Sharon 1

I debate with myself, whether to dare show my face at Starbucks. Then I shrug, no point running or hiding from it.
Nervously I say, "grande, dark roast, room for cream please." It's only after I'm served I realize I had no need to panic, the staff don't know my name.
Thankfully, no one who knows me is here yet, gives me time to compose myself.
I groan when I see Naomi walk in, does it get any worse than that?
With a smug smart ass look, she sits at my table, "so, read Saturday's paper?"
I nod.
"Imagine that, sixteen pages of photos, they outdid themselves. But then they always did have a taste for the lurid. The big bathhouse riot, spilled out into the yard and even onto the street. So fierce it took water cannons to subdue it. Lot of arrests for D&D (Drunk and Disorderly). So ah, did you know that boyfriend of yours was a bathhouse habitue?"
I groan aloud, "news to me, it was."
In pedantic tone, she continues, "it has been my experience in life that genuine coincidences are few and far between. A random event is exactly that, singular. When the same thing happens three times in a row, it ain't random anymore."
I groan inwardly, here it comes.
"Now the BF before that was arrested for embezzling over a million dollars to feed his gambling addiction. And the one before him was arrested with twenty kilos of H at the airport. You do have a talent for picking lemons."
"I seem to recall your brother was on the list of those arrested at the riot."
"So what? Not like it was my boyfriend. Now, as I see it, you can take two possible interpretations. Wanna play ostrich? Then simply tell yourself that yes, you are still missing the target but not as badly. After all, gay D&D is less serious than embezzling, which in turn is less serious than smuggling drugs. Or, grab the bull by the horns, admit it's you who is the problem and go seek counselling at Jewish Family Services."
If anyone else had said this, I might be a little more open to it, but the Queen of Smartass?
She picks up her cup, walks away.
I sit there in a foul mood for a few minutes. But then, I cheer up. She's the worst, means the resta the comments get easier from here on in.