My Redacted Life: Chapter 25

After such a weekend, it was hard to return to work on Monday. But I did. I saw my neighbor in the parking lot as we were both leaving. She had her skirt “hiked up” adjusting her pantyhose and didn’t see me at first. I pretended not to notice and started to walk past her.

“Hey you,” she said, letting her skirt fall. “How’d your trip go?”

“Great,” I said. “We had a nice time.”

“I’ll bet you did,” she said. “Vernell came down to my place last night and said Brenda was still on Cloud Nine.”

My heart raced a bit and I said, “It’s nice to know you’ve shown a girl a good time.”

“I can imagine,” she said. “What’s next?”

“Next?”

“You can’t just keep a girl dangling,” you know.

“Dangling? We’ve only just started dating.”

“You’ve sure gotten off to a fast start.”

“We’re adults.”

“No, she’s an adult. You’re a man.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Men don’t become adults,” she said. “They just get older and more ridiculous and then they disappear.”

“What are you trying to tell me? I’m 'head over heels' and you’re making it sound like I’m a pervert hiding behind the bushes somewhere. Can’t you see that girl has a hold on me?”

She smiled, then winked. “Don’t just treat her like Bozo the Clown … ‘Wowee kazowzee and see you Babe’ or you’ll have Vernell and me to answer to.”

“You’ve got a wild imagination,” I said. “Don’t you see that I’m capable of showing respect?”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“You ever wonder why women don’t think very highly of men?”

“I need to go to work.”

“You need to think about how lucky you are.”

“Oh, I do,” I said.

“Then you treat her right.” She turned toward her car, still tugging on her hose from outside her skirt. I turned toward my car.

As I turned, I was surprised to see Brenda standing on the second-floor balcony watching us. I waved. She nodded. I got into my car wondering if she had heard us or if she could read lips.

I thought about that all the way to work, and for a good part of the day. I never did know the answer.

Yeah Bozo. What's next?