Proud Friends
June 2024
“What’s wrong with you?” Jacqueline asked JR.
They were standing on the curb on 5th Avenue between 16th and 17th streets watching the New York City Pride parade go by. They had enjoyed the NYC Pride Week so much the year before that they decided to go again. The girls were having a wonderful vacation, spending time with Gus, Ray and Ray’s family. The day was hot but with just enough cloud cover to take the edge off.
Something caught JR’s eye.
“Hmm? What?”
“I asked what is wrong?” Jacqueline repeated.
“Nothing.”
“No, not nothing. I’ve been talking to you for the past twenty minutes and you haven’t heard a word I‘ve said. What’s going on?”
“There’s someone over there that I know,” JR murmured more to herself rather than in response to Jacqueline.
“Who? Is she pretty?” Jacqueline teased.
“Not a she. And yes, he is very handsome.”
JR stared at the young man standing on the other side of the avenue. His face hadn’t changed much but he was taller and it was obvious he spent some time in the gym. Holding his hand was a stunning young woman, blond and fair with a face similar to JR’s. But the woman was tall and slim; she didn’t have JR’s Grossi curves.
“Is there a problem?” Jacqueline growled out.
“No, not at all,” JR replied, lifting her head to peck Jacqueline’s lips with a soft kiss.
“Who is he?”
“A friend from high school; a close friend, but we haven’t had much contact since he moved to New York to attend college.”
“Is he at least nice?”
“Yes, he’s very nice,” JR assured her girlfriend. “He’s going to make some girl very happy.”
“Okay. Hey, look, here comes Cheers NY!” Jacqueline exclaimed as the famed cheerleaders slowly made their way toward them. They stopped as the music changed and the cheerleaders began their routine.
JR began to watch the men and women twirling their flags and doing their flips when she felt eyes on her. She looked across to the other side as a pair of warm brown eyes met hers. He graciously smiled and nodded his head. He then flicked his chin toward the beauty at his side. JR smiled broadly as she nodded toward Jacqueline who could turn a few heads herself.
His eyes brightened as did his smile. He discreetly waved his cell phone while mouthing the words “call me.” JR nodded as she did the same. A moment later Jacqueline put her arm around JR’s shoulder, squeezed her close and pecked the side of JR’s head. JR looked up and smiled brightly at Jacqueline.
“Having fun,” Jacqueline asked.
“Oh yes,” JR replied sincerely and without regret.
JR’s phone vibrated in her hand; she looked down to read the text.
“Friends?” it read.
“Forever!” she typed back, as Cheers NY began to move away.
Curtis again met her eyes. They both were determined to remain friends no matter what.
-end-
*****
Retired
June 2024
Brian and Justin were finishing a cup of coffee, having put Bree on the school bus a short while earlier. The buzzer went off indicating that someone was at the front gate.
"I wonder who that could be," Brian said getting up from the table. "It better not be the Squirt who forgot something and made the bus driver turn around." He walked to the intercom and pushed the button. "What?" he demanded.
"Well, I see you haven't changed much in all these years," a familiar voice said. "Crusty as ever."
"Deb, what are you doing here at this time of day?" he asked.
"Let me and Carl the fuck in and I'll be happy to tell you."
"Okay," Brian agreed pushing the button to open the gate.
"What's up, do you think?" Justin asked as Brian came back to the table.
"I guess we'll find out when she gets here," Brian said taking a sip of his coffee. "All we can do is wait and see."
*****
Carl carefully drove the big RV through the gate of Edna's Treasures. "I wish there was a little more space to get this thing through the gate," he said with a satisfied sigh as they cleared the opening. "Made it again."
"This is such a honking big machine," Debbie griped.
"Yeah," Carl agreed heading up the lane.
Suddenly Debbie yelled, "Stop!"
Carl slammed on the brakes of the big RV. They both jerked against their seatbelts finally settling back when the RV came to an abrupt stop. "What happened?" Carl asked looking around. "Did I hit the dog or something?"
"God, I hope not," Debbie said, "or both Brian and John will kill us."
"Then why did you scream 'Stop!'?"
"Look," Debbie said pointing to the side of the lane.
"What the f... is that?" Carl asked staring out his window.
"It's just the cutest thing I've ever seen," Debbie gushed. "Let's go have a closer look," she added undoing her seatbelt. They both got out and started walking across the lane.
"What the hell?" Carl said as they approached the new cottage on the lane. "Is that a thatched roof?"
"I think so," Debbie said with a big smile on her face. "It looks like it just popped out of the English countryside."
"Or the Irish hills," Carl added.
"I love it!" Debbie said clasping her ample bosom with her arms.
"It is pretty cute. I wonder what it's like inside. Probably has dirt floors."
Debbie gave him a gentle swat. She certainly hoped it didn't have dirt floors. "Let's look in the windows," Debbie suggested. "I can just picture what this will look like when there's grass and flowers," she said as they headed to the front of the cottage.
"Brian will be in his glory designing the gardens," Carl stated.
"It's just fucking adorable," Debbie gushed again as she looked at the old fashioned building that had suddenly grabbed her heart.
*****
"Where the fuck are they?" Brian asked looking at the clock in the kitchen. "It doesn't take ten minutes to drive up the lane, even if you are ancient like Debbie and Carl."
"You don't suppose they had an accident at the gate."
"Fuck! Maybe they did." Brian stood up. "I better go check."
"I'll come with you," Justin said. He was suddenly worried. Maybe something had happened to Debbie and Carl. They were of an age where anything might happen.
*****
"I can't really see much. I wish the lights were on," Debbie griped as she pressed her nose against another window. They had tried most of the windows but hadn't been able to get much of a sense of the inside.
"What the fuck are you two doing?" Brian demanded as he came down the lane with Justin. He could see Carl and Debbie with their noses against a window of the new cottage. "John had those windows washed a few days ago. He didn't realize he'd have to do it all over again to get rid of your nose prints."
"Is this John's cottage?" Debbie asked.
"Well, he built it," Brian replied.
"Is he going to live in it?"
"I don't think so," Brian replied.
"Then who is going to live in it?" Debbie asked, holding her breath as she waited for an answer.
"We don't know yet," Brian said. "We thought maybe the Morrisons might be interested."
"Have you talked to them yet?"
"The cottage is barely finished," Justin contributed. "It may just be another place for people to stay when they visit the lane."
"Could we see inside?" Debbie requested.
"All you had to do was turn the doorknob," Brian said walking up to the front door and doing just that.
"Fuck!" Debbie reacted. "Don't you people ever lock your doors?"
"We don't need to out here," Justin said with a chuckle. "Besides the cottage is pretty much empty."
Debbie and Carl walked into the cottage looking around with curious eyes. Brian and Justin stood back watching them as they examined each of the rooms. When they returned to the small entrance foyer a few minutes later, Debbie had a happy smile on her face.
"I see the big brass bed from your house is in one of the bedrooms," Carl observed.
"We thought it was time to get it out of the sun porch. Justin needs more room for his painting," Brian stated.
"Do you think John would sell the cottage to us?" Debbie interrupted.
"What?!" Brian and Justin said at the same time.
"We'd like to buy it," Carl said supporting his wife.
"But..." Brian began.
"I thought you liked travelling and visiting places in the RV," Justin said.
"We do ... did," Debbie replied. "But that thing is getting harder for us to handle as we get ... older. That's why we came here today. We've decided the RV isn't for us any longer."
"So, get rid of the fucking thing," Brian declared. "Why did you bring it here?"
"You were the one who got it for us. We thought we should consult with you before we got rid of it," Carl explained.
"It's yours. Do with it whatever you fucking want. It has nothing to do with me," Brian stated emphatically.
"What we want is to sell it. And now that I've seen this little gem of a place, I think we should sell the house in Pittsburgh and move into this wonderful little cottage," Debbie said happily.
Brian and Justin's mouths both dropped open. Apparently Debbie and Carl were serious about buying the cottage and living on the lane. Neither Brian nor Justin knew quite what to say.
"Are you really serious about this?" Carl asked his wife.
"Very."
"But..." Brian began when his brain finally engaged after Debbie's stunning comment.
"You have a problem with us being on the lane?" Debbie demanded.
"Of course not, Deb," Justin stepped in. "It just really surprised us. I thought you were a city girl not a country one."
"I like to experience new things, and I can see Carl and me living in this little cottage. We're through with traveling and the traffic in the city."
"Um ... What does Carl think about this?" Brian asked. His mind was reeling with the realization that Debbie could be his neighbor in a few short weeks. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"Carl thinks it's a great idea," Carl stated. "I could totally see myself living out here."
"You know that we all like our privacy even though we live on the lane together," Brian cautioned. He felt like he needed to establish some ground rules.
"I wasn't planning on invading your space!" Debbie declared indignantly. "We won't be busting into your fucking house when you're having sex, if that's what you're worried about," she stated indignantly.
"Deb!" Justin reacted.
"If you don't want us here, we can leave right now," Debbie added obviously in a huff.
"Deb, that wasn't what I meant," Brian backtracked.
"I hope not!"
"Welcome to the lane," Brian said softly. "Let's go talk to John about the cottage."
"That's the smartest thing you've said since you came down here," Debbie informed him.
Brian snorted before turning and heading up the lane.
Justin caught up to him. "Is this going to work?" he asked. Brian shrugged. "She'll take over the lane."
"We'll have to make sure she doesn't. That's why I made that crack about privacy."
"Do you think she heard you?"
"She better have or I'll be saying it many times in the coming weeks."
Justin groaned as they reached the door of Edna's Treasures.
*****
Debbie and Carl got into the RV and proceeded up the lane following Justin and Brian.
"We're doing the right thing, aren't we, babe?" Carl asked.
"Of course we are. We've been wanting a change and this is exactly what the doctor ordered."
"Brian and Justin didn't seem too thrilled about us buying the cottage," Carl observed.
"They just need to get used to the idea. It will be fine."
"I hope so."
"It will be, because I love that little building. It's perfect for the two of us," Debbie said with a grin.
"Yeah, perfect," Carl said, but he had some misgivings about this whole enterprise. He hoped everything would work out, because he did love that little cottage too.
"I wonder how soon we can move in," Debbie said. As far as she was concerned, it was a done deal.
-end-