Where Would I Be Without You - By CJ Hawk Page 0,2

was golden for about another ten years, then she worried it would be just then that Carl would start looking for another younger trophy wife. She often joked that Botox and tummy tucks were a trophy wife's best friend. She even joked that half her monthly allowance went into a bank account so that when he did leave her, she wouldn't be broke due to the prenup his mother made her sign. However, I saw the way he adored her and the constant possessiveness in his nature to make sure that she was always well taken care of; I had a hard time believing he would ever want to trade her in for somebody else.

Marion and I hugged and then Carl gave me a kiss on the cheek, telling me how incredible I looked. He was the first to say it and mean it. My dad raised his glass and slurred out a few words that I would take as a compliment, and then I motioned to the bartender with a point of my finger to my dad and a slash of my hand across my throat. "Hey dad. How about we get some coffee in you? The night's young and I'll let you order a nightcap or two once dinner comes."

"Party snooper." He slurred. I knew he meant to say party pooper but my heart went out to the man. I didn't like that he was an alcoholic and a retired cop with nothing to do but deal with my mom all day. However, you could not blame the man since he was married to my mom, besides something made me think he had started drinking long before he got to the restaurant today.

My cousins arrived with my grandma who was incredibly hard of hearing along with my aunt who is my mom's much older sister. She wasn't too spry herself these days; we directed them to the back room. I had contemplated inviting more friends, but my mother just embarrassed me way too often that I let the mention of this party slide, knowing that on Wednesday, we would have an office cake and after work drinks to enjoy. Working at a manufacturing plant wasn't glamorous, but I loved the celebratory camaraderie that came with the job, party for any reason was a great reason for cake during the day and drinks in the evening.

The only person left was Steve, and he mentioned he might be late by a few minutes.

I walked up to my grandma to give her a hug and a kiss. "Grandma, you look lovely. Is that a new dress Grandma Tess?"

"Piss test? Why would I take a piss test? You young ones are truly odd these days, what with all your technology and code words and funky fresh dance moves."

Carl raised his eyebrows and excused himself to the men's room. Marion giggled as the now half-full restaurant turned to the volume of my grandma's voice shouting about being able to buy a book about sex and dominance at the grocery store the other day. My three younger cousins headed pass my grandma and aunt and bolted into the party room. I gingerly tried to steer my grandma and half-blind aunt to the back party room while my grandma continued on talking at the top of her lungs about the weather, her bad hip, the walk from where they parked and why I was wearing my lingerie instead of decent clothes to my birthday party.

Ok, she had me there. Maybe I should have saved the slinky number for later and wore just a simple elegant dress like Marion did. Sometimes, my common sense just goes out the window when I get excited. I was excited for my family to meet Steve. There was potential. I was excited to turn thirty. I had plans for the next ten years, one of them was to hopefully settle down with marriage. I wasn't exactly sure if it was Steve, although his sexual skills held promise; what I did know was I was starting to want to settle, somehow.

I got everyone settled in around the table and drink orders were placed. My cousins all ordered alcohol, Marion and Carl still had theirs from the bar; my dad gave me a pleading look to order another, and I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes while looking down. When the waitress got to me, I order a martini and then caught the look of disapproval from my