Page 12 of Hot Four Teacher
I can’t help but smile. Ronnie is our constant hype woman.
“What’s on the tray?” I ask.
“Jello shots!” She announces proudly while handing one to each of us.
Liz looks into the small plastic cup. “Good lord, I haven’t had one of these since college.”
“I’m not sure that I’ve ever had one,” I say.
They all look back at me, and Ronnie asks, “How is that even possible?”
“Well, I got pregnant at seventeen and gave birth at eighteen. I was changing diapers while everyone else was partying and doing Jello shots.”
Ronnie nods. “Fair enough. But tonight is the night!”
She holds up the cup and motions for us to follow suit.
I suck the jelly-like food out and let it slide down my throat.
“Doesn’t even taste like alcohol,” I say.
“That’s what gets you into trouble,” Leah says.
After a couple more shots, we move onto the giant fishbowl. Once again, it tastes like nothing more than juice. They must not make the drinks very strong at Giddy Ups.
Leah goes on to say, “So, Michelle, what prompted your sudden need for a girls’ night?”
“The universe…and my daughter…implying that I’m old and will probably die alone.”
Ronnie scoffs. “Oh, come on. You’re not exactly getting senior citizen discounts and early bird specials.”
“That’s what I said!” I exclaim. “I just needed to get out of the house and have some fun.”
When my last words trail off, Liz sets her hand on top of mine. “What else is going on?”
“Nothing.”
Ronnie says, “Look, we are going to keep asking, so you may as well just tell us so that we can skip all the back and forth.”
I take another long swig out of the giant fishbowl before answering. “Eve and I have always had a decent relationship. Sure, we go at it. Sheisa teenage girl. But I guess I always assumed that she thought I was just single by choice. I never thought that she considered me sad and pathetic.”
Liz jumps in, “I don’t think that’s at all what she was trying to say.”
“Well, that’s how it came out. I’m single by choice. I just don’t have the time or energy for all of that.”
Ronnie says, “What if…and I’m just spit balling here…you dated without making it so fucking serious? You could just go out and keep things casual.”
“But what if Eve sees a constant string of guys hanging around?”
She rolls her eyes. “Why would they even have to meet Eve? You could just date when Eve is gone with her friends or over at Danny’s or whatever.”
“I just–”
She cuts me off. “Before you get into all the excuses that you’re about to give, just hear me out. You give all your energy to Eve, and you’re a great mom to her. But it’s okay to go do stuff for yourself too. What’s the worst that could happen? You have a bad date? Guess what? If you’re not expecting it to turn into something serious, it doesn’t matter. No big deal. But if you do meet someone cool, then, you have a good time and maybe you’ll get laid.”
Liz asks, “How long has it been since you had sex?”
I think for a moment, honestly trying to remember.
