“It’s not exactly the same.”
“Go get settled in,” Bobby said. “And then bring your appetites!”
The motel was L-shaped; our rooms were all in a row on the top level, while Bobby’s was on the lower level in the other part of the L—far enough away that the party could go on, so long as we weren’t too noisy. “I wonder if we’ll be able to see into his window,” Arlene said as she unlocked the door to the room she was sharing with Marie, Dawn, and Dana.
“He might be able to see us from his, so we better be careful,” I said, and eyeballed Marie’s bag.
She winked at me. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
In our room, Tina was tossing her bag onto the bed. Hoping to make up for my comment about high school boys, I said, “I was thinking, you should tell Todd to come by later, for the party. He’s not too far away, right?”
“I thought about it, too, but . . . you think it’s okay?”
“Of course! Anyone else would.”
“He works till seven,” Tina said. “I’ll call him from the restaurant.”
The restaurant, Sal’s Bella Vista, was almost a copy of Carmela’s Bistro in Powell Park. Red vinyl booths, candles stuck in old Chianti bottles, and low lights. We had a big table in the back, and Bobby took a seat at the head as we all filed into chairs down either side.
It was family-style, and we decided on spaghetti, lasagna, a giant bowl of meatballs, and a salad at Bobby’s suggestion. As we waited for the food, stuffing our faces with the bread the waiter kept bringing, all talking about how hungry we were, it really did seem like we were a family. We were noisy and boisterous, and the people at other booths kept turning to look at us.
When the food came, I heaped everything on my plate and passed the bowls and platters to Tina and to Wendy on either side of me. “Make sure everyone has enough,” Bobby told us. “We can always order more.”
Halfway through the meal, Bobby stood at his seat and raised his glass—water, though the rest of us were drinking Tab and RC Cola. He’d probably packed his wheat germ, too. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning to make a big speech. All I want to say is that I’m really proud of all of you, as individuals and as the team you’ve become. So toast yourselves. You’ve earned it.”
We clinked our glasses, and the convivial spirit sent a surge of affection through me. For the whole team, not just for Bobby. Maybe a well-behaved little gathering later wasn’t the worst idea. We’d been working really hard—at least since the Day of Infinite Suicide Runs—and had never gotten to celebrate our progress; when would there be a better chance to do it, just us?
Back at the motel, standing with us in the parking lot, Bobby yawned and patted his entirely flat stomach. “Okay, ladies, I’m stuffed,” he said. “I know I can’t enforce a bedtime, but I strongly recommend you all get some sleep. We’ve got a six a.m. wake-up, and I know you want to play well.” He gave us a fond look, like we’d already won.
“I’m so exhausted,” Marie said, in front of him, stretching out her arms. “It’s definitely bedtime.” I would have believed her, if not for the sly sidelong look I caught her directing at me, Dawn, and Arlene.
“Me too,” we all echoed. Everyone yawning and stretching and sighing in faux exhaustion at once seemed to make Bobby feel uncomfortable. He withdrew a few steps, as if fearful we’d ask to be tucked in.
“Okay, good night,” Bobby said. “I’ll see you all in the morning. If there’s an emergency, I’m right across the motel.” He left us then, and not waiting even a second after he was out of earshot, Dawn, standing next to Marie like her second in command, turned to the rest of the team and said, “Party in our room in twenty minutes.”
“Yay!” Joanie and Lisa screeched.
“Shh.” Wendy shoved them. “Are you trying to get us caught?”
“Do we have anything besides peach schnapps? I hate the stuff,” said Sarah.
“We have light beer, vodka, and those cocktail cherries, because I like them,” Dawn said.
“Oh my God, I love Wisconsin,” Arlene said, doing a little twirl in the parking lot. Thank God Bobby was already in his room.
When we met up twenty minutes later, Dawn and Marie had the room’s clock radio set