Bike Week Blues Read Online Free PDF

squirted several
drops into Penny Sue’s wine. “Rescue Remedy,” Ruthie explained,
taking the wine bottle from Penny Sue and pouring short glasses for
each of us.
    Penny Sue toasted the air. “To Rich. It was
great while it lasted.”
    “Start at the beginning. What, exactly,
happened? You went to the Riverview to show Rich your bike, and he
just piped up with ‘See you around?’”
    “Close. I called his room from the house
phone. Instead of inviting me up, Rich said he’d meet me on the
front porch.
    “I showed him the bike, and he made over it
a little. That’s when I noticed that two guys had come out of his
room and were watching from the balcony. I called ‘Hi’ to them and
asked Rich to introduce me to his friends. He pulled me around the
side of the building like he was embarrassed to be seen with me.”
Penny Sue took a big swallow of vino. “Rich said the guys were old
friends, and he’d been doing some thinking. He wasn’t ready for a
relationship and needed space. He thought we shouldn’t see each
other for a while.”
    She slumped onto a stool at the end of the
counter and rested her forehead on her folded arms. “I should never
have worn that outfit,” she said mournfully.
    “Yeah, he must have recognized it,” I
said.
    She looked sidelong. “Recognized? What are
you talking about?”
    I sure didn’t want to broach the subject of
the wedding ensemble if she hadn’t already considered it. “What are
you talking about?”
    “White before Memorial Day is bad
taste—before Easter it’s downright bad luck.”
    Ruthie leaned across the counter and stroked
Penny Sue’s shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. If those were old
friends, Rich had probably been talking about old times, which
brought up memories of his wife.”
    Penny Sue sighed heavily and raised up to
her elbows. “You’re right, of course.” She smiled weakly and took
another sip of her drink. “My wise, spiritual friend. A kick in the
butt is what I need.”
    “Try this.” Ruthie balled her right hand
into a fist and started beating her breastbone, at the point above
her breasts. With each blow she emitted a breathy HA. HA, HA, HA.
She did it three times, then dissolved in a wave of giggles.
    Penny Sue curled her lip at the maneuver.
“That’s an interesting chant. What happened to OM-M?”
    “It’s not a chant; it’s the thymus thump. I
learned this at the seminar. Whenever you’re out of sorts, this
will realign you energy centers.”
    “You expect me to beat myself up and laugh
about it? What kind of masochistic philosophy is that?”
    “At least say HA, HA, HA.”
    Penny Sue rolled her eyes. “Ruthie, you’re
really getting weird.”
    “Come on, do the HA, HA part. I’ll bet you
can’t do it without laughing. You’ll try it, won’t you, Leigh?”
    Why not? As long as I didn’t have to pound
my chest like a Neanderthal, I’d give it a whirl. I sat up straight
and started in, “HA, HA ...” After about the fifth repetition, I
started to laugh. Damn, it worked! Whether the giggles came from
the HA’s or simply because I felt like a fool, I can’t say. Of
course, it didn’t matter, laughter was laughter.
    “See?” Ruthie said to Penny Sue. “Try it
once—that’s all. One time.”
    Penny Sue let out a half-hearted HA, HA.
    Ruthie snapped her fingers. “Pick up the
pace.”
    “HA, HA, HA, HA ...” It took six or seven
throaty attempts, but Penny Sue finally started laughing. The mood
was contagious. We all joined in, giggling like ninnies until tears
streamed down our cheeks. Penny Sue wiped her eyes as she reached
for her glass.
    I nodded at the wine. “Alcohol is a
depressant, Penny Sue. You probably shouldn’t drink, it will make
you feel worse.”
    She cut me an I know that look. The
sass was back—a positive sign.
    “That’s why I hit the wine in the first
place. I wanted my body to feel as bad as my heart. At the very
least, I hoped it would put me to sleep. Better still, a