Page 101 of Save the Drama for your Mama
Dale swaggered over and eyed her up and down. “Well slap me sideways and call me Sally. You’re prettier than a peach orchard in springtime, if you know what I mean.”
Lucinda looked him up and down with an amused smirk. “I think I know what you mean. And you’re as cute as a bug’s ear.”
“I appreciate your good taste,” he said. “My name is—”
“Dale Monorail,” Lucinda said, flipping her hair back. “I’ve seen you here and there. You work at the Coronado Historical Association. Drive a golf cart around the island.”
“Easy parking,” he said with the grin. “I guess you also know that treatin’ ladies right is my specialty, if you know what I mean.” He opened his wallet without taking his eyes off her, then pulled out the Subway gift card with a flourish. “Whaddya say you let me take you to funky town. I’d love to marinate in your company a little longer.”
Lucinda fanned her face. “I have no idea what that means, but you’ve got my attention.”
“Then perchance you would oblige me with the honor of your company on a moonlit stroll over to the booze table where I can buy a drink? We could promenade arm in arm, admiring the twinkling stars above as I whisper nothing in your ear.”
Lucinda looked puzzled and said, “Do you mean sweet nothings?”
“If that’s what moves your dial from damp dry to high heat, then abso-freaking-lutely,” he said.
“Larissa—cover for me.” She looped her arm through his and they sauntered away.
Melody watched them walk away, shaking her head. “I did not have Lucinda and Dale on my love bingo card.”
“He has no idea what he is getting himself into,” Larissa said. “She’s going to eat him alive.”
Once everyone had finished their meal, I tapped my glass with a spoon to get their attention. “I’d like to make a toast to my amazing wife, who inspires me every single day.” I turned to her. “Congratulations on the first of many books. To Melody!”
“To Melody!” everyone echoed, raising their glasses, then going back to their conversations.
“Remember when we met, and I told you that you didn’t have a romantic bone in your body?” Melody asked.
Rolling my eyes, I chuckled. “I remember everything about that day, including when you and the cardboard cutout of Reese Witherspoon were Wither-Spooning on the floor and you were trying to get your hands on her Reese’s pieces.”
Melody winced as she waved off the memory. “Yeah, we can forget about that part. My point is, you do haveplentyof romantic bones in your body. I couldn’t have published the book without you. Thank you.”
“We’re a team, Mrs. Galloway,” I said, winking.
To everyone’s surprise and delight, Alfredo jumped on stage with a backward baseball cap on his head.
He grabbed the microphone from the DJ and said, “Yo yo yo, MC Alfredo Extreme is in the hizzy! We need some proper music up in here! Let me liven things up a bit, so you can shake your rump. DJ, hit it!”
“What doeshizzymean?” Melody asked.
I leaned closer, laughing. “It meanshouse. MC Alfredo Extreme appears to be in the house. Even though he’s really only in the backyard.”
The guests whooped and hollered as Alfredo launched into his rendition of “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” by Will Smith. He was a sight to behold as he busted out moves that defied his age. He did the robot, then attempted windmills with his arms that made the guests cheer. Alfredo even managed a few running men in place, pants hiked up to his chest, which had Melody doubled over laughing.
“How did you get the world’s oldest rapper to my party?” Melody asked as Alfredo gyrated his hips to the delight of everyone.
“I know some people,” I grinned, then grabbed Melody’s hand, pulling her into the open space to dance.
Abigail swayed back and forth, cradling her enormous belly while Brian shuffled in place next to her. Even Lucinda and Larissa attempted their own interpretations of Alfredo’s smooth moves as they walked around to check on the guests.
Under the twinkling lights, with laughter and music surrounding us, I thought about how lucky I was as I spun Melody around. Falling in love with her was not something I could have planned. It just happened, blindsiding me out of nowhere. And I was a better man for it.
Later in the evening, Melody leaned closer and said, “I promised I would sign one of my paperbacks for Elena. Do you mind grabbing one from the library, along with a pen?”
I nodded. “Of course. Be right back.”
Heading inside, I walked to the library, pulled one of Melody’s paperbacks from the shelf, then grabbed a pen out of the mug on the desk.
