Foursome of Friends

Through the spring semester John and I spent most of our weekends with Pam and Paul. They had only been married a few months. They were both working. She was a bookkeeper, and he worked in landscaping. Their two-bedroom apartment wasn't extravagant, but we had lots of good times.

I've never been a great card player, but it wasn't for lack of practice in those days. Many an even was passed in pursuit of one card game or another. We played spades, and crazy eight. We mixed up partners. I was always on the side that lost. Sometimes we built drinking challenges into the game, and many a bottle of Kentucky bourbon was emptied. Many, many were the left-handed cigarettes and burning sticks of incense.

As summer came we included dancing at a downtown bar in our regular routine. It had previously been a movie theatre, and dark drapes still hung on the walls, with dark ceilings and pipes overhead painted black. The tables were small, as was the dance floor, but the drinks were strong. That was my rum and coke stage. John wasn't a great dancer. You know how some guys just don't look right trying to groove? He wasn't horrible, but he was good enough to keep up with me. It was all rock and rock and sweat.

During the heat of summer, Bruce and Karen joined our foursome. Bruce had a partner, and they played gigs at the local Holiday Inn. At least once a week, the girls dressed up, and we'd make requests and sing along, making our own fun as we went along. They played lots of Loggins and Messina tunes. Bruce payed the piano, and Les played the bass. Karen sat at our table, but was never really accepted by Pam and me. Her boobs were giant. We were jealous and made fun of her behind her back. I don't think she ever knew. Pam was my best girlfriend. John was the love of my life.

Neither of us were in class that summer, and we spent lots of time together. Working only part-time, we had days and nights of each other's company. We went to Bear Creek Park and grilled hamburgers, and sunned on the picnic tables. We walked in the mall, and I always slowed our pace when we got to Corrigan's Jewelry Store. One day he led me inside.

"We'd like to see your engagement rings," he told the clerk in the elegant looking coat and tie in the dimmed and spotlighted lights of the store.

John hadn't ever specifically asked me to marry him. At some point in time, we started making future plans together. He was going to finish school and take the CPA exam. When he got out of school, then I would go back and finsh my education. We planned to have pretty babies at some point in time. We planned to live happily ever after. He made the step to cement our plans

It wasn't a big stone in the flourintined yellow gold band that lay in perfect allignment with the engagement ring.