Gina and Mike Read Free Page A

favorite).
    “I can still picture the bottle cap. It was red, white and blue with a picture of a man with a mustache and beard,” she said. “Back then, you’d get a penny for every glass soda bottle you returned to the store.  Of course, I always returned the bottle because I could then buy a piece of penny candy.”
    It was at this point – in the middle of her describing the red, white and blue bottle cap – that I zoned out.   Her details were like sleeping pills. The more she fed me the sleepier I got. 
    When I jerked awake, Mrs. Hoffman was describing how the store owner chewed tobacco.
    “This man, who was probably in his late 60s or early 70s. Oh, and did I tell you that he lost the tip of his middle finger in a meat slicer when he was quite younger? Yes, well, anyway he did. Uh, where was I?”
    “He chewed tobacco,” Eric said.
    “Yes, the tobacco. Well, old Mr. Mahoney would open the store door and spit out the big, juicy wads of tobacco. And if I walked to the store in bare feet, which I often did in the summer. I hated shoes. Still do.  I’d have to be careful not to step on the wet wads.”
    “Did you ever step on one?” Eric asked.
    Thank God the bell rang because her description of stepping on a slimy black blob was making me want to puke. 
    “Thanks, Eric,” I whispered as I walked past him. “The tobacco wads were a little too much, though.”
    He smiled. “I didn’t feel like discussing The Iliad either so it was all good.”
    When I got to my locker, Sue was waiting for me.  “You didn’t forget, did you?”
    I had no idea what she was talking about.
    She put her hands on her hips. “Prom dress shopping. You said you’d go with me.”
    “Crap. I did forget. I promised Mike that I would be ready by 7 so I need to be home by 6.”
    “Well, that gives us a couple of hours. We can get one shop in. How about Bridal Bliss?”
    “Sure.”
    I really didn’t feel like going dress shopping with Sue, but I knew how excited she was about this year’s prom. She really, really, really liked Ron. Last year’s prom was more of a friend affair. Sue needed a date and Keith needed a date and they were friends so they decided to go together. This year was a different story. She was really hot for this basketball player we met when we cheered at St. Francis Catholic High.  We saw Ron in the hallway after the game and he asked Sue for her number. They had been hot and heavy ever since. She was even thinking about going the whole way with him. 
    When we got to the bridal shop, there were rows and rows of dresses in every color and style imaginable. Sue had brought a teen fashion magazine (prom edition) and showed the page she had paper clipped to the clerk.
    “I’d like something like this,” she said, pointing to a picture of a long powder blue gown with sequins on the bodice.
    “I think I have something similar,” the clerk said. “Follow me.”
    I leaned against the floral wallpaper wall as Sue tried on dress after dress. I was glad I had my prom dress and all of the accessories bought. Mom and I had taken care of that a few weeks ago. I chose a pink gown that I absolutely adored as soon as Mom pulled it off the rack. Better yet, it was on sale because the style was being discontinued. So I got my dress for half of its original price. I loved bargains. 
    “On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, what’s this dress?” Sue asked, turning in a circle. It was a mint green gown with poufy sleeves.
    “A six.”
    “I agree. The dress has to be a ten.”
    She held up the first dress she tried on. It was a pale yellow with a fitted bodice, scoop neckline and elbow length sleeves that gathered into sleeve bands. “This one reminds me the most of Princess Di’s.”
    I agreed; it was the closest. Sue was fascinated by the whole Princess Di and Prince Charles love affair. The day of the wedding, she got up super early so she could watch the entire ceremony on TV. She was