Heaven Can Wait || Eddie Munson Story ||

White Lightning and Wine

By the time eight o'clock rolled around I was a jittery mess. I decided I couldn't go over to AnnMarie's empty handed, so I headed out to the liquor store. The girl behind the counter looked unimpressed and bored when I asked for her opinion on a good white wine, but honestly I had never tried the stuff so what would I know. She pointed me in the direction of a Riesling with a swan on the bottle and I threw a bottle of Jack Daniel's on the table with it. She put them each in a paper bag and I headed out and toward AnnMarie's. 

A car that I thought looked familiar but couldn't place had been parked outside when I left, and I peeked inside trying to figure out who's it was as I trudged up to her door. It wasn't ringing any bells so I shrugged and started climbing her porch when her door flung open and Robin Buckley and Nancy Wheeler tumbled out, nearly faceplanting on top of one another. I hastened forward meaning to catch them, but they caught each other, laughing. AnnMarie came running up behind them looking concerned. 

"Munson!" Robin bellowed. " How the hell are ya?" 

She was obviously tipsy and Nancy giggled, wrapping her arm around Robin's waist. 

"We didn't know you and AnnMarie were friends!" Nancy yelled.

AnnMarie was trying to usher the girls inside, but they wouldn't budge. I made it to the top of the steps and looked down at them. 

"Well, I didn't know you and AnnMarie were friends either," I accused, pretending to seem hurt. I put my arms around both girls' shoulders, holding my bagged bottles of alcohol between the fingers of one of my hands. I pull them inside and I hear a resigned sigh from behind me. I turn my head and stick my tongue out at AnnMarie and she flips me off. 

"Oh, we are BFFs," Robin gurgles. "I met AnnMarie the other day at Family Video and I introduced her to Nancy tonight. Now we are inseparable!" 

Nancy was nodding along solemnly as Robin spoke. "Then pray tell," I asked, "why are the two of you nice and tipsy, but your dear friend is still sober?" 

I spin both girls around with me as we face AnnMarie and I point her out with one of my fingers. She glares at me for a moment. I realize she has changed out of her jeans into the shortest and tightest black shorts I have ever seen, and my goofiness falls away momentarily. I gulp and try not the stare at the curve of her thighs. My mouth waters and I flex the hand that's not holding the booze, trying to focus. 

"If you must know Munson," AnnMarie says. "I just got done cooking our food. I preferred to not get wasted over an open flame." 

"Smart girl," I say, smirking. I drop my arms from around Robin and Nancy who move away from me and towards AnnMarie's entertainment system. They start bickering back and forth as they go through AnnMarie's cassettes trying to find something they want to listen to. I pull the bottle of wine and the Jack from the bags and offer them to AnnMarie who grins. 

She gestures for me to follow her to the kitchen. As we walk through her living room, I notice old photos of her on the walls, smiling on beaches, laughing with friends or family and I smile. Her kitchen is decorated in horror movie posters and there are Halloween magnets on her fridge. Her cabinets are painted black with red jewel knobs, making them look like little beads of blood. All of her appliances are black and silver. She notices me staring and she looks up at me sheepish. 

"I know it's a bit much." She rubs her hands together, nervously. "I just really like Halloween and scary movies. I wanted one room in the house to be spooky and I like to cook so I figured, why not?" 

Her cheeks were a deep crimson and I wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug her. I stopped myself though, not wanting to scare her. I was beyond happy that she was sharing part of herself with me. The greed I normally felt around AnnMarie roared in my chest hungrily, wanting to know more. I allowed myself to touch her arm at least and she looked up at me, still nervous.