Breve Series: Date at the Water Grill

Untitled Part 8

                                                                                            -17-

Ginger checked herself out in the bathroom mirror. She fluffed up her curly blond hair and smudged a bit the eyeliner around her big, green eyes. She had put on some weight in the past few years but her figure still showed that once upon a time she had been a knockout. She had never been the skinny, boney type, and she was still rather attractive with her soft curves. After applying a final coat of velvety-red lipstick, she checked the results and was satisfied with what she saw. Just like a movie star, she thought.

"What took you so long?" asked Eddie when she entered the living room.

"What do you think?" asked Ginger, and struck a pose like a star on the red carpet.

Eddie looked at her clueless. "What do I think about what? Did you have a haircut?"

You're an asshole, Eddie!" exclaimed Ginger and put her hands on her hips. "You really don't see any changes? Do I look the same to you as before I went to the bathroom?"

"Don't be mad, hon," Eddie tried to save the situation. If there was ever a time, he really needed Ginger now. He wanted her total cooperation and he knew that if he made her angry, she would act stubborn and refuse to help. "You look pretty without all that makeup too. You don't need that to look sexy."

"But don't you like it?"

"Sure I like it when you pretty yourself up for me. But you aren't meeting this idiot to make him fall in love with you," said Eddie and patted Ginger's butt. "You go there honey to take his money! Hey, that rhymes! You go there honey to take his money," Eddie sang it out laud again. He found his own joke very funny.

Ginger wasn't sure how to respond but was too tired to start a fight with Eddie, so she gave up and accepted Eddie's explanation, although she wasn't totally convinced.

"So," she sighed, "What's the plan? What do you want me to do"?

"You go in – just make sure this time you don't go to someone else - you take the cash, you leave, and that's it."

"How do I make sure that he is the right guy?" whined Ginger.

"Because sure as hell, he'll be the only jerk with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate at McDonalds," Eddie burst out laughing. "I'm almost sorry that I won't be there to see his face, sitting in that fast-food joint with a big bouquet of flowers! What a loser!" he said still laughing.

"I'm meeting him at a McDonalds?" Ginger asked incredulously.

"What's the problem, hon?"

"Why can't I meet him again in that nice restaurant?"

"Because you missed him in that nice restaurant and you spent almost 30 bucks and got nothing. Come to think, you never told me why it cost you 30 bucks to wait for this loser, huh?"

"It was a nice place, and I couldn't just sit there without ordering something."

"And you got a bottle of champagne?"

"Oh come on, Eddie, be serious. If I'd ordered a bottle of champagne it would've cost over 300 bucks and I'd be dead by now because you would've killed me."

"You're right in that," Eddie agreed.

"I ordered some whiskey, that's all."

"Some whiskey? Why didn't you get a glass of water for free?"

"Do not be such a tightwad!" Ginger exclaimed.

"That's just to show ya," Eddie said, "This time, there's not gonna be any risk of spending 30 bucks or even ten bucks. You go in, sit down with him, take his flowers and chocolate, check that the money is in the box, then leave the guy and come home."