“We did.” Braxton replied.
“I thought that was the sweetest thing,” Marge said. “She was really looking after you, wasn’t she?”
Braxton offered a half-assed shrug. “She did pretty good.”
“Pretty good?” Marge scoffed. “From what I heard she gave you step-by-step instructions.”
“That doesn’t mean I needed them,” Braxton said.
“The fact that she offered is what matters,” Marge argued. She glanced at me and smiled. “Not many would have been so thoughtful.”
“She’s alright,” Braxton deadpanned.
“Did she tell you that she owns a car dealership?” Marge asked.
“She did,” Braxton muttered.
Marge picked up a morsel of mashed potatoes and paused. She shifted her eyes from her food to Braxton. “Quite an accomplishment, if you ask me.”
“Thank you,” I said.
It was obvious that Marge had every intention of trying to set us up. I was itching to tell her what we’d decided but refrained.
“I told her I didn’t realize people in Oklahoma knew how to drive,” Braxton said with a laugh. “I thought they still rode horses.”
“Don’t be a jerk,” Marge said jokingly.
“He’s just playing,” I said.
“He needs to be sweet,” Marge said. “Sarcasm does little to attract a woman.”
Braxton coughed out a laugh. “Who says I want to attract her?”
Having heard enough of Braxton’s nonsense, Marge lowered her fork and shot him a glare. “I’m saying you’re a fool if you don’t.”
Braxton looked me over as if considering Marge’s recommendation. He glanced at Marge. “She did a pretty good job of looking after me when I was sick.”
“She sure did,” Marge agreed.
“Did she tell you she read to me?”
“She sure did,” Marge said, alternating glances between Braxton and me as she spoke. “She sang you a lullaby or two, as well. Did she tell you that?”
Braxton scraped his plate clean with his fork. “She may have mentioned it.”
“I don’t know that she slept much in that two-week period,” Marge wiped her hands on her napkin. “She was far too concerned with your wellbeing to relax.”
Braxton looked at me, and then at her. “It sounds like she did a pretty good job.”
She scowled like one would expect a cute little old lady to scowl if she took exception to what someone said.
“She did better than pretty good,” she stated.
Braxton pushed himself away from the table. He looked at Marge. “Do you think much can be told from a kiss?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“When a man and a woman kiss,” he explained, “do you think the result of that kiss is any indication as to whether or not they’re compatible?”
“I think a kiss tells everything,” Marge replied. “A man and a woman can be attracted to one another, but if their kiss has no chemistry, they’re doomed.”
“If there’s chemistry in a kiss, they’re destined to last forever?” Braxton asked.
“There are no assurances in life,” Marge said matter-of-factly. “Speaking from experience, I can say lasting forever requires a lot of work. Quite frankly, day in and day out, it’s a struggle.”
I didn’t disagree with Marge’s statement, but I was surprised to hear her admit it. I gave her a surprised look. “You and Raymond had difficulties?”
“Oh, heavens yes,” she replied. “The happiest and the angriest I’ve ever been in my life was a result of something my Raymond did.”
I laughed. “Really?”
“He went to the bar to ‘have a few’ with his friends from the Army one Thursday night. The VFW had beer specials on Thursdays, back then. He didn’t come home until Monday. I was worried sick. Friday morning, I took a Taxi to the VFW. He wasn’t there. I checked the police stations, the morgue, the jails, everywhere I could think. I came up empty-handed at every turn. When I got done checking with LA County, I checked Orange County. Then, San Diego County. I had nowhere else to go, so I started working my way up north. By the time I got to Santa Barbara County, it was Monday. He came stumbling through the door, drunker than a skunk. I nearly beaned him in the head with a skillet.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t.” I gave Braxton a look, warning him of what his future held. “I probably would have.”
“I smacked him a good one, more than once,” Marge admitted. “Not with a skillet, but I popped him with a rolling pin, a hair brush a few times, and a spatula a time or two.”
“What did you do to solve the problems?” I asked. “Like with the extended trip to the VFW?”
“I identified the problem and proposed a solution,” she replied. “We didn’t have cell phones back then. Calling me meant he had to ask to use the phone in the bar, which most men saw as embarrassing. I gave him the option to either give me the courtesy of a call or stop drinking. Eventually, he stopped drinking.”
“So, it’s not always easy?” I asked.
“At times? Sure. Always?” She laughed a cute little laugh. “Sweetheart, I wish I could say yes but it would be a lie.”
“For the right man, I think I could be forgiving, understanding—” I glanced at Braxton. “And devoted.”
“The devotion is more important than anything,” she said. “Everything else falls into place if you’re devoted.”
Braxton stood. He gestured toward the noodles, which were in a big stock pot on the stove. “Do you mind?”
“Help yourself,” Marge replied. “Don’t be bashful, I was just razzing you earlier.”
“I’m never bashful when it comes to food,” Braxton said with a grin.
He fixed another heaping plate and promptly returned. He slid the plate in front of his chair and then loomed over me.
I glanced up. “What?”
He brushed his salt-and-pepper locks away from his face. “I’m curious about something.” He smirked. “Come here for a minute.”
Wondering what he was up to, I reached for his extended hand. With his assistance, I rose to my feet.
“Wondering about what?” I asked.
Just like the scene from Casablanca, he pulled me close and kissed me. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
In fact, the kiss rocked me to my core.
Standing on legs made of rubber, I gazed at him in complete shock. “Wow.”
His hazel eyes glistened with satisfaction. “I was going to say the same thing.”
I took a quick glance in Marge’s direction. Her hands were clasped together. She was glowing with joy.
If our little charade was a complete improv, I decided to play the part to the best of my ability. I twisted my hips back and forth in mock excitement and batted my eyes. “Can we do that again?”
Braxton kissed me in response, ever so sweetly. When our lips parted our eyes met.
“Do you want to give this a try?” I asked.
“I think so,” he replied.
I scowled. “You think so?”