Quilts, Tacos & Tattoos

Red, White & Hot

"Umm. Prom. I am not going to prom."

"Come on. Surely you are dreaming of going to prom and getting your first kiss."

I could feel myself blush.

"Got it boys," he said with a smile as he turned around to high five his friends. "What was my time, Preston?"

"Thirty-seven seconds."

"I told you I could make her blush in less than a minute."

"Okay, Preston, your turn. Who are you going to choose?" They all got up together and headed toward another girl. My cheeks were even more flushed when Jimmy Sue, my best friend, arrived. I told her what happened and she was so excited.

"I think he likes you."

"Are you kidding? He just made fun of me to impress his friends!"

I left the bathroom and went to Poncho's desk to retrieve the machine. "Here you go Luanne," I said as I took the machine to the checkout counter.

Tyler had been wandering around the store and looked at me before he told Luanne, "Mom said to put it on her account and she would settle it during her next private lesson."

"Tell your Mom we said hello, and we will see her next Tuesday."

Tyler picked up the machine, turned toward me and winked. "See ya."

Mom hollered from the back, "Come on Cricket, Ladies, time to review the projects. Poncho you are on deck."

The break room was uncomfortable because there was no air-conditioning in the back. During the summer it was miserably hot. Back when I was a kid, the ladies would lock the front door and sit in the break room in their bras. I think we would have all been more comfortable without our sweaty shirts.

"Okay, Ladies, I need you to focus for just a few more minutes. Luanne, how is your project coming along?"

Luanne was the machine and quilt guru. She could make a "quilt-in-a-day." She once made an entire baby collection including a baby quilt, diaper organizer, curtains and bumper pads in a weekend.

"Well, I finished my quilt last week, so I went ahead and made two pillowcases and a throw pillow to match. I was just about to start on a stuffed Santa."

"Great! How are you, Betsy?"

"Ruthie and I are getting together tonight to finish the Christmas Holiday count down quilt with matching Christmas card holder. We still need to attach and hand-finish the binding on the card holder."

"Good."

I looked over and Ruthie was sound asleep. Her arms were folded in her lap and she was leaning against the shelves of fabric looking like a victim of the mafia.

"Should I wake her?" I asked.

"No, let her sleep. Maybe she will be rested enough to finish her project tonight." Everyone giggled and knew that even with a great nap, the card holder was not getting finished that night. "Cricket, how about you?"

"I am almost done with the last stocking, but I need some help with French knots on the tree. They are such a pain in the ass."

"Watch your mouth young lady!" she quipped, and then continued in a softer, less irritated tone. "I can help you with them tomorrow." Then she turned her attention to Betsy and very sternly said, "Betsy, what's the status on the coffee mugs?"

We all knew things were about to get tense. Mom had come up with an idea to create Christmas coffee cup coasters. She was really excited about this project and hopeful that it would be a huge hit. She had ordered a gross of red coffee cups for the big event. Not a few mind you, a gross! That is 144 coffee mugs that would have to be sold in the month of July to customers who are more interested in iced sweet tea than coffee or coffee mugs. Poor Betsy was feeling pressured to come up with a great coaster design to make the mugs sell.