been on.’
‘ No kidding. So what’ s this big idea?’
I suddenly became self-conscious as I was about to say it out loud. What if it was stupid? Better to find out now than with Lou Bigwood, I supposed, but I didn’ t want to appear foolish in front of Troy, either. Hesitantly I said, ‘ A street race. Well, a highway race, to be accurate. What I’ d do is set up two cars to race in rush-hour traffic. One would be a guy driving alone, and the other would be carpoolers.’
‘ I’ m not sure I follow. It wouldn’ t be much of a race at rush hour. What would they be able to do-twenty miles per hour?’
‘ That’ s the point. The guy driving by himself would have to deal with traffic. The carpoolers could use the carpool lane. They’ re almost guaranteed to win. It’ ll be a live demonstration of how the carpool lanes are faster.’
‘ I came up with that idea? I am a genius.’
‘ Do you really think it’ s good?’
‘ You’ ll have media all over that. Believe me, you’ ve got nothing to worry about. That manager position is yours.’
‘ Well, I have to be realistic. You’ re into racing. I’ m not so sure our CEO is. He may not get it.’
‘ If he’ s a man, he’ ll get it. We can’ t help ourselves-we have some sort of imperative to drive vehicles fast. Drink beer. Wage wars. But if you’ re concerned, how about I come to your presentation and help you out? We could give your boss a live demonstration.’
‘ Are you serious?’
‘ Sure, why not? I’ ll drive my car in a regular lane, and you and your boss can take the carpool lane. I’ ll even wear racing gear so it’ s obvious you’ re not going up against a little old lady. I’ ll look pro.’
This felt too good to be true. I waited for the other shoe to drop. ‘ It’ s next Friday at three o’ clock,’ I said cautiously, expecting him to tell me it wouldn’ t work.
‘ I’ ll be there. Count on it.’
Giddy, I gave the slot machine’ s arm another pull. I’ ll be there. Count on it. Aside from, ‘ No, no, I insist, you take the last piece of chocolate,’ are there any words that tug more at a woman’ s heart?
I was pondering this happy thought when Kitty and Gran walked up.
‘ There you two are!’ Gran said. ‘ We’ ve been over at the nickel slots. I’ m up fifteen big ones. You should’ ve seen it.’
‘ Way to go, Gran,’ Troy said. ‘ Although you might want to donate that to the fund we’ re starting. June is trying to win money for charity. In fact,’ he said, easy as pie, ‘ it’ s one of the items for the list. Marissa wanted to make a big donation.’
I glowered at Troy-did no one explain to him that mentioning the elephant was forbidden?
‘ Oh, how wonderful!’ Kitty exclaimed. ‘ Ma, we’ ll have to pitch in our winnings!’
Considering her outrage over the eight-dollar sandwich, I expected Gran to balk, but she said, ‘ Shoot, I’ d have played the quarters if I’ d known.’
Kitty turned to me. ‘ What charity?’
‘ She didn’ t specify. A lot of groups collect out here in the streets. Was there one Marissa was particularly fond of?’
‘ Drinks!’
The waitress returned and hefted Troy’ s beer and my coffee with whipped cream and-yes!-a parasol.
As I grabbed my drink and tossed tip money on the waitress’ s tray, I heard Kitty squeak, ‘ A parasol.’
‘ Hmmph?’
Kitty suddenly had that grayish, washed-out look I remembered from the funeral. ‘ A parasol,’ she mumbled. ‘ Marissa& she always loved parasols in her drinks. Even as a little girl, if we were at a restaurant, she’ d insist they put one in her milk. Who gets a parasol in her coffee? I’ d expect it in a fancy drink, you know& but coffee?’
Tears slid down her face, which seemed to have crumpled and turned into a wadded tissue before me.
Troy jumped to his feet and put his arm around her. ‘ It’ s okay, Mom. Everything is okay.’
‘ I’ m sorry,’ I sputtered. ‘ I didn’ t& I mean, that is, I-’
Troy pulled Kitty aside to comfort her while I stood there, dumb and confused.
Gran clucked. ‘ Here we go again.’
‘ I feel terrible,’ I moaned. ‘ I shouldn’ t have& ‘ What? Ordered a drink with a tiny umbrella? How could I have possibly known?
‘ Don’ t you fret,’ she assured me. ‘ You’ re doing the best you can. We know that. It’ s just, the little things sneak up on you. Kitty can brace herself for a weekend where we’ re going to see Wayne Newton to help complete a list& and by the way, I’ m quite excited about that. I’ m his biggest fan. But sometimes you get blindsided. She didn’ t see the parasol coming. No one could have.’
Gran went over to take Kitty’ s elbow and lead her away. Troy came over to me. ‘ My mom could stand to call it a night.’
‘ Of course.’
‘ See you tomorrow?’
‘ Sure.’
A lesser woman might have noted that surely Gran could have handled Kitty-that if they took Troy, too, I’ d be alone.
All alone.
