pumps, strayed dramatically from her old school wardrobe of obscenely short and tight-fitting mini-skirts. She had the legs for it back then and nothing had changed.
Bridget jabbed me in the side and excitedly yelped, “Denise!”
Smiling brightly, Denise said, “If it isn’t the Two Musketeers! Not surprisingly together.” As she reached down to hug us, it occurred to me that almost everyone in my graduating class towered over both Bridget and me. I was usually the shortest person in any room, with the exception of children, but at least in the real world, there were other height deprived people walking the streets.
“How have you guys been?” Denise asked. “I’ve thought about you two a lot over the past few years.”
“We’ve thought about you too!” Bridget said nodding.
“Actually, you were the person we most looked forward to seeing tonight,” I said.
Denise put her hand over her heart and looked at us with bright eyes. “That’s so sweet. What are you guys up to? Do you both live in the city? I guess you guys have kept in touch all of this time?” She paused. “I’m sorry for all of the questions!”
“No worries,” I said. “I work at a law firm as a legal secretary and I also run a book blog. I’ll let Bridget tell you what she does. But, yes, we both live in the city and we’ve kept in touch all of this time.” I turned to Bridget with a smile.
Bridget proceeded to tell Denise what she was doing and then we directed the same questions back at her.
“I’m actually a mommy of two.” Denise said proudly. While Bridget and I tried not to look quite so shocked, Denise reached into her bag for her wallet and showed us her family holiday photo. I had to suppress a gasp of surprise when I saw Denise standing next to a very handsome man who, at least in the picture, looked almost nerdy with his short hair and glasses. He was a far cry from the burnouts she had dated in high school. Looking at the fair-haired little boy and girl toddlers in matching New York Mets T-shirts, I asked, “Are they twins?”
“Yes! Can you believe it? Me with twins. Who would have guessed?”
“Not in a million years,” Bridget said a little too certainly and then let out a hiccup. “Damn hiccups. Happens every time!”
Denise laughed. “Do a shot of bitters and suck on a lemon. Trust me.”
While Bridget asked the bartender to prepare Denise’s hiccup cure, Denise looked at me fondly. “A book blogger, huh? You always loved to read!”
“I still do,” I said.
“Word on the street is that Hannah Marshak, queen in her own mind, is publishing a book,” Denise said with a frown. “I’m surprised it’s not a memoir considering how self-absorbed she is.”
My chest felt weighted and I took another glance around the room. “Is she here tonight?” Since I hadn’t seen her yet, I held onto hope that she had decided to skip it. Wishful thinking.
Denise nodded. “How else do you think I know about her book? She told me.”
My eyes bulging, I said, “She told you?” I didn’t remember Denise and Hannah being friends in high school although I did recall that Hannah made sure to be friendly with anyone who could either help her or potentially hurt her. And if Hannah didn’t play her cards right with Denise and her friends, they would not have hesitated to yank out every curly brown hair on Hannah’s inflated head.
“She’s making the rounds telling everyone. She’s even talking to the little nerds from math club.” Looking at me questionably, she added, “You weren’t in the math club were you?”
Laughing, I said, “No. Did you think I was a little nerd?”
Denise shook her head. “I always thought you were cool as shit. Both of you guys. So, no, not nerdy but yes, little.” Glancing at Bridget who had the bartender in hysterics, she said, “Both of you were little. Always made me feel like a fucking giant.”
Before I could respond, I felt an arm on my shoulder, “Little Miss
Bridget jabbed me in the side and excitedly yelped, “Denise!”
Smiling brightly, Denise said, “If it isn’t the Two Musketeers! Not surprisingly together.” As she reached down to hug us, it occurred to me that almost everyone in my graduating class towered over both Bridget and me. I was usually the shortest person in any room, with the exception of children, but at least in the real world, there were other height deprived people walking the streets.
“How have you guys been?” Denise asked. “I’ve thought about you two a lot over the past few years.”
“We’ve thought about you too!” Bridget said nodding.
“Actually, you were the person we most looked forward to seeing tonight,” I said.
Denise put her hand over her heart and looked at us with bright eyes. “That’s so sweet. What are you guys up to? Do you both live in the city? I guess you guys have kept in touch all of this time?” She paused. “I’m sorry for all of the questions!”
“No worries,” I said. “I work at a law firm as a legal secretary and I also run a book blog. I’ll let Bridget tell you what she does. But, yes, we both live in the city and we’ve kept in touch all of this time.” I turned to Bridget with a smile.
Bridget proceeded to tell Denise what she was doing and then we directed the same questions back at her.
“I’m actually a mommy of two.” Denise said proudly. While Bridget and I tried not to look quite so shocked, Denise reached into her bag for her wallet and showed us her family holiday photo. I had to suppress a gasp of surprise when I saw Denise standing next to a very handsome man who, at least in the picture, looked almost nerdy with his short hair and glasses. He was a far cry from the burnouts she had dated in high school. Looking at the fair-haired little boy and girl toddlers in matching New York Mets T-shirts, I asked, “Are they twins?”
“Yes! Can you believe it? Me with twins. Who would have guessed?”
“Not in a million years,” Bridget said a little too certainly and then let out a hiccup. “Damn hiccups. Happens every time!”
Denise laughed. “Do a shot of bitters and suck on a lemon. Trust me.”
While Bridget asked the bartender to prepare Denise’s hiccup cure, Denise looked at me fondly. “A book blogger, huh? You always loved to read!”
“I still do,” I said.
“Word on the street is that Hannah Marshak, queen in her own mind, is publishing a book,” Denise said with a frown. “I’m surprised it’s not a memoir considering how self-absorbed she is.”
My chest felt weighted and I took another glance around the room. “Is she here tonight?” Since I hadn’t seen her yet, I held onto hope that she had decided to skip it. Wishful thinking.
Denise nodded. “How else do you think I know about her book? She told me.”
My eyes bulging, I said, “She told you?” I didn’t remember Denise and Hannah being friends in high school although I did recall that Hannah made sure to be friendly with anyone who could either help her or potentially hurt her. And if Hannah didn’t play her cards right with Denise and her friends, they would not have hesitated to yank out every curly brown hair on Hannah’s inflated head.
“She’s making the rounds telling everyone. She’s even talking to the little nerds from math club.” Looking at me questionably, she added, “You weren’t in the math club were you?”
Laughing, I said, “No. Did you think I was a little nerd?”
Denise shook her head. “I always thought you were cool as shit. Both of you guys. So, no, not nerdy but yes, little.” Glancing at Bridget who had the bartender in hysterics, she said, “Both of you were little. Always made me feel like a fucking giant.”
Before I could respond, I felt an arm on my shoulder, “Little Miss
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