Part 23 (1/2)
”That was so fun, Nanny Re and it hit ain I sit down on the toilet while he soaps up the wall, plays with his frogmen, and hums a little Donna
”G, you al his baby co from my sweater
”Beep'beepToot-toot Beep-beepToot-toot” Heshakeshi+s soapytushi+nthewater
”Coirls do?”
”Who?”
”ThebadgirlsYou know,Nanny,thebad,badgirls” Heshakes his hips ”Whyare theybad?”
”Theydidn't listentotheirnannies”
Mrs X didn't seem to noticeas shebreezedpast me toher bedroo only a T-shi+rt, carryingI wait for the elevator, gingerlyputtingoutof out a few hardened bits when the elevator door opens ”Oh, shi+t” He looks flustered ”Hi!” ”Hi!” I can't believe it! ”What are you doing here?” ”Oh, tosurpriseyouI hadthiswholeplan,with flowersandeverything?
”Well, mission accomplished! What happened to Canciin?” I step into the elevator, shaking at the unexpectedsightofmy H H inmuddyjeansandoingtobewaiting inthelobbyto” I beaives perforain”
”Well, I've just returned from the Play Date in hell with a crackheadmetaphorical, I mean an actual crackhead She was coked up out of her edrightintoit?
”God, Ifrom ear to ear as the door opens to the lobby He leans over towipetracesof frosting 213 gently off ht, I reach my arm under his to press the button for theeleventhfloorThedoorpolitely slidesclosed
It is a carnalfrostingfrenzy
Wrapped in his navy flannel sheet, I perch on the edge of H H's kitchen table as he throws a dryer sheet in with ry?” He turns, illuhbors'kitchen
”Whatdoyouhave?” I askasheopensthefridge
”My mooing to be here by h,ifI never seeanothertortellini? I shuffleover topeerintotherefrigeratoralongsidehina?” heasks
”Ooooh,yes, please”
”Howaboutso the door closed with e and watchhim pullout platesandsetusup atthetableinhispolka-dot boxers Go mybareshoulderashepasses
”ProbablyWantsolass ”You've had a hard day, frosting girl” He pulls silverware outof a drawerandcarefully lays itoutonthetable
”So,whereareyour parents?”
”TheytookmybrothertoTurkeyforhis break”
”Whyaren't youinTurkey?”I sipood”I pour a secondglassandhandittohihtfro? It's a toga fro Latin with Grayer noereyouwhenyoustartedLatin?”
”Unaoutof themicrowave andcomes over with twoforks
”Well, youa tie now, have I S'to-the-floor-on-himkind” ”Whatdoeshi+s momsay?”
”She doesn't even notice She's been pretty off the deep end?she fired Connie for, like, no apparent reasonandConnie's beentheresincebeforeGrayer wasevenborn”
”Yeah,thatmandrives his wives tothebrink” ”Wait hat?”
”Yeah, when Mr X was cheating on his first wife, she coht in front of sona ”His first who?!” ”His first wife, um, Charlotte,I think,maybe”Helooksincredulouslyatme ”You didn't know?”
”No,1 didnotknoaso I just assu Oh,around the table ”I don't know don't thinkso” ”Whatwasshelike?Whatdidshelooklike?Didshelooklike Mrs X?”
”I don't know Shewaspretty Shewasblond?
”Was sheyoung?”
”I was akidI dunno hejustseeweretheytogether?”
”Jeez,htyears?
”Butnokids, huh?”
”Unlesstheykepttheebin” I pausebythesinktoentertaintheideafor a briefmoment
”So,why'd theysplit?”
”Mrs X,”hesays, taking a bigforkfuloflasagna
”Whatdoyoumean, 'Mrs X'?”
”Canwe talkaboutyouinthesheetsomemore?” Hereachesoutforme asI pass