Warning: I really did conceive the Original Pathetic Fanfic in three parts, Casa Bauer, the Towers, and the Pool Hall with a small epilogue at Casa Bauer. That is a complete story. (This is as opposed to the Notoriously Dizzy Steps which I have only the vaguest idea how long it's going to take me to finish). The only thought I ever had of continuing the story was dinner at the diner and a movie. Well, this past week pretty much put a kabosh on that idea, so I had to think of something different. This was the best I could come up with. Sigh. Thanks to all the people who encouraged me to keep writing. I have very low self-esteem. lol.
And on with our regularly scheduled program...
July
The Kitchen at Casa Bauer:
Michelle had started chopping the tomatoes when the telephone rang. Squeezing the phone between her shoulder and her ear, she continued to chop away, fast and furious. "Hello, Bauer residence."
Even through the static, she could recognize his voice, "Hi, Michelle. It's Danny. I'm just calling to let you know that I had an out of town meeting this morning, and I'm in the car heading over right now, but I'll probably be a little late."
She checked the pies in the oven. "Oh, don't worry about it. Nobody's arrived yet, and we're still cooking."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "You're still cooking?" If he listened closely, he could hear a faint chopping sound through the static.
"Uh, huh." She started on the onions. "This morning we made the pies, I'm chopping the tomatoes and onions, later on we'll roll out the dough for the hot dog and hamburger buns, crush the mustard seeds for the famous homemade Bauer mustard. I guess we still need to pick and soak the soybeans for the Vegetarian burgers, Danny, this is a barbecue. There's not a lot for me to destroy with my cooking. Aunt Meta made the pies, the buns are from the supermarket, and the mustard is French's."
She added dryly, "I am chopping the tomatoes and onions."
Danny tried valiantly to quash the audible sigh of relief. "I should be there in about an hour."
"We'll see you then," She was about to hang up the phone when little wheels began to churn in her head, "Danny, are you coming directly from that meeting?"
"Yes," he maneuvered the Jag onto the highway.
"Uh, what are your wearing?" she asked suspiciously.
"Why?" He looked down at his favorite suit which had survived the dry cleaners none the worse for wear.
Michelle transferred the phone to her other shoulder as she started to take the pies out of the oven. "Just so we don't have another one of our little mix-ups, Danny, this is a barbecue with greasy hamburgers and hotdogs. Not the picnic which you forgot to mention included a string quartet, not the pizza at Luigi's which happened to be a five star restaurant in Chicago."
"Okay, okay, I'll change," Danny chuckled. "And Luigi's has great pizza." He started to flip off the phone when he heard her voice again.
"And, Danny," she added.
"Yes..."
"It's July."
Puzzled, he looked at the phone. "I know that."
"That means you cannot wear a leather jacket. Wear a t-shirt and shorts." It was her turn to pause.
"Uh, Danny," she asked, "do you have a t-shirt and shorts?"
"Of course, I have a t-shirt and shorts," Mentally he began calculating how long it would take to stop at the Gap.
"Just wanted to make sure, because if you're lying through your teeth, there's a Gap on Maine and Third."
"I know where it is. Anything else, Miss Bauer?"
"Trunks, towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, maybe a hat. I think that's everything."
Danny added the drugstore to his list of stops. "I'll be there soon. Save me a burger with extra tomato and onion."
"No onions for your Mr. Santos." She hung up the phone.
Danny looked at the phone one more time before closing it. "Just a barbecue, she says."