, Mrs. Tobias. We can’t wait to meet this fiancé of yours.”

“He’ll be attending Attalee’s rehearsal dinner,” Mrs. Tobias said. “You’ll all get a chance to meet him then.”

“You’re next.” Attalee pointed at Mavis. “Wait and see. You’ll be jumping the broomstick before the year’s out.”

“What’s this?” Mrs. Tobias asked.

“Nothing,” Mavis said. “Hank came to the reunion, and we had a few dances. Now he’s back in California, and I’m still here in Cayboo Creek. That’s all there is to tell.”

“That’s wonderful, Mavis,” Mrs. Tobias said. “I want to hear all the details.”

Mavis vigorously shook her head. “No more talk about me. This is your moment.”

“But, Mavis,” Mrs. Tobias protested.

“End of story,” Mavis said. “Tell us how your fiancé proposed. We’re dying to know.”

Mrs. Tobias smiled and began to speak. As she talked about Rusty’s proposal, it was clear she was so excited she could barely contain herself. Mavis wondered if she would ever find that kind of joy with a beau of her own. For the umpteenth time that day, she relived the moments she danced in Hank’s arms. Maybe last night wasn’t the end of their story. Did she dare hope that it was only the beginning?