Sue gave my arm a tug. “Gotta mingle,” she told her friends. She dragged me down by the water, then turned and practically leaped on me, pulling my head down and planting a big kiss on me. “Jesus, that was hot! If I was wearing panties, they’d be soaked.”
I liked the kiss. I’m not going to deny it. I leaned down and gave her another one, since she didn’t seem to mind.
She pulled away after a few seconds. “Enough, Mystery, or I’m going to seriously embarrass myself here.”
“Why do you call me Mystery?” I asked.
She looked surprised. “Isn’t that your Operations name? I asked Margie who you were, and that’s what she said.”
Margie. No wonder. She calls everyone Mister. She has a problem with my last name, Eulalia. Too many vowels, she says. I wonder what she’d think of my buddy ‘A’ama? She calls me Mr. E. for short. Mister E. “Call me Trey, ok?”
She smiled. “Like in 3? 003?”
Damn she was weird. “Yes, as in three.”
“Wow. That’s so cool! What do you want to do, now that we’ve done the introductions?”
“I wouldn’t mind eating,” I told her.
“I bet. Keep the strength up. C’mon, I’m sure we can get you fed.”
Not many people were eating yet, but she set me down at the table, and returned with a plate for me. “You gotta tell me what you think of my potato salad,” she said proudly. At least a third of the plate was covered with her specialty.
She returned with a plate for herself a couple of minutes later, and the table started filling up. Her girls quickly found their way over, and Marie dropped a plain brown bottle in front of me. “My husband brews our own beer. He wanted you to have one.” I looked up and she pointed to one of the guys over by the cooler. I lifted the beer to him in a silent toast. Three of the guys all lifted their bottle to me, in almost perfect sync.
“You mind talking to him a little later?” Marie asked nervously. “He’s only in B building.”
“Sure. If you want.”
She gave me a huge grin, leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “God, you’re the greatest,” she said softly.
Because I’d drink her beer, and talk to her husband? I was starting to think this crowd was too weird for me.
Sue’s potato salad was damned good. I told her so.
“You’re not just saying that?” she asked.
“No. I don’t do that. If it sucked, I’d tell you. It’s good.”
The grin on her face was in danger of tearing the corners of her mouth. “I should have known better. You don’t have to put on much of a facade, do you?”
I laughed. “I’m a simple guy, Sue. God’s truth.”
She reached over with her fork and snagged a slice of kielbasa off my plate. “I see you like living dangerously,” I teased.
I was kind of proud of myself. I was feeling a lot more comfortable around her, and even her friends. Even if they were weird.
Her hand stopped. “I’m sorry. I’ll get you more,” she said.
Damn. My humor always seemed to go over like a lead balloon. “I was just kidding. You can help yourself to my sausage anytime.”
I heard the giggles from the opposite side of the table, and saw Sue blush. I wasn’t sure that was possible. I only then realized what I had said.
“Oh God, he blushes,” Erin whispered, and I’m sure I turned even redder.
After eating, Sue left me with the guys, including Marie’s husband.
“Mark,” he said, extending his hand.
“Trey,” I answered, shaking his. “Thanks for the beer.”
“Let me know if you’d like another one. I brought a few.”
I looked down in the cooler at his feet. There were maybe four left, with several empty bottles next to them. “One is plenty. Wouldn’t be right to hog ’em all.”
He reached down and grabbed one. “No seriously. Please, someone’s gotta drink ’em, right?”
I accepted it, although I would have preferred a Guinness. “Thanks.”
Mark grinned, and introduced me around. The guys seemed a good bit more normal, talking about regular stuff, and not asking me any weird questions. At least not many.
Dale, the taller dirty blonde guy, was looking over at the women. “Sue, huh? Lucky bastard. How do our girls compare to your, uh, last station?”
“Prettier, younger, and not nearly so serious,” I freely admitted. Most of those scientist women had senses of humor no better than mine. The girls at that party giggled more than I’d heard in a year on ice.
All the guys laughed. “Yeah, I imagine so,” Mark said. “Pretty laid back here compared to, uh, over there, I imagine.”
“Lot more blondes and red-heads,” I added. Guy talk.
“No shit. Gotta love the good ol’ US of A.” Neil, the third guy said, raising his bottle. I noticed he was drinking a Bud.
“I’ll drink to that,” I said, lifting my bottle.
The guys looked at each other, and they all lifted their beers, and touched mine. “Respect,” Mark said quietly.
They seemed like nice guys. I took a drink from my bottle, and remembered Dad’s favorite toast.
“May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been
the foresight to know where you’re going
and the insight to know when you’re going too far.”
Mark looked at me nervously. “No offense, Mystery.”
Offense? I laughed. “Course not. To new friends, then,” I said backtracking. “Please, call me Trey.” God, I always seemed to say the wrong thing.
He nodded quickly. “New friends. Thanks, Trey.”
* * * Now * * *
We ate around our outdoor table, and my failed joke with the throwing knife seemed to be forgotten. We were all laughing at Dale’s stories. Damn, I wish I could be half as entertaining. Then again, I hadn’t done a tenth of the stuff he had. As was my way, I kept pretty closed mouthed, and just listened.