something so silly anyway.
“I was just keeping Libby company until you got here.”
“Oh, there’s no need to rush,” from Libby. Her silvery-blonde hair bounced at the curled-up ends while she nodded for me to agree.
I didn’t.
Now, I know Peasner a small, friendly town and all, but Libby had done took it too far, in my opinion. I drawed up my eyes and looked at her real quick. She shrugged her shoulders like she Miss Innocent.
Dr. Wilson showed all thirty-two of his teeth and peered all in my face. “B, Libby was telling me that you—”
“It’s Beatrice.” He don’t know me like that. I took my seat.
“I apologize. Beatrice , Libby was telling me that the two of you volunteer at the food pantry. You must know my daughter, Eva. She volunteers there, too, some weekends.”
I tipped my head. “Yes, I do know her. Lovely young lady. You must be proud of her.”
“Very. She’s finishing up her master’s degree in education.”
“Wonderful. Well, it was nice seeing you again.”
Libby kicked my foot under the table. I glanced up at her and she—what Cameron call it?— mean-mugging me. I did it back to her while Dr. Wilson was busy looking down at his cell phone.
“Forgive me, ladies. I have to take this call.” He held the phone to his ear, got up, and walked outside. Probably the only place to get good reception.
“B, what in the world is wrong with you?”
I fussed, “Why you got this man sittin’ here at our table?”
Waitress come over and took our order in the middle of the debate. We picked up right where we left off.
“Ain’t no harm in having somebody else join us for lunch, is it?” she asked like she had no idea.
“Dr. Wilson ain’t just somebody . You said he was sweet on me, and the way he starin’ all in my eyeballs when he talk. I don’t like it. I think he flirtin’ with me.”
“He is flirtin’ with you, B. Still don’t see the problem.”
I took a sip of ice water. “I ain’t on the market.”
“You single, ain’tcha?”
“I’m widowed . Besides, he way too young for me.”
“Oh, B, Dr. Wilson got to be at least sixty-five.”
“And I’m seventy-two. Seven years gap between us.”
“At our age, I don’t think seven years gon’ make you a tiger, B.”
Couldn’t help but laugh. “I think they call it a cougar.”
Libby shook her head and squeezed a lemon into her glass. “Tiger, cougar, leopard, whatever. You ain’t it. Besides, I think he’s rather tall, dark and handsome.”
“Libby, you ain’t no good judge of black men. Dr. Wilson ain’t near handsome as Albert was.”
She dipped her chin almost to her neckline. “Honey, nobody gon’ be able to compare with Albert. You fell in love with him before he lost all his hair and got wrinkles. But I think you ought to at least open your mind up enough to make new friends, be it Dr. Wilson, or whoever.”
I tilted my head to the side and gave way to the rumble of laughter in my belly. “Libby, what I look like makin’ friends with a man at this point in my life?”
“B, it’s not—”
“No, listen. Let’s say I start courtin’ a man. How long you think we got to get to know each other and get a relationship goin’?”
She looked me square in the face. “No two people know how long they gon’ have together, no matter what age they are. Like Geneva said, won’t be long before we all on the other side. Just got to be thankful for every day.”
Sometimes, people say stuff that just sink right inside your heart. I swallowed real hard ‘cause I know Libby know what she talkin’ about. Her first husband died in a work accident two weeks after they got married. They was both only nineteen years old at the time. She hadn’t even had time for a groove to set in on her ring finger before he was gone. “I hear you, Libby.”
Dr. Wilson come back at the same time the waitress brought our food. “I apologize again, Libby and Beatrice, but I have to head to the
“I was just keeping Libby company until you got here.”
“Oh, there’s no need to rush,” from Libby. Her silvery-blonde hair bounced at the curled-up ends while she nodded for me to agree.
I didn’t.
Now, I know Peasner a small, friendly town and all, but Libby had done took it too far, in my opinion. I drawed up my eyes and looked at her real quick. She shrugged her shoulders like she Miss Innocent.
Dr. Wilson showed all thirty-two of his teeth and peered all in my face. “B, Libby was telling me that you—”
“It’s Beatrice.” He don’t know me like that. I took my seat.
“I apologize. Beatrice , Libby was telling me that the two of you volunteer at the food pantry. You must know my daughter, Eva. She volunteers there, too, some weekends.”
I tipped my head. “Yes, I do know her. Lovely young lady. You must be proud of her.”
“Very. She’s finishing up her master’s degree in education.”
“Wonderful. Well, it was nice seeing you again.”
Libby kicked my foot under the table. I glanced up at her and she—what Cameron call it?— mean-mugging me. I did it back to her while Dr. Wilson was busy looking down at his cell phone.
“Forgive me, ladies. I have to take this call.” He held the phone to his ear, got up, and walked outside. Probably the only place to get good reception.
“B, what in the world is wrong with you?”
I fussed, “Why you got this man sittin’ here at our table?”
Waitress come over and took our order in the middle of the debate. We picked up right where we left off.
“Ain’t no harm in having somebody else join us for lunch, is it?” she asked like she had no idea.
“Dr. Wilson ain’t just somebody . You said he was sweet on me, and the way he starin’ all in my eyeballs when he talk. I don’t like it. I think he flirtin’ with me.”
“He is flirtin’ with you, B. Still don’t see the problem.”
I took a sip of ice water. “I ain’t on the market.”
“You single, ain’tcha?”
“I’m widowed . Besides, he way too young for me.”
“Oh, B, Dr. Wilson got to be at least sixty-five.”
“And I’m seventy-two. Seven years gap between us.”
“At our age, I don’t think seven years gon’ make you a tiger, B.”
Couldn’t help but laugh. “I think they call it a cougar.”
Libby shook her head and squeezed a lemon into her glass. “Tiger, cougar, leopard, whatever. You ain’t it. Besides, I think he’s rather tall, dark and handsome.”
“Libby, you ain’t no good judge of black men. Dr. Wilson ain’t near handsome as Albert was.”
She dipped her chin almost to her neckline. “Honey, nobody gon’ be able to compare with Albert. You fell in love with him before he lost all his hair and got wrinkles. But I think you ought to at least open your mind up enough to make new friends, be it Dr. Wilson, or whoever.”
I tilted my head to the side and gave way to the rumble of laughter in my belly. “Libby, what I look like makin’ friends with a man at this point in my life?”
“B, it’s not—”
“No, listen. Let’s say I start courtin’ a man. How long you think we got to get to know each other and get a relationship goin’?”
She looked me square in the face. “No two people know how long they gon’ have together, no matter what age they are. Like Geneva said, won’t be long before we all on the other side. Just got to be thankful for every day.”
Sometimes, people say stuff that just sink right inside your heart. I swallowed real hard ‘cause I know Libby know what she talkin’ about. Her first husband died in a work accident two weeks after they got married. They was both only nineteen years old at the time. She hadn’t even had time for a groove to set in on her ring finger before he was gone. “I hear you, Libby.”
Dr. Wilson come back at the same time the waitress brought our food. “I apologize again, Libby and Beatrice, but I have to head to the
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