“Yes, I do.” She glances to my mouth which just about undoes me.
“Me too. Awful funny.”
I lose my head, leaning down to press my lips to hers, feel what they’re like, how she tastes. I bet it’s sweet. Real sweet. I don’t get the chance though.
May steps back, fast. “Since we know how the library feels, what about the malt shop? Knowledge is one thing, chocolate is another!”
I swipe my hat off my head, shake it out, and put it back on. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
May grabs my hand with a grateful smile. “Perhaps someday you’ll tell me what effusive means.”
I smirk, “Perhaps someday you’ll look it up!”
A beautiful laugh bubbles out as she slides in with the grace of a lady. “I might not, just to make sure you’ll come back.”
My eyebrow cocks. “To give you the definition.”
She winks, “That’s right.”
I shut the door and whistle myself back to the driver’s side, but this time with a bounce in my step.
Oh there are lots of things I’d like to give her, smirks the sailor in me.
18
MAY
T he malt shop is filled with high school kids, and Jerald looks surprised. I wonder how long it’s been since he was here. Everyone comes to the local place where we can be ourselves. And it’s open until ten. They realized they make a lot of money in that final hour when every other shop and restaurant has shut down for the night.
“May! Jerald!”
We look over to the far corner booth where Peter, Lily, Hank and Gertie are waving.
Jerald grimaces. “Well I’ll be.”
He leads me through the loud crowd as paper napkins whiz by our heads.
Hank grins, “We got the biggest table so we could save you a spot.”
“Mighty thoughtful. Would’ve been even more so had you told me you planned to crash my date.”
“Oh! Is this a date?” Lily asks with a smile. “We were wondering.”
“Sure you were.”
“Weren’t we, Peter?”
He tips his fedora. “Sure were.”
Gertie smiles at me, and wiggles her fingers.
I scoot in beside her, and Hank jumps up to sit on the back of the booth on her other side. “Don’t be sore, Jer. We overheard you were coming here. Thought since Monday is just around the corner, we might make ourselves available.”
“Available,” Peter laughs. “I’ll say!”
I ask Gertie, “Where’s Sable?”
“She ate too much cotton candy and had a stomach ache. Marvin didn’t want to come if she didn’t.”
Lily throws up a pretty hand. “I miss the sourpuss, imagine that!”
Peter pushes one of her dark curls back. “She’s a good kid.”
Lily has a thought in her eyes as she answers, “Loyal to the end.”
“May, would you mind?” Gertie holds out the bracelet hanging off her wrist. “My clasp keeps coming loose!”
“I’ll get it, Gert,” Hank offers. She twists around and kneels on the seat so he can reach.
Jerald and I look at each other. He shakes his head, a hidden smile making him all the more handsome. “Will you share a malt with me?”
“I’d love to. Do you think they’ll drink it before we get a chance?”
This gets a laugh from everyone and Peter says, “That’s an idea! We’ll have a contest. Whoever loses…”
We wait for a prize and it’s Hank who gives one. “Loser has to stand on the seat and sing a song of their choice without telling anyone in the shop they’re going to do it.”
Gertie cries out, “Oh, I can’t do that!”
“You’re not going to lose. You’re with me, see? Who won you that rag-doll?”
One of the girls who graduated from our school comes over, her name tag reminding us she’s Ethel. “You wanna order something?” Her eyes light up at Lily. “Say, don’t I know you?”
“Sure you do. We went to the same high school.”
“That’s it!” A pencil gets stuck behind her ear. “How is Sister Charlotte and the Buzzard Squad, anyhow? Boy, I don’t miss them!”
Lily laughs, “I’m sure we won’t either. Will we girls?” Gertie and I shake our heads.
This turns Ethel’s attention to us, and she spots Jerald for the first time. Her eyes go wide. “Jerald Cocker! I haven’t seen you in ages!” He blinks, not recognizing her. She glances around the table, and asks, “Do you know what you want?”
Peter circles his finger. “Three malt shakes to be shared all around, thanks. And an order of fries? I’m sure someone will eat them.”
Lily smirks, “You mean everyone.”
Before she leaves, Ethel looks at Jerald again, and her eyes flicker curiously to me. I’m staring right at her, so she looks away, fast.
“Who was that?” I ask him.
“No idea,” he shrugs, tipping his fedora with one hand as he throws his arm on the back of the booth, around me.
Hank keeps his voice just for us six. “He means it. Jerald doesn’t know what a legend he is. All the girls cried their eyes out to see him go.”
I look at Jerald as he smirks, “That’s a bunch of malarkey.”
Peter isn’t convinced. “That true, Hank?”
“Cross my heart! I’ll never forget Ma telling one who showed up at our house, Get a hold of yourself!”
Jerald laughs, and I gaze at him. He gives me a wink. As the others listen to Hank tell stories about him, I’m staring at the real thing.
He leans in to whisper, warm breath on my neck, “This wasn’t how I planned tonight to go, but I’m sure happy you’re with me.”
That tingly feeling below my naval is back, and I whisper to him, “I was just thinking the same thing.”
The malts come and everybody is having a gay old time, talking about anything and everything that suits us. We finish ours first, and I claim victory, holding up the glass while the other couples try and catch second place. Lily and Peter win that but only by a nose, and we all soon get the feeling Peter will never let Hank forget it.
“Get up there!”
“I will!”
“The prize was your idea!”
“I know! I know!”
“What’s the hold up?”
“I’m thinking
