Barbie smiles her thanks at Billie the bartender as she pays for two more bottles of beer, then carries to the back booth. Tamara looks fairly wretched.
“Why does he hafta be such a jerk, y’know? Just go to school, do whatcha gotta do. How hard is that? There’s more to life than playing allatime.”
§
Elsie and Harry are gone and Amelia sits in Elsie’s seat between Maggie and Mouse. At the end of the bar Kate leans in and says, “No one was more surprised than I was when Elsie showed up with Mouse and Maggie. I think this is the first time I’ve seen her in here.”
“Maybe she’s having a hard time finding guys?” says Amelia.
Kate laughs. “Elsie? I doubt it. All she has to do is flip that hair and every male for miles around jumps to attention.”
“I don’t know, she’s been pretty sexually active. I mean, if, uh, you know there’s a Lotta concern about STDs out there.” Maggie glances at Amelia, “Oh, hey, I’m sorry, I …”
“Sorry?” Amelia frowns. “What?”
Maggie says, “Poor guy. You know what they say, everyone your partner and all their partners …”
“You think …” Amelia frowns. “Wait a minute. I haven’t slept with Eric. We’re just friends.”
Kate shrugs, “Well, Nick says Elsie’s at the top of her class, so she’s probably smart enough to use protection anyway.”
The door swings open and Oscar and Quentin come in, Maggie waves and they drift over to join the girls at the bar, rubbing their hands together.
“Good evening ladies. How is everyone?”
“Just lovely, Oz.” smiles Kate. “You guys look cold.”
“We escorted Krystal to her car, which was farther than I realized. I do believe I’ll be digging out my woolens.”
“Still finding Canada a bit cold?”
“Yes,” says Oscar, “but this year I am prepared.”
Mouse leans in front of Oscar to ask Quentin, “Excuse me, Q, have you heard anything more about Natasha?”
“She’ll survive, Mouse. She’s busted up but there’s no brain damage. They’re keepin’ her in the hospital another day for observation to make sure. She was beaten pretty badly.”
Mouse sighs. “She’ll get better then, that’s good.”
Oscar says, “I can’t urge you ladies enough, stick together until they get the bastard. Don’t go anywhere without a buddy.”
There’s a general wave of nodding through the company and Quentin says, “I just want a quick draught and then I need to head home hopefully in time to catch a word with my wife.”
“Uh, Q …” Mouse stops him. “Tamara’s here.”
Quentin raises his eyebrows. “Where?”
Mouse nods. “In the booth at the back.”
Quentin gets to his feet and heads toward the back booth.
Maggie leans in, “What was that all about?”
Mouse sighs. “Paradise Lost, I think.”
Barbie looks miserable sitting on the outer bench, Tamara sprawls at the back of the booth, slumped against the wall in the corner. The table is littered with empty glasses and beer bottles.
Tamara opens bleary eyes as Quentin slides in beside Barbie, and says, “Hey, doll.”
Barbie rolls her eyes and looks away. Tamara sits up at the sound of his voice, and she focuses on Quentin. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
He smiles at her. “Babe, I missed you.”
“Missed me.” Shaking her head, Tamara leans toward Barbie. “You hear that? Says he missed me.” Turning back to Quentin, she glowers. “If you missed me … if you … if you gave a shit you woulda … would a … aw shit … I am so mad at you.”
Quentin turns to Barbie asking, “She’s mad because?”
“You stood her up again, you didn’t even come home.”
“I’m sorry, Tam, I was gonna see you last night. I tried calling but you never answered. It went straight to voicemail.”
“You didn’t leave a message, you din… din call back.”
“No I didn’t. Stuff happened, I was busy …” he shakes his head. “Look, I’m really sorry. I was going to …”
“I’m sorry our marriage isn’t ‘portnat to you, goddammit.” Tamara slides along the bench and out of the booth.
“It is important, I was on my way home when Jake asked me …”
“Always time for a bud, eh, Q. Just never any for me.”
“… to help search for Natasha.”
Tamara doesn’t make the connection as she sways drunkenly beside the booth, but Barbie does. “That’s the girl who was attacked.”
“Yes. And when we found her we had to wait on cops and paramedics. And then we all went along to the hospital, and you know I couldn’t even text you then, Tam.”
Tamara blinks. “Oh.”
“She’d been laying out there unconscious for hours. They think she was attacked in the afternoon.”
Barbie shivers and says, “It got below freezing last night.”
Tamara softening. “The girl gonna be okay?”
“How right can anyone be after that? I don’t know. But I was on my way home. Then everything happened so fast.”
“So one time you had a good reason.”
“Look, Tam, why don’t we go home. Talk there.”
Tamara makes eye contact with Quentin, or tries to. It’s just that focusing is so damn difficult.
“Come on, we can work it out. We always have before.”
Which is what he always says.
“No Q, we don’t. Talk tomorrow. I’ll call.”
“I love you babe.” Quentin turns on his heel.
Tamara watches him walk away through blurry eyes. Moving fast. Not looking back. Watches him open the door and go.
Barbie realizes that she’s never really liked Q. Good riddance. When she’s thinking clearly, even Tamara will probably realize she’ll be better off without him. Calling her ‘doll.’ What a jerk.
“Are you all right?” Barbie asks, for the first time realizing that her swaying friend might not be. Tamara reaches for the booth back hoping for support but ends up nose down on the bench. From under the table she says, “I’m OK.”
“Maybe we should just go.” When there’s no response Barbie gets up and goes around the table to check. “Tamara?”
“Yeah.” Barbie helps Tamara sit. “God, I’m wrecked.”
“I think it’s safe to say you’ve had too much to drink.”
Tamara says. “Maybe we just need one for the road.”
“I don’t think so.” Barbie reaches out a hand and Tamara takes it and Barbie pulls her friend to her feet.
Tamara says, “Maybe we could just sit, I feel a bit rocky.”
Barbie shakes her head, sliding her arm around Tamara’s shoulder. “Let’s get you some fresh air, be good as new.”
Barbie heads for the exit, half dragging Tamara.
Tamara suddenly swivels and pulls Barbie into a bear hug, says, “Jus a minute.”
At a loss what to do, Barbie stands there, feeling exceedingly stupid as Tamara continues clutching at her, rocking, shaking. Oh god, she’s crying. “Lets just go outside. It’s only a few more feet.” But Tamara just hugs her tighter. “Come on Tamara. Just walk.”
Barbie tries to give her a push start and suddenly Tamara lets go and pulls back, her eyes roll around then focus on Barbie. Tamara’s eyes clear as she smiles at her friend, but then she sways and leans forward, suddenly she’s throwing up all over Barbie’s matching skirt and shoes.
“Oh, gross!” shrieks Barbie. Leaping backward out of her shoes onto dry floor, leaving her pumps in the pool of vomit. “Oh Tamara, what a mess.”
Disgusted to see Tamara doesn’t have a drop on herself, Barbie snaps, “Just sit down and wait for me.” As she bends to pick up her shoes, Barbie realizes this will be quite the trick since she doesn’t want to actually touch the shoes since they are covered. Suppressing a shudder, Barbie sticks her hands inside them since that’s the only clean part.
Wearing the filthy shoes like weird mittens, Barbie hurries along the aisle on her way to the Ladies room.
Mouse sees her progress from the bar, sliding off her bar stool. Not at first understanding why Barbie is wearing her shoes on her hands Mouse asks, “Is everything okay?”
“No.” snaps Barbie without stopping.
Mouse gets the picture when she looks back to see Tamara staring stupidly at the puddle by her feet.
Kate and Amelia follow Maggie over to find out what’s happening. Mouse frantically signals Billie and the bartender hurries down the bar.
“Billie,” Mouse asks, “Perhaps you have towels?”
Billie reaches under the counter, coming up with a wad of terry cloth hand towels she hands to Mouse.
“What’s up?” asks Maggie while Mouse heads for Tamara.
Shaking her head at the state Tamara is in, Billie the bartender comes out from behind the bar and tells Maggie, “The other one’s in the washroom. I’m going in back for the mop. Mind the store a minute?”
“Sure.” Maggie steps behind the bar and can’t resist texting Stu. Billie goes in back, Kate heads for the bathroom and Amelia helps Mouse with Tamara.
Reduced to blouse and underwear Barbie is bent over the sink trying to rinse out her skirt when Kate looks in.
“God. She really got you, huh?” Kate observes. “Anything I can do to help?”
Barbie says, “Hosing down my shoes would be good.”
Kate comes in, letting the door swing shut behind her. Seeing each vomit soaked shoe resting discarded in separate sinks, Kate carefully turns on the taps, not wanting to be splattered.
“Good thing it’s all liquid,” says Kate, watching the smelly mess swirl down the drain.
Barbie shakes her head, twisting the sodden skirt to ring it out. “If I’d known this was gonna happen I’d have sent her home with Q and it would be him cleaning it up. Bastard.”
Kate smiles, “Next time. Look, even if they come clean you can’t go out in those clothes, you’ll freeze. How about I get Nick to bring a change of clothes so you can get home?”
Although horrified at the idea, Barbie realizes she has no choice, so she agrees without enthusiasm. “Thanks.”
