“Karl showed up already drunk.”
“No!”
“Yes. Oh, Sandy and he was one of those drunk dirty-talkers asking so what’s your favorite sexual position or do you sleep in the nude or just panties.”
“No! No!” Sandy started laughing and sadly, so did I. “Tilly, I’m so sorry. He obviously isn’t like that around me. I thought he was a decent guy, I really did. Maybe he was nervous?”
“I thought that but come on. It was just a date for drinks I wasn’t reading the results of his colonoscopy.”
Sandy cracked up.
I could hear Brian in the background asking her how my date went.
"He showed up drunk and asked her about her panties," Sandy repeated. As if I weren't humiliated enough Brian's howls of laughter drove home the piteous state I was in.
“So, how did the evening end?”
"I snuck out," I stated proudly.
“You know, I’ve fixed up other friends on dates and you are like my Achilles Heel. My one and only disappointment. My problem child. Why is that?”
“Oh, because you find weirdoes for me and normal people for your other friends. Pretty simple. Either that or your other friends are blind, crippled and crazy and will take whatever they can get.”
“That’s about right.” Sandy giggled.
"But that wasn't all." I sighed. With my phone pinched between my ear and shoulder I pulled down one of my favorite long stem wine glasses and set it on the counter. With all the class of a trailer park queen, I went into my freezer and grabbed two ice cubes. I dropped them in the glass, pulled the wine bottle from the corner of my counter and filled the glass almost all the way to the top.
“I don’t think I can bear it, Tilly.” Sandy joked.
“Are y
ou sitting down?”
“I am now.”
“As I was making my getaway who was walking into Felix’s? I’ll give you one guess.” I took a sip and let the dry wine drown my taste buds before swallowing it.
“Uhm. James Woods?”
“I wish. No. Lucas Prine.”
“Who?” Sandy asked.
“Lucas Prine from high school.”
"That is a name I haven't heard in some time," Sandy said somberly. "Did he see you?"
“Yes, and came right up to me telling me he wanted to talk to me.”
“Talk?”
I rolled my eyes and tried to bite my tongue to keep the strange well of tears that had bubbled up from spilling over my eyelids. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to cry. But I cleared my throat instead.
“That’s what he said. Sandy, why is he here?”
“Did you ask him?”
“No.” I chuckled bitterly. “I gave him a piece of my mind and drove off.”