Saturday night could not come fast enough. With the Buckeyes holding top spot in their division in basketball and enjoying a long home stand during which they’d already won the first three games, both East and West were doing record business. That double piece of pie yesterday? Tommy wouldn’t have cared if Bill had given away the whole pie, at least not then or at the moment because he’d just gotten off the phone with Mr. Bowman to discover how really good the numbers had been.
Everyone had dragged themselves home. Bill had found his fiancé awake and waiting for him, something entirely unusual. She was dressed up too: high heels, dark stockings, mini skirt, low-cut blouse showing cleavage, heavy makeup including dark lipstick and eyeshadow. Bill was taken aback.
“No friends tonight?” he had asked. “No Tim?”
“No friends. No Tim. Just you and me. And plenty of time since you don’t have to go in early tomorrow.”
Bill had kissed her, first thing. Then he’d excused himself to go take a shower. Kitchen funk, he’d explained, which was true because, and he was thankful for this, he had not done any fooling around. He and Marie had gone down to change at different times since she was finished before him. He was just starting the second grease when she’d come up in her civvies to say goodnight. Lexi, Lorraine and Victoria were still with tables when he’d gone out to tell Tommy he was leaving.
After his shower, he’d put on sweats and come out to be with his wife-to-be. They popped Quaaludes, smoked a joint and listened by candlelight to soft rock music while drinking white wine. They sat a long while on the sofa, making out and petting before going off to their bedroom.
Then the morning came. Saturday morning. Bill was up at eight. His fiancé was still in bed when he was dressed and ready to head out the door. He took a moment to sit on the edge of the bed where he looked at her. He fixed the covers on her. He leaned over her, stroked her hair, kissed her.
“I love you,” she said to him. “Come home as quickly as you can tonight.”
“I love you too,” said Bill. “I have the sense it’s gonna be a crazy night, but as fast as I can get out the door that’s when I’ll be home.”
He kissed her again, this time a long, loving kiss. She sat up and they hugged.
“Please be safe,” she said.
“I’ll do my best.” Bill got up, said goodbye, headed out the door.
A little after nine, when Bill got in, he found the kitchen already in action. Mary had started the prep work. Bea was long past reading the racing page and was busy setting up her station. They weren’t open for lunch, but they opened at noon for dinner. They still had a few hours to get ready.
Bill went over to the coffee urns by Bea’s station where he took himself a mug of coffee. He stood by Bea a moment and drank it down then refilled the mug. He carried it with him back to where Mary was, to see what she was up to. He stood by her and finished his second coffee. Then he went downstairs to change into his uniform.
Mary came down while he was changing clothes. She caught him half-way done, with his kitchen pants on but not buttoned yet. He was sitting on a chair putting on his work shoes.
“Bring me two ribs soon as you can,” she said. “I see you got a little more than half of one to start with. That should keep us till the fresh ones are done.”
“Soon as I’m changed,” said Bill.
