I was writing things down as Veronica rattled them off. I felt a repeated poke on my shoulder. I held my finger in the air. “Did you ask what he wanted us to make tonight? O…oh…okay.” I felt a repeated tapping on my shoulder again. I put my whole hand in the air this time.

 “Lyd!” I heard Roger whisper at me.

 “My god, that alcohol list reminds me of when we went up north…except that it’s longer.” I said to Veronica. There was that incessant poking again. I reached over and grabbed Roger’s fingers. I could feel him wiggling loose from my grasp.

 “Lyyyyyyd!” He whispered to me again.

 “Okay, are you serious? How the hell are we gonna’ make all this food?” I laughed. “Oooh you’re good. Chrissie has no idea she has to cook tonight. Hey listen to me…we have got to get her and Brian so fuckin’ hammered. Like, we’re talkin’ almost throwin’ up hammered.” I laughed because Veronica thought that was a terrific idea. There was that feelin’ on my shoulder once again.

 “Lyd, Lyd, Lyd, Lyd!” Roger still kept his voice soft.

 “Veronica, hold on…” I looked at Roger. “Whaaaat, sweetheart?”

 “I changed my mind. Can you make a buffalo chicken pizza?” he asked me.

 “I thought you wanted dumplings and mash?” I asked.

 “No…buffalo chicken pizza. That goes better with vodka and southern comfort.” He laid his head over against the couch. What? Like I was gonna’ say no? I could hear Veronica on the phone babblin’ at me not to give him in him…that we had already planned the menu. But she wasn’t serious…and she knew that I most definitely spoiled Roger.

 “Alright.” I told him. Veronica and I re-worked the list of stuff for tonight. “So, do Roger and I need to pick anything up when we come over? Should I come over earlier than 5:30? It doesn’t seem like enough time.” I listened to her for a moment. “Okay, …okay. So John’s going to the store to get everythin’? Okay. I’ll pay you when we show up.” Roger reached over and grabbed the phone from me.

 “Hey, are we stayin’ with you tonight? Is Freddie stayin’? He is? Okay. What about Chrissie and Brian?” Veronica had started rambling. “V…Ver…Veron…Veronica! Just put them in the same room! I dare ya’!  Do you and John even have enough room for all of us? I’ve never really noticed. Should Lydia and I bring some extra pillows or blankets? Do you have enough? Again, put them in the same room! They won’t be uncomfortable…I mean, they will…but not after about eight bottles of Guinness and a bottle of vodka. Believe me, they will be very comfortable after that.” Roger laughed as Veronica just rambled away on the other end of the phone. I took the phone back from him.

 “Chrissie will have her intestines in a knot over this whole thing.” I said. Roger was shaking his head no. “Does she even know that the intention is for her to spend the night at your house? I know Brian’s stayin’, of course he will. We will bring some extra stuff in case you don’t have enough. Li…lis…listen, Veronica. Listen. Chrissie is helping us cook tonight. In a worse case scenario…” I exhaled heavily. “…she can stay with Freddie.” Honestly, I knew that would be much worse than staying with Brian because Freddie would talk to her all night. Roger was laughing when he heard this. “What I’m getting at is the three of us will start drinkin’ while we are cooking and then we tell her she’s sleepin’ on the couch. Okay? We keep her on the couch or tell her she’s with Freddie. Now, I don’t know where the hell to put Brian. Veronica!” I playfully yelled at her. “Okay, okay, okay. We will figure this out later. So, to recap…buffalo chicken pizza, Salisbury steak and potatoes with green beans, corn chowder and cheese bread? God, Veronica we’re like a cafeteria! Yes, yes…okay. Use your judgment on the alcohol. Get a few extra bottles if you feel like you should. Okay. We’ll see you later!” I told her excitedly. I hung up the phone.

 “It really is like a cafeteria.” Roger said folding the newspaper in half and throwing it on the table in front of the couch. He picked up my magazine I had picked up this week and examined the cover. I shook my head.

 “How the hell did we come up with this menu?” I asked out loud, not really expecting an answer. I picked up the paper from the table and leaned over against Roger.

 “I don’t understand this magazine. Is it a fashion magazine or a porn magazine? Look! Look! Right here…hot looks for spring…and here! Here! Look! Seven hot things to do with your man tonight? I don’t understand this magazine.” Roger said opening it up. He laid it on his lap and put an arm around me. I pulled the coupon page out of the paper and sat it aside as Roger started flipping through the pages of my magazine. I laughed because he had some kind of stupid comment about every page. As usual, he smelled so wonderful as I laid against him. “I’m gonna’ read this.” He said.

 “You’re gonna’ read what?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the paper.

 “Seven hot things to do with my man tonight…I wanna’ try these with my man.” Roger said as seriously as he could.

 “Mmm…okay.” I answered him. “Do you want a cigarette?” I put the paper aside for a moment and reached for the pack of cigarettes layin’ on the table.

 “Yeah, I’ll have one. Did you see anythin’ in the paper aside from what I circled?” he asked me.

 “Um…maybe a couple others…” I mumbled as I put a cigarette between my lips and lit it. I leaned over again and held a cigarette up to Roger’s lips, lighting it. I reached over to the table and picked up this month’s issue of Music Life. I loved reading this magazine as much as Roger did. He and I had both already read it three times through and it still wasn’t enough.

 “Lyd, this is the stupidest column I’ve ever seen. I’m gonna’ read about this season’s best lipstick colours now.” He said. I laid down on the couch and through my legs across his lap. So far, it was shaping up into a most wonderful New Year’s Eve. “Lyd…” Roger looked at me and exhaled a trail of smoke in front of him. He just kept lookin’ at me.

 “Hmm?” I said, looking over my magazine.

 “I…” he paused and took another short drag on his cigarette. “I…I think this magazine’s a load a’ crap!” He smiled at me and closed it; throwing it back on the table. He leaned over and laid down with me. He put his hand on my abdomen, balancing his cigarette. He put his leg over mine and pulled me in close against him. I knew eventually we’d have to get up and get dressed as well as get some things together to take to John and Veronica’s. They were the obvious choice to play host to our event seeing as they had the biggest place. It wasn’t really that either of them had volunteered, it was just assumed that we were all going there. That was the thing about John and Veronica. There was a constant open invitation to their home. They didn’t care who stopped by or for how long. They were both so hospitable. I longed to have that kind of fondness for guests.

 I tossed the Music Life magazine back on the table and ashed my cigarette in the holder I had reached for over my head. I knew how we partied…and since I knew…that meant Roger and I could really use a nap before the evenin’ got started.

This was intentionally a rather short chapter. The next one will be quite a bit longer!