“Fuck that!” exploded through the door of Marty’s bathroom. “And fuck you!”
Ted stood on this side of the bathroom, locked out, Mariana beside him. “What have you got to lose, Dad? She wants to see you.”
“You got a lot of fucking nerve, I’ll tell you that!”
“I just thought maybe you’d like some—”
“Some what, you creep?”
Ted turned to ask Mariana, “What did you call that thing again?”
Mariana supplied the magic word. “Closure.”
“Closure!” Ted repeated at volume.
From the other side of the door came the perhaps irrefutable retort: “Closure is for pussies!”
“I gotta say, Dad, she was looking pretty good.”
“Shut up!”
“You can’t hide in there all night.”
“It’s my house, I’ll hide anywhere I damn well please!”
The bathroom door swung open suddenly and there Marty stood in a jacket and tie, cleaned up, hair combed, freshly shaven, a big, scowling smile on his face. Ted and Mariana were struck dumb.
Ted gave the old man a little payback: “Shavin’ for his lady…”
“Shut up. I look ridiculous. Like a fucking pterodactyl. Like Al fucking Lewis. Like a vertical corpse.”
“No, Marty, you look spiffy. I would be proud to be on your arm.”
Mariana offered her arm to Marty, who gave Ted a fuck-you smile, whispered in his ear, “You, sir, can suck my dick,” and took Mariana’s arm.
Off they went, leaving Ted to follow in their wake.