girls’ night
diane payne
Page 2 of 3
“You mean you did more than sail?” Candace asks.
“Damn right I did. We really sailed.” Bobbie finishes her drink in one big gulp.
They started having ladies night after everyone started getting married, or living together in Freddy and Bobbie’s case. When the eight of them get together, the guys had a tendency to manipulate the conversation, and they don’t even really like each other. It was Maria’s idea to just get together with the girls so they could actually talk about things that mattered to them. To drink too much and laugh loudly over weird stories they’d never tell their husbands.
“Good for you!” Maria says lifting her water glass for a cheer.
“Wait! Let’s do the cheer right,” Bobbie says waving for the waiter. “We all need fresh drinks. And, you need a drink!”
“I’ll forget my cheer then. It was a good one.” Maria digs a pen out of her purse and writes the word “sailing” on her napkin.
“Oh, let me guess what you were going to say!” Candace groans.
“Probably not what you’re thinking!” Maria laughs.
“Probably not,” Bobbie sighs.
“What about you, Candace? Let’s hear about your trip to Nepal.”
“What’s there to say? Rick and I walked all over the Himalayas.”
“Oh, right. Just a walk,” Maria says sarcastically.
Candace and Rick always plan a trek somewhere. They’re both public school teachers and live for their summers.
“It was incredible! I didn’t think anything could beat our trip to Peru, but Nepal was amazing.”
“You two were gone at least five weeks. I kept calling thinking you’d be home,” Maria admits.
“Five weeks is too short but we promised to spend two weeks with Jim’s parents in North Carolina, and then my parents came out for a week. Where did summer go? School starts again next week.”
“The rest of us have been working all summer. You’re not getting any sympathy from me,” Bobbie moans. “Let me guess. You and Rick single-handedly cleaned up the entire mountain.”
“Not single-handedly. We actually did do a climbing trip with this group of climbers whose goal was to pick up all the trash left behind from other climbers. They leave their tanks, their tents, all kinds of shit. Once they reach their destination, that’s it. They just climb down.”
“I’m surprised the sherpas don’t go after that stuff,” Jill says.
“Well, their job is to follow the climbers. If the climbers tell them to get moving with the gear they do want brought down, they can’t go and collect the other stuff. Not all climbers are so pathetic, but from the looks of Nepal, too many of them are.”
“You make the rest of feel guilty for enjoying our vacations.” Bobbie laughs alone. “Well, someone’s gotta do it, right?”
“Trust me, Bobbie. We had a blast. We didn’t have to pay for a climbing permit since we were on this clean-up crew. It was a great deal.”
The waiter brings new drinks and Maria looks at her wine of glass nervously.
“What did you do? Join AA?” Bobbie jokes, though she’s beginning to wonder if it could possibly be true.
“Noooo. Okay, here’s my toast,” Maria says glancing at her napkin. “Oh, damn, it had something to do with sailing.”
“How about smooth sailing?” Jill suggests.
“Or, may we all sail like Bobbie,” Candace jokes.
“I remember. To strong winds and memorable rides!”
Everyone clanks her glass before having a drink.
“What about you, Maria? What have you been up to?” Candace asks.
“I have some news. I’m pregnant!”
“What? You’re pregnant? And now you tell me?” Now it’s Bobbie’s turn to be disappointed.
“I wanted to wait until I made it through the first trimester.”
Everyone leans over the table to look at Maria’s belly.
“You’re already thirteen weeks pregnant?” Bobbie asks.
“Fourteen actually.”
“You look the same!” Bobbie stares at Maria’s stomach. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”
“I just did. I wanted all of us together.”
“No wonder you’re not drinking. Wow! This is big!” Bobbie leans over and gives Maria a big forced hug.
“It’s about time one of us makes the big step,” Candace says lifting her glass for another toast. “To the new baby and mother, may they have smooth and wonderful sailing!”
For a moment, no one says anything. Everyone notices that dreadful awkward silence.
“I guess that’s what happens once we turn thirty. The maternal clock starts ticking.” Jill expects someone to say something but no one does.
“I’m thirty-four,” Maria points out.
“I don’t think I could ever do it. I’d probably end up one of those parents who leaves the baby in the backseat and then goes to work, completely forgetting.” Bobbie finishes her drink and points to her empty glass, hoping the waiter will hurry with a refill.
“Ugh,” Jill groans. “Don’t say that. You wouldn’t forget that you had your baby in the car and then just walk away.”
“Look how many parents do. I’m just saying, why would I be any different?”
Desperate to change the subject, Candace asks, “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”
“Not yet. We’re not sure we want to know.”