by Joan Rylen
Let the haggling begin!
After going back and forth a few times, Wendy pulled some money out of her bag. The rest of the girls said no thanks, but then the woman offered to braid their hair.
“I make you beautiful,” she said.
If there was anything white girls shouldn’t do, it was braid their hair into little rows. A sunburn on the scalp will eventually peel and look like dandruff. No bueño!
They politely declined and the lady moved on down the beach, attempting to sell her wares to the other tourists.
Vivian looked at her watch and asked the girls if they were ready to roll, which they were. The sun sat low over the water, and they needed something besides tequila, beer and a snack. They gathered up their stuff and traipsed through the sand toward the lobby.
They ran into Manuel coming out of the lobby and asked him where to go for an authentic Mexican dinner. He suggested a restaurant down from the hotel called Rico’s Cantina. As he walked off in the direction of the beach, he turned back and said to them, “Stay in tourist place only. Muchos banditos.” With that he continued on his way.
“That was ominous,” Wendy said under her breath.
“I don’t want to meet any bandits,” Lucy said.
“We’ll stick to the main parts of town and we’ll be fine,” Vivian said, brushing off the warning.
“Hmmm,” was Kate’s only comment.
Back in their room, Vivian got de-sanded and showered pretty quickly, a skill she had acquired since having four children and needing to savor every moment of sleep. While she waited for the girls, she stepped out on the balcony to air-dry her blonde curls and read. The ocean breeze felt fantastic, and the setting sun reflected off the water in pinks and oranges. She took a deep breath and smiled inside and out. Looks like a freakin’ postcard!
Vivian deposited herself into a chair and put her feet up on the railing. She opened her book and took in a few chapters while she waited. The sliding glass door opened and the girls stepped out, each of them bearing gifts.
“Happy birthday, Viv!” they chimed.
They surprised her. “Y’all are crazy.”
Lucy handed Vivian a small box wrapped in white paper with sexy, crimson high-heeled shoes all over it.
She opened it to reveal a beautiful red rosebud and a membership to a flower of the month club from a Fort Worth florist. How cool!
“You go in once a month with this card and they’ll give you their flower-of-the-month bouquet,” Lucy said. “I thought you could either take them the office and spruce up your desk, or take ’em home and enjoy with the kiddos.”
“You’re the best, Lucy!”
Wendy handed Vivian a small, hot-pink bag containing a gift card to her all-time favorite happy hour spot, The Keg.
“I can taste the orange slices now!”
Next, Kate put a beautiful, red-velvet jewelry box in Vivian’s hand.
“I half expect you to be on bended knee!”
“Ha ha…just open it up.”
Inside the box were the most beautiful turquoise earrings Vivian had ever seen, beads of turquoise interspersed with silver, hanging in swirls.
“I love them, Kate! Thank you all so much! Y’all are the best friends ever!” Vivian stood up to give them a group hug but they stopped her.
“Hold your horses there, Viv, we have one more thing to give you,” Wendy said and handed Vivian an envelope. “It’s from all of us.”
Vivian popped the glue on the envelope, and inside found a fake airline boarding pass. What the heck?
“It’s for our next trip, Viv. Wherever we go on our next girlfriend getaway, we’re buying your plane ticket.”
“No way. Y’all have already done more than enough.”
“We know,” Lucy said, winking. “We just want to do this one more thing for you. Our trip is going to be amazing, and we’re already gearing up for the next one. These girlfriend getaways are going to become an annual event. Maybe even semi-annual!”
“Y’all are too much! Thank you!”
They all embraced in a great, big group hug. I love my friends! Vivian thought.
Lucy broke the hug first. “Now let’s go get this birthday bash buzzin’!”
“Amen to that,” Vivian said. “Wild Texas women on the town tonight. Watch out!”
CHAPTER 11
THE GIRLS headed out the door for Rico’s looking fabulous. Vivian wore a turquoise and green sundress, very flowy and strappy. Throw in her new earrings from Kate and it was what she dubbed “perfectly Playa.”
Lucy wore a sexy strapless number, tight tight tight up top that flared out around the waist and was extremely flattering.
Kate, who looked great in anything, had on a black and white paisley dress with a goddess-style empire waist. It accented her boobs and her slim waist, yet was still elegant and classy. Classic Kate.
Wendy wore an orangey-pink dress, not cut too low, but not too reserved, that showed off her curves and ended just above her knee.
They completed their look with cute sandals, except for Lucy, who prided herself on her strappy FMPs. The girls warned her she would regret wearing those at some point that night.
“Hey, I brought eight pairs of sexy shoes, and I plan on wearing all of them on this trip,” she said.
They got directions to Rico’s from the front desk and made their way there. Vivian didn’t think it looked like much from the outside.
“I don’t know about this place,” Lucy said. “I don’t want food poisoning.”
“Manuel recommended it. I’m sure it’s fine,” Wendy said. “Lots of good places look like dives. Let’s go in and see what it’s like.”
The beach front restaurant had steel and glass garage doors that lined three sides of the long narrow room and opened to the view. The floor was covered in sand so that the line between the interior and exterior blurred. It could have been a converted car repair garage, but it perfectly transformed for dining al fresco. The mid-seventies temperature and breeze ensured open doors.
The restaurant had maybe 20 tables, most were full. The décor was right on with bright blue-green walls that displayed ceramic suns, iguanas and turtles. Mexican blankets hung in the windows as drapes, and multicolored lights hung from the ceiling.
Vivian pointed out the lights to the girls as they waited for their table. “I love those little lights. I think I’ll get some and hang them around the freshly painted deck back home. Recreate a mini-Playa.”
“Freshly painted deck?” Kate asked.
“Oh yeah,” Vivian answered. “Since I realized Rick wasn’t coming back I’ve been a painting and project fool. I’ve done all the little things, and some big ones, that have needed attention for years. I’ve painted the living room, kitchen, hall, my bedroom and the deck. I also planted shrubs and flowers, cut tree limbs and hung new lighting.”
“Wow!” Wendy exclaimed. “You go girl.”
“Rick never did squat around the house,” Vivian explained. “I take that back, he did rebuild the fence he drove through four years ago. Instead a of do-it-yourselfer, he was a don’t-do-it-at-all kind of guy. Plus, he never helped around the house unless I begged him, and even then he’d screw it up. If he loaded the dishwasher, something came out warped, melted, broken, or otherwise unusable. He did it on purpose.”
“His way of getting out of chores?” Wendy asked.
“You got it! And let me tell ya about my bedroom, it’s bright red now. My therapist called it an ‘angry red.’ Ya think?”
As she painted her red room she did freak out a little. She had one full wall painted and was about to lay the roller on wall two when she had to call Lucy. Vivian would never forget what she said.
“Girl, the day of the accent wall is over. Keep painting.”
So she did. She decided she loved it, but it was a dramatic change, and a little bit shocking the first few mornings.
The hostess seated them at a nice spot near the beach-front patio railing. Their
waitress, Lizbeth, who looked all of 16 to Vivian, greeted them warmly and asked what they’d like to drink.
Lucy giggled and said, “Round of tequila shots!” She only sobered up a tad during the hour it took them to get ready.
“No way,” Wendy said. “None of us needs another one of those. How about bottles of water for everyone and a pitcher of margaritas?”
Lizbeth suggested margaritas with Tiempo Loco tequila, they agreed.
“Lucy, what’s with all the tequila shots?” Vivian asked as Lizbeth walked off. “I’ve never seen you drink like this, except for the one time with the blue spew, and that was only because you wanted to do the nasty with Larry.”
“Lars!”
“Whatever!”
Lucy shook her head. “I know, I know. I just feel like I need to get a little crazy! Let loose a little, you know,” she said. “Things with Steve have been tough, and although he’s been very patient with me I don’t know if I — if we — are gonna make it.”
“I thought the counseling was helping,” Vivian said.
“It is, I guess. I just think Steve has put the ball in my court now, and honestly, I’m just not sure I want to play anymore.”
“I know, Lucy, but Steve loves you,” Kate said. “He would do anything for you. Do you still love him? I think that’s the question.”
“You know I do.”
“Well, what is it then? Bad sex?” Vivian asked. “That would definitely be a problem for me. I have high sexpectations!”
“At least bad sex would be sex.”
“What are you talking about?”
“There is no sex. Hasn’t been for years.”
Lucy’s words made Vivian hurt inside and she almost fell out of her chair. Years?
Lizbeth arrived with a pitcher, put down four glasses and unloaded chips and salsa from a tray. Wendy filled them each a glass and passed them out. They waited for Lizbeth to leave before continuing their conversation.
Vivian repositioned herself in her seat to face Lucy. “Okay, I’m not sure I understand you. What do you mean there is no sex?”
“We haven’t had sex in probably four years.” Lucy looked down at the table, then took a gulp of her margarita. “It’s been a rocky, rocky road. Some real highs but some real lows. I’m just not sure I can recover from the lows.” Another big gulp.
“Okay, but everybody goes through bad times, Lucy. But no sex for four years? Do y’all, uhhmmm, do other things for each other?”
“Negative. Nada enchilada,” she said. “No intimacy. It’s horrible.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never told us,” Kate said.
“I know, but it’s embarrassing and hard to talk about.”
“You can talk to us about anything though,” Vivian said.
“We’ve been living a lie. Everyone thinks our marriage is perfect. It’s so not.”
“I can’t believe this,” Wendy said. “You look fantastic! Better than you have in years! How could he not want to jump your bones?”
Lucy had dropped nearly half of her body weight in the past two years and had become a workout fanatic. She had the body to prove it.
“I dunno, but he doesn’t,” Lucy said, as she finished her first cocktail and reached for the pitcher. “I’ve worked really hard for my new body, and I’m getting attention from men that I haven’t had in a long time. It makes me think he doesn’t appreciate all the work I’ve done. I mean, I’ve worked my ass off, literally, to look like this,” she said as she ran her hands down either side of her.
“I know you have, Wonkita,” Vivian said. “You look freakin’ fantastic. Not to mention, you put all of us to shame in terms of physical fitness.”
Nods all around.
“But we want you to be happy,” Kate said.
“Obviously we support any decision you make,” Wendy added. “And we’re totally here for you, whatever you need. For the moment, though, we need you to be able to walk tonight.” She pulled Lucy’s drink back two inches. “Also, drink some water and take some aspirin before bed or tomorrow is going to be really rough.”
“I know, you’re right.” She cracked open a water to drink alongside her margarita. “As for my life of lies, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Thanks though. Talking helps.”
At least we know a little more about why she’s behaving this way.
Rico’s turned out to be just what they all needed. Delicious guacamole, sizzling shrimp fajitas, spicy salsa, and the homemade tortillas — holy cow, Vivian thought. They were better than the Don’Key in the Get Down, and those were good.
The service was on “Playa time.” They weren’t in a rush, but it took some getting used to. If they wanted something in 10 minutes, they better have asked for it 10 minutes ago.
They finished dinner and walked out onto the streets of Playa, heading toward the Purple Peacock to meet Jon and Pierre. Lucy walked a little straighter having sobered up a bit.
Was it due to her tough revelation about her lacking relationship or our lack of shots at dinner? Vivian didn’t know.
CHAPTER 12
THE STREETS of Playa hustled and bustled with vendors haggling and selling all kinds of stuff — jewelry, fruit, trinkets and t-shirts. A few men offered the girls “free massages.” Gross, Vivian thought.
They browsed the shops but made no purchases. Plenty of time for that later. They reached the Purple Peacock after a few short blocks.
“How are your feet, Lucy?” Kate asked opening the door.
“So far, so good.”
The bar was open on three sides, and, like at Rico’s, garage doors could be pulled down if the weather sucked. Picnic tables on the beach surrounded a small stage and looked inviting. Neon signs obliterated one wall, and a large cast-iron peacock sat in a place of honor at a table by the front door.
All this peacock stuff reminded Vivian of a guy they went to school with, Marty Mills. His nickname was The Bird Man. He was into birds of all kinds, and he even kinda looked like a bird. He was tall, thin with a small head, long neck and pointy nose. Plus, he could do spot-on bird calls, which he would occasionally demonstrate in class. Always a good distraction, though he got in trouble for it. In junior high he had a pair of peacocks in his back yard. Not your average house pet. Vivian heard he was a gazillionaire now. Good for him.
The huge, square bar in the middle of the club was the main attraction, surrounded by swings. That’s right, they didn’t have stools at the counter, they had swings, as in playground swings. Some of the swings were double seats. Vivian was afraid the swing situation wouldn’t help anyone’s equilibrium, but they couldn’t resist.
They looked around for Jon and Pierre but didn’t see them, so they found four spots of singles together and had a seat. Actually, a swing.
The bartender hustled over, took their drink order and suggested Tiempo Loco tequila to their margarita request.
What’s with this tequila? Sure it’s good, but why does everyone keep recommending it?
“He is hunkalicious,” Lucy said. “I may need to find myself a Latin lover!”
“Lucy! You wouldn’t!” Kate exclaimed.
“No comment,” Lucy said with a sly smile, but then continued. “Don’t forget, I haven’t had sex in four years.”
None of them said anything to that.
Their drinks arrived and they toasted to their first night in Playa.
“It’s gonna kick ass!” Wendy proclaimed.
They chatted about what happened with Jon during the sandcastle building.
“Viv, he so totally digs you!” Lucy said. “Even after you told him you’re still technically married.”
“Did you tell him about the kids?” Wendy asked.
“No, it didn’t come up. I probably should have. The man lives in Canada, though. It’s not like he’s thinking long term here.”
“You should tell him, just in case this is a ‘love at first sight’ kind of thing,” Kate said. “You never know.”
&nb
sp; “Yeah, well, he may choose to look again,” Vivian said.
“I think he’ll keep lookin’ at you, Viv. Definitely,” Wendy said.
“Bathroom break for me. Anyone else need to go?” Lucy asked.
“I do,” Wendy replied and twisted her swing to get up.
Off they went.
Vivian sipped on her margarita as she swung in the swing. It took talent to stay on the swing with an arm wrapped around the rope and sip a drink at the same time. Vivian had that talent and managed without any mishaps.
“Wonder where Jon and Pierre are?” Kate asked and looked around.
“Dunno. I’m sure they’ll show up soon. He was right, though, this place is rockin’.”
“Pretty original with the swings. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kate said, as she used her feet to push herself back from the bar.
“We better keep an eye on Lucy in here,” Vivian said. “These could bring out her less graceful side.”
“Yeah, she’s such a klutz,” Kate said. “Remember the time she tripped over the concrete parking block in seventh grade?”
Vivian laughed as she thought about it. “The first of many Lucy moments.” She could still see the scene as if they were 13 years old and it just happened. “I realize she was pushing the xylophone across the school parking lot and her view was impeded, I just don’t know how she missed the bright yellow, six-foot concrete block.”
“Thank goodness for the guy wearing the snare drum who saved the xylophone from death and destruction. Mr. Quinn would have had a conniption.”
After a few minutes, Wendy and Lucy rejoined them.
“Guess who we just saw?” Wendy teased as she slipped back into her swing.
“Jon?” Vivian asked.
“He’s outside with Pierre and a really short Hispanic dude with a hot temper and two hot mamas,” Wendy said.
“What? Who?” Vivian asked.
“Some guy walked by their table and admired the short guy’s ladies. Shorty pointed his fingers at the guy, like they were a gun,” Lucy explained. “And he pulled the trigger.”