Hopping up on his favorite stool, Buddy smiled as Cindy turned around and poured his coffee.
“Why don’t you ever buy something? How about a nice piece of a pumpkin pie, freshly baked just yesterday?” Gerald asked.
“No thanks, my mother is a very fine cook.”
“When you gonna cut the apron strings, you little mama’s boy?” Cindy was tryin’ to get a rise outta him.
“All the good lookin’ ladies are taken,” Buddy chuckled.
“Yeah, like that’s the problem.” Gerald said sarcastically.
Cindy gave her husband a cross look, yet agreed totally with his remark.
“I ran into Mad-Dog-Mable this morning down at the hardware store. She was buying a dog collar and a leash.” Buddy put forth.
Cindy frowned, “Why, she’s always been a cat person, why would she want a dog?”
Gerald shook his head, “I haven’t even seen it yet, but I already feel sorry for the poor critter.”
Cindy elbowed her husband, “That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t bein funny,” he and Buddy hooted.
“Do you know what kind of dog she’s getting?” Cindy asked.
“Well, I saw it sittin’ in her car when she was inside buying the collar and leash. It was short, had a potbelly, and slightly bald on top of its head.”
“My god, sounds like the poor thing is in pretty bad shape. Where’d she get it?” Cindy inquired.
“I don’t rightly know, but I do know what name she calls it by.” Buddy said as he sipped his coffee.
“Well? Don’t just sit there with that stupid grin on your face, what’s the dog’s name, for Christ sake,” Gerald said growing annoyed.
“She calls it, Nigel.” Both men he-hawed with great zeal.
Cindy looked at Gerald, “That’s not funny!” She pulled her apron off and threw it at Buddy as she stormed off to the supply room and slammed the door.
“You’re in for it now, I’d run if I were you.” Gerald said half-serious.
“Naw, she’ll settle down in a bit,” he went back to sipping his coffee, still chuckling to himself.
Hearing the door to the supply room open, Gerald went around the counter and headed for the rear of the café. Knowing his wife so well, he knew she would not let Buddy’s little joke stand, without some kind of reprisal.
Cindy came back with a bucket full of water and right as Buddy turned to look her way, she threw it right in his face. The force of the splash almost knocked him off his stool.
“What the hell Cindy! This ain’t funny!” Water was runnin’ down him, plumb to the floor, as he now stood in a puddle of water.
Cindy nearly wet herself as Gerald and herself doubled over with hysterical guffaws.
Soaked to the bone, Buddy headed for the door, sloshing all the way. “This is bullshit!” He yelled as he left the premises, feeling embarrassed and humiliated.