Chapter 39

Joe A looked hurt.

“So don’t get yer hopes up,” I said.

“Miss Post ... have I ever... ?”

“No ... you haven’t ... but I know how these things work. You wanna keep the job, you fuck the boss.” I said. Gees, I must be tired. I can not believe I said that.

Joe A stuck his head out the office door, “Alice ... have I ever demanded sex for you to keep your job?”

“Who said that?”

“We’re just having a little discussion here,” Joe A said.

Before I could say hockey puck the office was full of waitresses bartenders and even the cleaning crew. I had more than one finger in my face and a couple of angry fists.

Alice said, “You listen to me, missy. Joe’s not like that. I wouldn’t work here if he was.”

I burst into tears.

Bobby interposed himself between me and the angry crowd. “Guys. Guys. Guys! She’s had a rough year. I’ll take her home. A good nights sleep should help.”

“Waddaya mean, rough year. She won the fuckin’ lottery.” said someone.

“She did?”

Bobby said, “Twice.” and that sure caused a ruckus ... thanks a ton, Bobby.

My previous life passed from Bobby’s lips to 24 right ears ... as much as he knew ... and he knew a bunch more than I ever said. This is NOT what I envisioned spring break was going to be like.

Spring break only had one thing going for it ... the weather. At least it was warm.

“I am a sorry ingrate, Joe A,” I said, “I mean that. Please forgive my bad manners. I’ll pack and be gone tomorrow.”

“Leave? You will do no such thing. You would ruin my business,” he said. “Where would the forgiveness be in such an act?

“No, you stay. Pack my house ... put jingle in my pocket ... drive the college guys crazy.”

Drive the college crazy ... hmmm. “George, may I borrow Mel, pretty please?”

“What for?”

“I want her to teach me about sexy.”

“Hell, I can do that,” and he leered.

“Not sex, George, sexy.”

“Damn, K. Yer no fun.”

“And intend to keep it that way.”

Joe A burst in, “Karen Post! You keep doing what you did last night. Every single ... and a few of the attached ... guys wanted you. Lessons in sexy? You don’t need lessons in sexy. That’s what’s the matter with these kids. You have innocence. You’re like the four or five year old bouncing on her fathers lap. Joy, laughter, happiness. Sexy you don’t need.”

Every girl knows how to be sexy ... watch them maneuver their dads. By the time Eighth grade rolls around, sessions with mom while Dad is at work ... NOT that mom needs or wants the competition ... but Summer coffee and any given Saturday the rest of the year at ten in the local will find mothers imparting women’s secrets and daughters soaking up the information.

It’s the survival of the species in action. No matter what ... moms remember the first period and the feelings that accompanied it. The lust ... and the want. Sometimes it’s uncontrollable ... unwanted mothers. But not all civilizations shun the unwed mother. Some in the Indus valley don’t care who the father is ... the women hold all property.

Friday was such a success that Bobby was worried about Saturday. Word of mouth carries a lot of weight with college kids.

“God! I had such a time last night at the Laudermist, I’m going again.”

And that meant that a couple three listeners decided to go, too. Twenty one thousand Breakers wandered in and most of them stayed. A common thread about the band was, “They sound like the Dead ... only in tune ... and they have a beat you can dance to.”

Sunday afternoon ... Hilda won the Teeshirt contest ... Joe A told her once was enough.

“I’ll pay you to not compete,” he said. “We need to let some of the lesser endowed win.”