Page 10 of Doozer

“Yeah. She mentioned you want to get an RV,” I said, barely able to process what was happening.

“Not ‘want to get.’ We’re going to get one,” he said, excitedly. “I’m still deciding on the exact model but that’s okay. I have a little time before I have to make the final decision.”

“Why’s that?”

“Now that Gia is ready to step up, and my client list has been handed over to the other partners, I have a project here in town that I can turn my full attention to.”

I knew there was no way my father could stop working.

“You’re gonna take on a new case, now?” I asked.

“It’s less of a case and more of a…passion project, and it’s far from new. This is something I’ve needed to tend to for quite some time.”

“Wow,” I said, surprised by the passion in Pop’s voice. Whatever my father was taking on had him genuinely fired up. “I look forward to hearing about it,” I said. Truthfully, I couldn’t have cared less about whatever it was he was into, but I was happy to have his focus directed on anything other than me.

“Oh, you’ll hear all about it very soon.” My father placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled once more. This time when he smiled the hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to my guests or I’ll be here all night. It really is great to see you, Marco,” he said, heading back to his receiving line, before adding, “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“You will?” I asked, but he’d already disappeared back into the fold.

“What was that all about?” Carmen asked as she rushed to me. She’d obviously been watching my father and me from the sidelines and seemed as shocked as I was.

“I have no fucking idea,” I replied. “He hugged me, Carm.”

“I saw that.”

“Is Pop sick? Is he dying?”

“Don’t say that,” Carmen said, crossing herself.

“I’m telling you, something’s up. He was talking about working on some lifelong project now that he’s retired. He was beaming. Do you know what the hell he’s talking about?”

“No, but maybe Gia does. She’s way more in the loop regarding his cases.”

“I’m not sure this has to do with the firm. He said it was personal.”

“Maybe it has to do with managing Gaga’s estate.”

“It’s probably nothing. I think I’m just weirded out because he was nice to me.”

“Well. That isreallyweird.”

“Why areyouso shocked? Earlier, you were trying to convince me that Pop doesn’t hate me.”

“I said he doesn’t hate you. Not that helikesyou.”

“Well, apparently we’re best buds as far as he’s concerned.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna stick around tonight?”

“For a little while, then I really do have to go. But I’ve gotta hit the head, first.”

“Okay,” she said.

I smiled, kissing her cheek before heading to the bathroom. I did my thing, let out a few choice words when I noticed there were no paper towels, and walked out of the bathroom wiping my wet hands on my jeans to try and dry them. “Fuckin’ hippies.”

I rounded the corner and noticed my father talking jovially with a few of his usual cronies, and a man I would never have expected to see him with. Judge Reginald Snodgrass or Judge Snotty as my father always referred to him.

I headed back to my sister who frowned at me as I approached. “What’s wrong?”

---