Nobody Can Say It's You

11

"I was on my way home last night," Lou Edna said. "It was pretty late.

I dressed up, you know, real nice. You know me. Best foot forward. Well, anyway, I had on my favorite pink rhinestone cowboy boots and a pink satin shirt and the purtiest pair of rhinestone jeans you ever laid eyes on. I'm here to tell you, girl, I was sparklin' like the New Year's Eve ball in Time's Square.

Anyways, me and a friend had decided to go out for a beer at Southern Sadie's. You know, girl's night out. That kinda thing.

Anyway, Ora Lavelle, that's who I was with, got called away. She came back to the table with this sheepish look on her face. Seems Buster got home from his long haul run a day early and wanted her to get her hiney home pronto, but I stayed late because Cal Orvelle was singing country songs up on that little stage they have at Sadie's."

"Cal Orvelle!" said Hadley, "I didn't even know he was still kicking."

"Yeah," said Lou Edna, "not too high, but high enough. You know he's still a silver-haired fox, Hadley. I was surprised. I really was. I mean, I was like you. Cal Orvell has been around the block a time or two or three or four. But he looked good up on that stage. He really did.

Old Cal always did not how to dress. Remember, we called him 'Knock 'em Dead, Cal."

"I remember," said Hadley. "He is the only man who loved rhinestones more than you."

"He still does," said Lou Edna. "Cal's passionate about 'em. If I was the ball at Time Square, then Cal is like the explodin' fireworks of Hong Kong. I felt kinda tawdry, Hadley, compared to Cal.

He had one of his shiniest outfits on. He sure did. And with that silver hair, up on that stage with his favorite guitar, Bessie Lee, well, I'm here to tell you, girlfriend, he ain't lost one ounce of sex appeal, that ole boy ain't.

I really didn't know what to expect when I first heard Cal was gonna headline at Sadie's. I'd heard the liquor and the years and the women had done a number on him. That his vocal chords, and everything else about him, wasn't what it used to be. But I'm here to tell you, he's still got it."

"But ain't he older than Adam, Lou Edna?" Hadley asked.

"Probably," Lou Edna said, "by a coupla' hundrit years, but I don't care. I wouldn't mind wakin' up to that sexy face any day!"

Hadley laughed.