Doug

By Jeri Thompson

Doug buys our drinks at The Rex
After an eight year absence.
He still wears topsiders and
Drinks Chivas on the rocks.
The only difference now,
His wife drinks with him.

We sat in the parking lot after work,
Windows fogged, just talking.
I was 18 pretending to be 21,
He was entering law school.

Doug comes over to tell me
How beautiful I am at 26
And that he can’t use his law degree.
His wife buys our second drink and
Tells him it’s time to go home.
She looks at me as if I would steal her purse.