Taking The Queen's King

Out Of Practice

"Do you think you can come over Friday?" Valeria wondered Wednesday afternoon.
"Uh, sorry, I can't." Linda followed Valeria to the other girls. "AJ said he'd show me some culinary skills."
"AJ, huh?"
"Yeah. I think Remington's gonna be there, too. Somebody else as well."
"So how do you know that AJ likes to cook?"
"He told me. The other day I said I had to skedaddle," Linda shifted her weight to one foot as she stood with her friend group. "I said I had to cook dinner, and we got talking. He told me him and Remington did barbecues and parties and whatnot. I said I'd have to get them to teach me."
"Meanwhile, you said you didn't know how to flirt!" Fran smiled widely.
"What? When did I flirt?"
"By making suggestive comments like that!" Val pointed out, "that's how Laura got into the mess with Remington."
"It's not a mess!" Laura protested for what felt like the millionth time. "It's just..... complicated."
"She made a comment like that, and now it's just confusing."
"I could say the same think about Fran and Max," Laura crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
Fran started listing all the ways that Laura was wrong, and Laura talked over her, protesting.
"It doesn't matter!" Linda yelled over them. "I need your girls' help, okay? I haven't dated for about a year. And before that, I only went out with two guys before I found him. I need help. I'm outta practice. And I know it's not technically a date, but it's good practice."
**********
"Hey, sis," Danny walked up to his sister in the backyard. She was busy doing her homework, enjoying the nice weather before it turned cold and nasty. "Do you think I'm warped?"
"Warped? You? Nooo!" Erin watched Danny smile a little, "however, I do think you're stupid, idiotic, whipped, blinded, dumb, insane, and don't even get me started on your choice of dates!"
"Thanks, sis," he said sarcastically, sitting down with his books.
"I'm just sayin'." She held up her hands in defense. "But Marianne, really?"
"Can we stop talking?"
"Fine. Just don't come crying to me when she dumps you for anyone else." Erin stood up and walked into the house, "was Danny dropped as a baby or something?"
Her Mom, Mary, laughed out loud, "what angel is he dating this time?"
"Marianne Romano. And she is not an angel. She's like the devil in disguise."
"It's none of our business if he wants to make a ninny of himself."
"Okay, who are you and what have you done to my mother? None of your business? Mom, he's your kid, your firstborn. Of course it's your business!.... what the hell is a ninny?"
"It's an old word. It basically means fool."
"He is a fool," Erin nodded. "How's Joey doing with science?"
"Ooh, not good. I called the school today and found a Tutor. She's gonna meet with Joe tomorrow."
The girl nodded, "I wonder if I know her?"
***********
Linda poked at her food, not really hungry. Her head was pounding and her stomach ached.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" Anna looked to her youngest.
"I guess I just don't feel good. Can I go lie down?"
"Of course. Take something if you've got a headache."
"I will." Linda got herself a thermos of water and two Tylenol sinuses. She hoped her headache was causing her stomach to feel sick. She didn't want to tell AJ and Remington she had to bow out because of a stomach flu.