weeks.”
“A Reno-vation!” Babs exclaimed, trying to lighten up the mood.
“No. That wasn’t fast enough for him. So he flew down to Mexico with . . . her . . . ”
“Whatta slut!”
“And in 24 hours it was over and he and . . . ”
“The home wrecker!”
“Were swimming and sunning and sipping piña coladas at some resort. Oh Babs, was I that horrible to live with?”
“No baby, of course not. He’s the crumb.”
“And I can’t stop thinking about the fight Paul and I had before he left.” Vivian started to cry. “The last thing he called me was . . . leftovers.”
“What an ass.” Babs put her arms around her. “Oh Viv, doesn’t he realize that leftovers always taste better the next day?” That almost coaxed a chuckle out of Vivian. “Honey, how are you for money?”
“Twenty-five bucks to my name.”
“Tonight I made almost $70.”
Vivian turned to her. “Selling plastic?”
“Sometimes closer to $150 when I do two or three parties in a day.”
“Babs, you could quit your receptionist job with that dentist.”
“Nah, I love that gig. Just doing the parties for extra dough. Besides, I corral all my buyers in from the office.”
This really got Vivian to thinking. “Geez, maybe I could . . . ” she cut herself off with her own self-doubt. “No. You’re so extroverted. A real people person. The thought of standing up in front of a group of strangers and talking mortifies me.”
Stew knocked on the bedroom door and slid in with his back to the women.
Vivian laughed. “I’m decent.”
Stew turned around singing, “
I’m always chasing rainbows, watching clouds drifting by . . . ”
He stopped abruptly, waiting for Babs to respond. Obviously this was a game Stew had tortured Babs to play, for years.
She thought hard. “Um, Mary Martin in
Peter Pan
?”
He threw her an exasperated look as his hands flew up with excitement. “I just bought at an estate sale the rare and almost impossible to find 12-inch 78 rpm recording of Judy singing the song
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows
from the 1941 movie
Ziegfeld Girl.
But that’s not all. Included in the recording is the deleted reprise for the finale she did with Tony Martin. She’s laughing and talking in between takes. Come into the living room and sing along!” Ecstatic, he left the room with his hands flailing by his sides.
Vivian gave Babs a look and they both broke out into laughter.
SIX
DUSTY BOOTS
The next day, Babs rushed through the living room looking for her purse as Stew limped in from outside on his crutch, teetering a box of Tupperware in his other hand. The sun reflecting in from the snow outside was blinding.
“It’s a good thing this stuff is light,” he laughed as he dropped it on the sofa. “Just picked up the new shipment. The garage is full.”
Babs looked around the room at the Tupperware stacked and piled everywhere. “So is the house.” She moved a few boxes around on the dining room table and finally found her handbag. “Let’s hope business keeps up through the holidays.”
Stew grappled with getting his overcoat off. “How is sleeping beauty?”
“Out to the world.” She searched her purse for her keys.
“Babs, you didn’t tell me Viv was divorced.”
He hopped after her as she rushed into the kitchen.
“It just happened.”
She looked left and then right and then opened the refrigerator.
“You should have told me right away.”
She stared into the fridge. “What am I looking for? Keys!” She shut the door and shuffled things around on the wooden counter tops. “I’m sorry you weren’t at the top of my divorce alert list.” Frustrated, she jammed her hands into her pockets. She rolled her eyes, pulled out the keys and headed for the door. “Why don’t you try cheering her up?”
He tagged after her. “How do I do that?”
Babs grabbed her coat and threw it on. “Just be your charming self.”
“Ha ha.”
“Show her your sense of
“A Reno-vation!” Babs exclaimed, trying to lighten up the mood.
“No. That wasn’t fast enough for him. So he flew down to Mexico with . . . her . . . ”
“Whatta slut!”
“And in 24 hours it was over and he and . . . ”
“The home wrecker!”
“Were swimming and sunning and sipping piña coladas at some resort. Oh Babs, was I that horrible to live with?”
“No baby, of course not. He’s the crumb.”
“And I can’t stop thinking about the fight Paul and I had before he left.” Vivian started to cry. “The last thing he called me was . . . leftovers.”
“What an ass.” Babs put her arms around her. “Oh Viv, doesn’t he realize that leftovers always taste better the next day?” That almost coaxed a chuckle out of Vivian. “Honey, how are you for money?”
“Twenty-five bucks to my name.”
“Tonight I made almost $70.”
Vivian turned to her. “Selling plastic?”
“Sometimes closer to $150 when I do two or three parties in a day.”
“Babs, you could quit your receptionist job with that dentist.”
“Nah, I love that gig. Just doing the parties for extra dough. Besides, I corral all my buyers in from the office.”
This really got Vivian to thinking. “Geez, maybe I could . . . ” she cut herself off with her own self-doubt. “No. You’re so extroverted. A real people person. The thought of standing up in front of a group of strangers and talking mortifies me.”
Stew knocked on the bedroom door and slid in with his back to the women.
Vivian laughed. “I’m decent.”
Stew turned around singing, “
I’m always chasing rainbows, watching clouds drifting by . . . ”
He stopped abruptly, waiting for Babs to respond. Obviously this was a game Stew had tortured Babs to play, for years.
She thought hard. “Um, Mary Martin in
Peter Pan
?”
He threw her an exasperated look as his hands flew up with excitement. “I just bought at an estate sale the rare and almost impossible to find 12-inch 78 rpm recording of Judy singing the song
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows
from the 1941 movie
Ziegfeld Girl.
But that’s not all. Included in the recording is the deleted reprise for the finale she did with Tony Martin. She’s laughing and talking in between takes. Come into the living room and sing along!” Ecstatic, he left the room with his hands flailing by his sides.
Vivian gave Babs a look and they both broke out into laughter.
SIX
DUSTY BOOTS
The next day, Babs rushed through the living room looking for her purse as Stew limped in from outside on his crutch, teetering a box of Tupperware in his other hand. The sun reflecting in from the snow outside was blinding.
“It’s a good thing this stuff is light,” he laughed as he dropped it on the sofa. “Just picked up the new shipment. The garage is full.”
Babs looked around the room at the Tupperware stacked and piled everywhere. “So is the house.” She moved a few boxes around on the dining room table and finally found her handbag. “Let’s hope business keeps up through the holidays.”
Stew grappled with getting his overcoat off. “How is sleeping beauty?”
“Out to the world.” She searched her purse for her keys.
“Babs, you didn’t tell me Viv was divorced.”
He hopped after her as she rushed into the kitchen.
“It just happened.”
She looked left and then right and then opened the refrigerator.
“You should have told me right away.”
She stared into the fridge. “What am I looking for? Keys!” She shut the door and shuffled things around on the wooden counter tops. “I’m sorry you weren’t at the top of my divorce alert list.” Frustrated, she jammed her hands into her pockets. She rolled her eyes, pulled out the keys and headed for the door. “Why don’t you try cheering her up?”
He tagged after her. “How do I do that?”
Babs grabbed her coat and threw it on. “Just be your charming self.”
“Ha ha.”
“Show her your sense of
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