I’m participating in a Boomer Blogging Extravaganza which will take place every Friday. It’s a way to bring attention to the new genre of books called Boomer Lit. Click here, Boomer Lit Friday to go to your one-stop shopping boomer lit blog which will feature snippets from a variety of “baby boomer” novels. It’a a good place to get a taste of what boomer authors are writing about.
Luke’s wife, Kate, has become a successful realtor and the great entertainer. She likes to party. Luke barely tolerates her coworkers and her events, as he is definitely not a partier.
The office parties started out with obligatory hugs, shoulders bumping while maintaining a minimum of body contact and air-kissing, lips puckered up next to cheeks so as not to disturb impeccably applied lipstick. Oh, so sorry to be late, I have that closing on Monday and at the last minute, wouldn’t you know… blah blah. And then the serious sucking up would start. How good you look in green, Kate and that new hairstyle is so flattering, love your house, love your furniture, love your garden, amazing and fabulous and fantastic and awesome.
Everyone sucked up to everyone else, and aren’t we having fun, and aren’t we just the best of friends, and isn’t it great loving what you do, and loving who you work with? And at that point, when the conversation turned to how happy they all were working for the best boss in the world, old Mel would invariably lift his glass and make a toast, and it would go on and on, about how his employees were as dear to him as his family, and how they all were a family, and finally he seemed confused as to whether they were his family or not his family and got teary-eyed and slobbered in his martini glass and had to be helped back down to the couch before he fell down a step into the sunken family room or tipped onto a glass-topped coffee table.
At one of their summer parties where Luke was the bartender and cook and general go-fer, not to mention he’d be in charge of clean-up as well, he happened into the kitchen to get the barbecue sauce for the chicken he was slow-roasting on the grill. Kate was bleary-eyed and stood in back of the bar as several women hung on or around the bar stools.
“There’s Luke!” She slurred, more like thersh. “Don’t you think my husband is cute? In a duh sort of way?”
Lynn Schneider Books 
The like button doesn’t seem to work, but I did want to “like” it! Very good excerpt, makes one want to read the book…
Ah, the like button finally worked!
Thanks, Claude. I appreciate your perserverance with that Like button.
I’ve been to these parties. Great snippet and good tease for your book!.
Thank you! Typical case of a couple going in the opposite directions. It does happen.
Anyone who has been through a marriage going down the tubes will relate so well…and everyone else will get an eye-opening glimpse inside. Nicely done!
Thanks, Shelley. And thanks for taking care of the Boomer Lit Friday blog. The numbers of contributors gets larger every week. That’s good.
Love the part about the husband being cute in a “duh” sort of way.
Thanks, Kathleen. I’m on my way over to Boomer Lit Friday to check out everyone else’s fiction samples.
Loved this: And then the serious sucking up would start. I think I was at that party.
Thanks, Michael. I guess I have been at an event such as this in the past, but no longer. Life is too short for sucking up.
You’ve done a great job of creating the atmosphere at the party. Total fakiness! I remember this scene from PERIGEE MOON very well. Excellent writing.
Can’t you picture it? A bunch of snooty realtors with that it’s-who-ya-know mantra. Thanks for your comment, it is always appreciated, Sandra.
I never lasted more than 30 minutes at one of those “sucking up” parties. Hello, glass ceiling.
That’s for sure. In this case, Kate loves the parties. She is the great entertainer, as long as someone else does all the work.
Great description. I’m there, and I want out. Poor Luke.
It is kind of a drag for Luke. He’d rather be anywhere rather than where he is, at this point in a rather off-course marriage.
Ditto on the “duh” comment.
Like Sara, I decided years ago bumping my head on the glass ceiling was worth it to avoid “those” parties
Carol, I always hated those parties at the boss’s (is that right? bosses?) house. And it’s one of the benefits of being retired. No more company functions.
Duh! That was great! Your description made me want to smack them all on the way out the door…after I pulled the petals off the Flora Dora roses in centerpiece on the table.
Hah! Thank you. Everyone has been to parties like this and has hated them. Yet these people actually liked them which shows how dysfunctional they really are.
Great excerpt. Both last week and this week, your novel brought back some very clear memories for me.
Linda, did you read the novel, or just these excerpts? Thanks for your comment!
Whilst appreciating your angle I keep thinking that you are discriminating here in your boomer selections. I mean that tongue in cheek. Nice snippet – always hate those somewhat forced company functions.
Thanks, Elliot. Good to ee you round and about again. Nothing worse than wasting a Saturday evening at a party at the boss’s house. These characters didn’t seem to mind it, which says much about them.
Lynn, you TOTALLY nailed the cocktail party scene! Man, have I been there! I’ve never worked for a corporation, but I’ve done a lot of contract jobs for big companies that landed me in scenes JUST like that! And I’m happy to say, I never, ever fit in – bet you didn’t either! I’m way behind on my reading, have been traveling a great deal, driving so I can’t read, but your book is definitely on my to-be-read-soon list! Terrific excerpt!
I would bet you have had to attend many of these functions from the descriptions of your work in the book. Argh! I’m sorry for you, but hope that part is over. Not that I am in tota avoidance of ALL parties, mind you, just types like these. I guess that comes out in my writing!