Here’s the scene: A casual backyard multi-family bar-b-que for bro-in-laws b-day. Everyone’s having a great time, the kids are swimming… the moms are supervising… the men are all sneaking into the garage for tequila shots…
I’m sitting in the middle of this domestic cuteness sporting a sweet hangover from my Temecula Wine Tours the day before (but that’s a whole other story). I, of course, am the only one who doesn’t fit.
There are three requirements to fit into this crowd:
(1) You must possess a significant other: preferably a spouse or future spouse.
(2) You need to drag along a small mammal of some sort: preferably of the mini-human variety.
(3) You must be capable of making small talk: preferably about something cute one of the mini-me’s did.
I checked my score card and I’m flunking big time! Since I’ve been banished as an outsider, I decide to hijack the hammock in the corner and sway myself into oblivion for the next hour or so.
Fast forward to the end of the party… about 6 hours, three bottles of tequila and 4 cases of beer later.
Most of the Moms and Mini-Me’s have vacated the premises and are supposedly tucked up in their beds fast asleep. That leaves me, my sister, all the dads and a couple of straggler kids that won’t get out of the damn pool.
The fella’s are toasted, absolutely wasted. But damn did they have a great time. They were definitely going to wake up in the morning with bruises, it was quite entertaining. I’m pretty sure one won’t be physically able to spawn any more kids.
Fortunately quite a few of us live in the same block, and since my house is the last one on the block I get drafted into escorting two of the fools home, no cars so we are hoofing it.
Being the wonderful sister that I am, I head to the kitchen to wash the dishes before we go. (Please note this causes much confusion with the drunken fools, since they’ve rarely seen me wash dishes before) The birthday boy is the first to comment on my new found domesticity followed closely by my brother who flings his arms around me in a bear hug slurring something about how much he loves me. I shoo them off to clean up the pool toys, secretly hoping one of them will fall in.
A few moments later I get a poke in the side… expecting my brother, my arms go up to kung-foo chop him in his little beer belly… it’s not my brother. It’s Mr. Vegas. Freshly married Mr. Vegas. The father of a new one year old with his 2nd wife. Oh yeah 2 of the pool kids are his twins with his 1st wife and the other 2 pool kids are his new step kids. Yep add ‘em up, he’s the father of 5 now!
I give Mr. Vegas a smile and go back to washing the dishes. “Why didn’t you say hi to me today” he slurs into my ear. “Because you were busy having fun” I reply while looking around to see where his wife is. The last thing I need is this jackass’s wife to see him invading my personal space. We already have a history that I don’t think she knows about and I’d like to keep it that way. I know he’s just drunk so I shrug him off and he walks away.
The fella’s have mostly finished cleaning up and on the way out I get a few cheek kisses as farewells which of course I reciprocated. Mr. Vegas gets in line too. Awkward. Being the non-confrontationist that I am, I go through with the “friendly” kisses. How could I avoid them without looking suspicious? After the last of the guys says goodbye and turns the corner the asshole comes back for seconds! Damn it, my brother walks up behind him so I have to kiss him again!
I finish the dishes and clean up ready to carry my charges home to their, irate by now, wives. Before I can make it out of the kitchen, Mr. Vegas is back “Why don’t you ever call me anymore? I miss you”
I just laugh at him. He just keeps looking at me expectantly. Apparently he’s serious.
There are so many things I could have said at this point (EDITED OUT FOR FOUL LANGUAGE)… but I didn’t mostly because someone could walk in any second and he was drunk and talking loud. I have enough drama in my life. So I did what I do best… I turned on my heel and ran away as fast as I could.
You should have seen me dragging two large drunk men down the street at full speed. There was much tripping and shouting and at some point I realized that one of my charges was carrying a bag full of glass.
Apparently he had decided that he would start recycling in the middle of the party.
You gotta love him!
This is by no means the end of my night… you’ve got to hear what happened when we finally got his ass home.