Page 3 of The Leaves In Autumn
“Do I have a choice?”
“No. There will be Bagel Bites, Pizza Rolls, and Hot Pockets! I have Fruit Roll-Ups. Isn’t that crazy?!”
“So glad I brought the good wine.”
“There’s cake and ice cream of course. But that’s for later. Hey! What do you think of my outfit?”
“You look like Jennifer Aniston onFriends.”
The happiest look comes over Barbra’s face and she grabs my shoulders.
“Yes!! That’s what I was going for! I threw in Cindy Crawford’s hair because mine is too long for a Rachel. There’s a little something for you to wear too.”
“I won’t be doing that.”
The childish pout she sends is funny because it is paired with an expletive.
“Come on! Get with the fucking program!”
Folded on the counter is a pile of green and orange neon. When she picks it up I see what I am in store for.
“It’s Hammer Time!”
“You expect me to wear that?”
“Yes, please. Come on. I’d feel pretty ridiculous being the only one in costume.”
“I’ll turn around,” she says facing the wall and not giving me a choice.
Shit. She went to all this trouble. I grab the pants and go to the couch.
“You doing it?”
“Against my better judgment. Did we really wear these?”
“I saw a picture of you and Van with matching ones!”
“That was in our delusional boy band stage. Oh God, we sucked. But thought we had a great chance of making it in the music business.”
“Was that because Aurora said you sounded like New Kids On The Block? Or that you had “the look”?
“Don’t leave out her reviews of the first and only song I wrote.”
“What was the name of it?”
I pause for just a few beats.
“Tell Me When Girl.”
Then she starts laughing and brings me along.
“You are going to sing it before the night’s through!”
“That won’t happen.” Standing, I open my arms. “Okay you can turn around.”
Hands lift to her mouth and eyes widen.
“You look adorable!”
