Lil looked over at her brother in the driver's seat of the "Surf Supreme" van he was car-sitting. "Okay," she said. "Let me give Bernie a call and see if she has any ideas." Lil took out her mobile phone and Gary gave her Bernie's number. "Voicemail," she said.
"Bernie always leaves her phone somewhere or lets her battery run out," Gary said. "Try the house number."
Lil dialed. A mature woman's voice answered, "Joyce Bernstein." Bernie's mother, she thought.
"Hi, this is Lil Menard, Gary's sister," she said. "Is B-, is Naomi home?"
"Sure, honey," Joyce said. "Let me get Bernie for you." Lil heard Joyce put the phone down and call out, "Bernie! It's your boyfriend's sister Lil!"
Bernie said she'd be happy to go shopping with Lil that afternoon. "Sure thing!" she said. "Glad to hear you dumped that jerk. Just from what Gary told me, you're well rid of him!"
"Oh Bernie," Lil said, "I have to ask. I had this book in Senior Health. Is your mom...Joyce Bernstein...?"
"That's her," Bernie said. "She wrote 'Free To Masturbate'. Half the senior health classes in the state are using it for the 'abstinence education' requirement. It was a real pain last year, all the news people calling. We had to change our number twice. But we got the pool put in with the money. Hey, ask Gary if he wants to come along shopping or if he's gonna drop us off and pick us up."
"Aw, he just wants to drive Stuart's Surf Mobile up and down the beach," Lil said.
"What?" Gary asked.
"Bernie wants to know if you want to come shopping with us or just pick us up later."
Bernie said in Lil's ear, "Tell him Mom will do barbecue tonight if you want to come over for dinner."
"Oh yeah," Lil said. "And Bernie's Mom says she wants to have us over to do a barbecue tonight."
"That sounds great!" Gary said.
"So you gonna come shopping?" Lil asked. "Or you gonna go cruise the Beast?"
"What'cha shopping for?" Gary asked.
"I dunno," Lil said. "Clothes. Sunglasses maybe. I think Bernie said make-up and chocolate."
Gary chewed his upper lip. "Maybe I'll just drop you off and meet you and Bernie before dinner," he said.
"'Kay," said Lil.
Gary drove to Bernie's house and honked the horn. Lil jumped when she heard the van toot the first six notes of the "Hawaii Five-O" theme.
"Stuart is a nutcase!" Lil said. "So are you for wanting to baby-sit his monstrosity."
Gary laughed. "Aw, sis," he said. "It's only till mom and dad come back." He pushed the horn again, and it honked out the first couple bars of "La Cucaracha".
"Yeek!" Lil said. "I hope everybody laughs at you when you cruise the beach."
Naomi Bernstein came through her front door, her glasses flashing. She waved at Lil and Gary as she walked up. Gary got out, kissed Bernie and ushered her into the "girlfriend seat" in the middle of the van's front seat.
"How's tricks, Trixie?" he asked.
"Fi-ine," she stretched the word. "What's got you jiving, Daddy-O?"
"It's the van," Lil said. "Just because Stuart let him drive the Super Surf Mobile, Gary thinks he's the Big Kahuna."
Gary laughed. Lil was acting in better spirits. Giving her something to pick on him for seemed to be helping. He hoped going shopping with Bernie would give her a lift.
They drove downtown, Bernie chattering to Lil about places to shop.
"Maybe we should get your nails done," Bernie said. "My mom always says it makes her feel good."
"I dunno," Lil said. "I don't want to have to worry if I chip one."
They agreed on a time for Gary to pick them up in good time to make it back to Bernie's house for dinner.
"Does your mom want us to pick up anything?" Gary asked.
"I don't think so," said Bernie, "but we can call her before we head back." She pulled out a little silvery mobile phone and waved it. "I remembered this time."
"Lil and I've got ours, too," Gary said.
Lil got out and hung on to the front passenger door, looking at Gary. "Last chance to change your mind and come shopping," she said.
Bernie kissed Gary and slid out next to Lil. "You're gonna miss all the girl talk," Bernie said. |
|
Does Gary come shopping? If not, follow Gary or the girls?
No, Gary heads off to make a guilty little phone call.
No, follow the girls
Yes, Gary and the girls start at the record store.
No, follow Gary to the bank.
|