“I’m Hung-over. I need food.”
“Me, too… well, not hung-over. What looks good?”
“I dunno… let’s see. The lumberjack omelet? 3 eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, monterey jack cheese. Anything missing?”
“That looks good.”
“Hey. Do you go to those Chamber of Commerce deals?”
“Those networking things? Bunch of mortgage lenders, media types, software designers and one person doing origami wedding invitations? Oh yes, coffee would be great thank you.”
“Yeah, that’s about right. Yes, I’ll have coffee, too. Have you ever done something… as an adult, that is… you know, undesirable behavior?”
“Undesirable? You mean like going-to-jail undesirable? Once I went into the under-ten-items check out line with twelve items. Later I developed headaches and deep abdominal pains. I haven’t made that mistake since. But they don’t put you in jail for abusing the express check out line. Why, did you use improper language at the Chamber gathering?”
“No. I’m serious. Something that you really regret… but like, it wasn’t your fault. Really.”
“Where are we going with this?”
“Well… you know the Chamber of Commerce thing? Well… I have a friend…”
“Stop right there! A friend?”
“Yeah… yes… Pat. Someone you don’t know. Yes, thank you. I’ll have the western omelet. Whole wheat toast.”
“Pat? I’ll have the eggs benedict and please ask the kitchen not to overcook the eggs. The last time we were here they came out like rocks. And more coffee, please. Pat?”
“Yeah, Pat. Pat went to a Chamber of Commerce open house at the Golden Nookie… that dim sum place that just opened. And this is crazy… I mean real crazy. But Pat has a couple of Planter’s Punches… you know, tall drinks served with a tiny parasol, an orange slice, a pineapple spear and cherry. Maybe not the regular drink choice… but it was what they were serving.”
“Pat?”
“Yeah… you know, had a tough day at work, one Punch follows another… a bite of a dumpling, a little Planter’s and things look good, right?”
“Pat?”
“Yeah… well you know, it’s the Chamber of Commerce, right? Boring as hell, even with dumplings from the Golden Nookie, and you’re knocking down rums… you glance across the room and someone catches your eye. So Pat goes over. You know… light conversation.”
“This hollandaise is perfect.”
“And one thing leads to another… you know, Pat thinks this person is well turned out. Lookin’ good, smellin’ good. Sure some of it is the Planter’s Punch. So look, I’m not passing judgment on what people do in the bedroom. That’s their business, right? Who should dictate what’s acceptable? Just because the Bible says it’s an abomination…”
“The Bible?”
“That’s my point. Why should the Bible be the authority on what’s right or wrong between consenting adults?”
“Does this story involve whipped cream, scented oils or leather masks with brass zippers?”
“Or what gives the Supreme Court the right…”
“The Supreme Court? How did we get from the Chamber of Commerce to the Supreme Court?”
“So Pat ends up taking this person back home. And you know what happens next. A couple of nightcaps… not that they were needed… sooner or later, in the bedroom, no lights, the room spinning, in the sack…something completely unplanned…”
“This is an abomination? I think this happens thousands of times every night in America, and even in countries where there is no Chamber of Commerce.”
“No. I’m fine on coffee, thanks. It’s not just sex… but the type of sex…”
“Uh-oh… was a goat involved?”
“So… look, Pat is there, right? Ten sheets to the wind, in a dark room, nearly passed out, flat out on the bed, and oral sex…”
“A goat gave you head? Yes, the Bible frowns on that… and so would your mother”.
“Not a goat. Just a person of unexpected gender.”
“I see. The Bible frowns on that, too. If you pick up the check, I won’t post this on Face Book.”
“Thanks. Check, please.”
