Party On

    Uncle Billy set his beer back on the bar. "Well, whaddaya think?"
   "It's not really my sort of thing, you know." I hoisted mine for long draught.
   He waited until I finished. "I figured that, but have you even looked at it?"
   "Yeah, I looked at it."
   "And?"
   "It's pretty darn good."
   "Really?"
   "Really."
   "You read the whole thing?"
   I had not intended to actually read Clara's manuscript, but after skimming two pages I was hooked. It was well written and very engaging. "Yep."
   Uncle Billy pushed his cap back and scratched his forehead. "Well, I'll be dipped. Whodda thought Clara could crank out a book that was any good."
   "Not me ... but remember, it's just my opinion ... and I'm not really the demographic she is going for."
   "Yeah, but you're a writer ... you know whether or not something is any good."
   "I thought mine were pretty good."
   "Sonny, you know it's all about the marketing ... and I hate to break it to you, but you kinda suck as a marketer."
   "So, you think Clara will do better?"
   "Woman's a whiz ... she be all over it."
   I took another drink.
  Uncle Billy pulled his cap back down."I got a Tweet from, your neighbor, Alma Beeler ..."
   I looked at him. "Alma Beeler?"
   "Yeah, your neighbor, remember?"
   "I know who she is."
   "Anyway, she wants to know if I can come to her holiday party."
   "That might be fun."
   "Maybe. But somehow I doubt that Clara would be happy about it."
   "Why not take her along?"
   Uncle Billy gave me a sideways glance. "Are you nuts?"
   "What's the big deal?"
   "Well, bright boy ... that would pretty much queer the deal with Alma, doncha think?"
   "So, what are you going to do?"
   "I don't know ... if I went, I'm sure Clara would find out ... "
   "How would she?"
   "Have you seen the crap that flies around Facebook?"
   "So, what if she does?"
   Uncle Billy gave me another sideways glance. "You really are naive, boy."
   I pushed my empty beer glass across the bar. "Well, I can't help you."
   Billy looked the clock on the wall above the bar. "Let's go, Sonny ... I wanna get back for the Lions game."
   "We could watch it here, Uncle."
   "I rather be in my Barcalounger, if you don't mind."