Page 73 of Haze of Obedience
"You do realize it's about a cockroach who can't walk?"
"You have something against cockroaches?" I tease.
"They're disgusting."
"Still love the song. Now give me a hard question."
She thinks then snaps her finger. "What was the exact color and shade of my outfit at the Latin American Music Awards three years ago."
"Easy. Heliotrope Purple."
Her mouth hangs open.
"Now you can tell me how impressed you are with my skills."
"Wow. How did you know that?"
"I'm your biggest fan."
We spend the next few hours playing trivia, but somehow it morphs into her asking more questions about me.
"First girl you had a crush on?"
"Stacy Snyder in third grade. I used to pull her pigtails to get her attention. Now tell me yours."
"Wait. You pulled her pigtails?"
"Yep. She loved it."
She busts out, laughing. "No, she didn't."
"She kissed me on the playground at the end of the year. Now tell me, who was your first crush?"
She puts her hands over her face. "Juan Pérez. Fifth grade. He walked me home every day from school. One day he kissed me, and that was it."
"What? You fell madly in love?"
"No. It was over. He shoved his tongue in my mouth and gagged me."
"Yikes. Hopefully, poor Juan learned what not to do."
"I don't think so. My best friend kissed him when we were thirteen, and the same thing happened to her."
"Well, that's what she gets for sloppy seconds."
She points. "There it is!"
There's a small surf shop. It's painted yellow and blue and advertises "all things water."
I pull into the lot. "It's still early."
"What should we do until then?"
I dig through my bag and pull out a hat and sunglasses. "Put these on, so no one recognizes you."
She obeys. "Now what?"
I pull out her bikini. "Get ready for the water." I turn to give her privacy.
