The Other Side of the Pillow

Floyd waved me off. “Every chick I’ve fooled around with on the job has done a bunch of dudes. They all know what time it is. Long hours, a bunch of stressful shit always going on, and people dying all around us. Sometimes we all need to escape for a few minutes and there’s no better way to relax outside of fucking. That shit’s better than popping five Valiums.”

“Sex is cool, but making love is where it’s at. You’re too old to still be trying to nail random broads.”

“So you say!”

“Not to mention that you’re married with four damn kids.”

“Wow!” Floyd looked at me like he was shocked. “You mean to tell me that I have a wife and kids? I never knew that.”

I threw my beer cap at him. “Okay, I’ll drop it, but all I’m saying is that if I’m hearing about all of your extracurricular activities at work, other people know. I’m not one to gossip, so it’s getting around. They’re going to nickname you Water Cooler Dick in a month or two if you don’t quit.”

“I hear you. I do need to slow down. The shit’s getting old.”

“It’s not only old, it’s dangerous. All it takes is one doctor going home and blabbing to his wife during pillow talk, and her being one of Courtney’s buddies, and it’s a wrap. Courtney’s cool and while she probably expects you’re doing some dirt, if she finds out any facts, she’ll take your ass to the cleaners. Not to mention putting foot to ass.”

“She’s not putting any foot to anyone’s ass, but I get your drift. It’s not worth it.”

Floyd turned the television back up and we sat there watching it for a few minutes while we finished our beers.

“Speaking of pillow talk,” Floyd said out of the blue. “When am I going to meet Jemistry? She’s all you ever talk about.”

“I’m not letting you around my girl; you might try to talk her out of her panties.”

“Man, that hurts. I’d never do that to you.”

Floyd really had a painful expression on his face.

“I’m only kidding. Relax. Sure, you can meet her. Why don’t we plan to take Courtney and Jemistry out to dinner next weekend? Are you on call on Saturday?”

“No, I’m off. But Courtney already made me promise that we’d take the kids down to Williamsburg and stay at Great Wolf Lodge.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“Happy, happy, joy, joy,” Floyd stated sarcastically. “I plan to catch me some serious Zs while they run around the indoor water park. I don’t mind doing Busch Gardens, though. I need to keep my eyes on the kids in a crowded place like that.”

“Isn’t next weekend their season opening?”

“Yes, so it’s goi

ng to be packed. Six Flags is damn near around the corner, but she wants to go more than three hours away. I don’t get it.”

“She can take the kids to Six Flags anytime. Go and make them all happy.”

“I’m going. I’m going.”

“There is something I want to run past you, Floyd,” I said, my mood changing.

“Shoot.”

“As you probably remember, I married Estella rather quickly. I’m not sure we knew enough about each other to make that move in that time frame. We loved each other, sure, but I’m not sure we knew enough about each other’s capability to handle life.”

“Man, you and Estella would still be married to this day if it weren’t for . . . what happened.”

“You can talk about the miscarriages. It’s my reality. I had three children who never had a chance to experience a day of life, but I’ve finally accepted it. Matter of fact, I called Estella the other day and apologized.”

Floyd sat up in his seat. “Apologized for what?”

“Not being as supportive as I could have been. Not understanding what she was really going through. I shouldn’t have—”