We all started clapping when she walked in. I nudged Edgar, and he said, Leave me alone; I've had it this time. I said, No, man, I'm serious, and he looked over and I saw his face come back to life. Before letting him go so I could look over again, I adjusted his tie and looked at his face. She sat down and tried to say hello to the ones around her, but everybody was too busy high fiving each other, and she said, You boys are idiots, but she stayed. And we smiled.
When most of the cheers settled down, we started taking out our notepads, and I looked over my list, as well. I took a moment to hear what was being thrown out there, a couple cheers were still going —These guys were using yesterday's strategies of talking about themselves, when these days you should speak of someone else, your neighbor, for example. Except Ralph—Do Not Bring Up His Neighbor. Cedric's approach was clever—it was all in the third person; but she didn't know how clever because Cedric never stops. I waited to hear my chance; the ones I had in mind had received positive feedback, but before I could speak, I heard fuckin Lester using one of mine again. I told Randy about it, but he said, Leave me alone, I'm trying to concentrate. He was being mysterious. Hearing Lester say my words took the air out of everything, and I accepted it, adjusted my notes, no time for the asterisk, and said, Fuckin Lester. Hope you choke on it. He stutters, the clown.
Lance came out with his toolbelt. Amateur, he was going to show her his toys. He was so happy and smiling. When we made fun of him, he got angry and went back into the bathroom, then came out again with only his tool belt, and we all started cheering him.
Eugene took out his tax forms and put on reading glasses to confirm; he was sure but never act to moved. Tony don't write nothing down, and if he did, he wouldn't be able to say it. He sat there judging her, but I know him, and he was afraid of her.
She was looking at my boy, and so I said to Lester, Lester, you greasy old goat, you got pomade in your face. He moved out of the seat, and Edgar walked towards her. Jason joked that he was probably going to take a piss again, and I laughed half-heartedly. But Edgar spoke to her. My boy, he said, You look just like my girlfriend, and we all exclaimed, Oh, man! and he turned around and started fighting with us and we all went back to work. It's always the same with him, she's either the moon or his ex-girlfriend.
