Grannism—Work hard but make hard days’ work with whiskey.
Laney
Theo: How’s it going?
Laney: Working.
Theo: Coffee Shop?
Laney: No, Bingo.
Theo: You run bingo?
Laney: This should impress you. It’s one of only three jobs I haven’t been fired from.
Theo: Color me impressed.
Laney: For a whopping $50 a week. I get to yell out the alphabet to the fine senior folk of Polk. Sad part is I scare most of them who nap between letters. Yep, the letter O just scared Mrs. Morgan into wetting her Depends. It’s a rough job, but it pays for my gas.
Theo: I won’t keep you.
Laney: I’m good. What’s up?
Theo: There’s a hero party tonight.
Laney: ?
Theo: It’s like a pre-Halloween party where you dress as your personal hero. I wasn’t going to go, but I thought maybe if you had nothing better to do, we could go together.
Laney: Let’s do it. We can shake the dust off from being the only two people who didn’t attend the bonfire. I know just what to wear!
Theo: I’m too afraid to ask. Pick you up at nine?
Laney: You dressing up as a cowboy?
Theo: Dream on.
Laney: You could totally pull it off.
Theo: Sorry to disappoint, but no cowboy exists in me.
Laney: Fine. See you then.
Ten minutes after nine, I hear a knock on my door and open it, leaning against the frame in a sultry pose. “Well, Helluurrrr.”
Theo immediately bursts out laughing when he takes in my curly gray wig, oversized glasses, layered pearls, flowered muumuu, athletic socks, and sliders.
“Good evening, Mrs. Doubtfire.”
“Oh my God,” I chuff in aggravation. “I’m so disappointed in you, Houseman.”
It’s then I fully drink him in and tonight…Houseman looks hot, like h-a-w-t hot. He’s dressed in a black T-shirt, a tweed jacket that’s flipped up at the collar, a kilt, and his Converse high tops. All his hair is gelled up and sticking out in all directions, the rest frames his face. He scrapes his palm down his smooth jaw, and that’s when it strikes me. His beard is gone.
“Do I look weird without it?”
“Not at all. Who are you supposed to be anyway?”
“Angus Mohr, well a member of Angus Mohr. They’re a Scottish-Irish rock band. I couldn’t think of anything else, and I had this in my closet, so I made it work.”