CHAPTER ELEVEN
A Concert in the Park
When you are older the party starts early. Of our crew from Starbucks, some of us are over 50; most of us are over 40; and all of us are over 30. Some of us have kids that are grown and out of the house; some of us have kids that are in college; and some of us have kids that still need a babysitter. Regardless, it is the rarest of occasions that we party or stay out past midnight. One of many things happen, the babysitter needs to get home; a kid needs to be picked up from a party, or we have fallen asleep sitting or standing in place and desperately need our pillows and beds.
Jethro Tull came to Boca Raton this year for an outdoor concert at Mizner Park. My Starbucks gang gathered outside the concert amphitheatre with blankets, chairs and a cooler. The party started around 6:30. The concert started at 8. Stacy and Kahana, Dorrie and Solomon, my wife and I, and Jackie attended. Daniel, young light skinned black man from Belize that spends time at our Starbucks was there also. Alfred was out of town.
Daniel is a computer geek for a medical technology company. The company has a Florida office, but is based in Israel. Dan is one of the few black men around that speaks fluent Hebrew. And, while not Jewish, is familiar enough with Jewish culture and traditions to fit right in at any Seder Table.
My group staked out a grassy area close to the amphitheatre. Since I live near the Park, I was responsible for getting our spot. Stacy brought a large blanket, a cooler and tequila of course. She and Kahana began to mix margaritas soon after they arrived.
Dorrie and Solomon arrived with some cheese and crackers. They even brought a cutting board with some knives. After an hour of drinking, we were a little buzzed and still hungry. Uncle Julio’s Mexican restaurant was just across from where we were sitting, so we placed an order for takeout. Within no time we had ourselves a great picnic and sat back listening to music from our youth. The weather was nice; and just a little overcast at the start of the concert. Ian Hunter was the opening act. By the time he sang “All the Young Dudes”, I had a nice margarita buzz on.
Stacy took pictures for Facebook of course.
However, the overcast sky turned dark and a thundershower came within the first hour of Jethro Tull’s performance. At our age, we don’t sit in the rain for any artist.
By 9:00 pm we decided to pack up the cooler and blankets and agreed to gather at the Exchange. The Exchange is a local bar walking distance from Mizner Park.
The bar was practically empty when we arrived. There were just a few regulars smoking cigarettes and nursing cocktails as they sat in the corner. We all ordered drinks and commandeered some hightop tables on the opposite end of the bar. Kahana had a joint that he passed around to several us just outside the bar.
Some others, friends of Stacy and Dorrie, found their way to the bar as well. Lisa E. and her husband met up with us there. We saw Lisa at the concert. Lisa E and her husband are part of a faster crowd and they are heavy partiers. After a drink or two, Lisa whispered something in the ear of Dorrie. Lisa then went with Stacy and Dorrie into the ladies’ room. While it is ordinarily innocent enough for women to go to the bathroom together, these girls went to the bathroom for other purposes. Lisa had both coke and ecstasy with her.
While Stacy went to a stall to pee, Lisa pulled out a vial and poured some of the white powder onto a makeup mirror she had in her purse. “Here, use this” she said as she handed Dorrie a short silver straw to snort the coke with. Stacy finished what she was doing and took a turn with the straw as well.
The girls passed around the straw and each did a few lines of coke. Lisa then offered Dorrie and Stacy some E. Stacy declined but Dorrie accepted.
Dorrie is outwardly conservative, and a mom of two little boys, but she has a wild side. The girls spent about 15 minutes in the bathroom doing lines of coke, before taking ecstasy. Stacy only did a single line coke to go with her tequila fix. They all came out of the bathroom smiling, talkative and ready to dance to the music playing over the bar speakers. There were less than six patrons in the bar when we got there, and other than our group, there were no others that came after we got there. Nevertheless girls started to dance.
Dorrie was dancing with Lisa and Jackie was dancing with Daniel. Stacy was dancing alone and chatting with Kahana. I sat with Solomon, who told me he needed to leave shortly because his parents were watching the boys only for a few hours. He needed to be back home by 9:30. It was Dorrie’s turn to be able to stay out with friends. So she continued to dance with the other girls when Solomon left. Jackie promised Solomon to give Dorrie a lift home.
It was not long before the girls were simply toasted from the drinks and other substances. It had barely turned 10 pm and we were all starting to tire regardless of what we had.
Stacy was her usual self. Her speech was slurred and she was loud. She was bouncing off of all of us. Moving from guy to guy, talking but banging into us like a pinball; Cigarette in one hand, drink in the other. Most of us, the men in the group in particular, sat starring at each other with little to say to one another. My eyes were like slits as I struggled to keep them open to watch the girls.
Dorrie was having trouble with her balance. The alcohol at the park, the coke in the bathroom, the ecstasy, all was definitely affecting Dorrie. She was stumbling and trying to hold on to something to stay on her feet. She grabbed the table top and then grabbed hold of a curtain. Daniel caught her from falling. Dorrie was totally wasted. “I love you all”. Dorrie said in a drunken stupor as she grabbed hold of Jackie to catch her balance. “Jackie, I really love you” she said starring up a Jackie. “Thank you” Jackie responded with a smile. “Dorrie, I think it’s time we go”. Jackie added.
Jackie and Dorrie said their goodbyes. A hug and kiss, and then they stumbled to Jackie’s car. Kahana and Daniel followed and helped Dorrie get to the car which had been parked down the block from the bar. Dorrie was having trouble walking and Jackie could not hold her up. Daniel opened the car door and Kahana lifted Dorrie into the passenger seat, and strapped her in. Jackie and Dorrie then drove off, just the two of them.
We said our goodbyes as well, leaving Kahana and Stacy to talk with Lisa E and her husband.
While driving, Dorrie’s hands were all over Jackie; caressing Jackie’s legs and arms. She said “you are so beautiful” to Jackie. “It is so hot in here”, Dorrie said as she unbuttoned her blouse revealing her white bra. Jackie was driving and wondering what was unfolding. She was not sure if it was Dorrie making a pass at her or simply the E speaking. Nothing was going to happen. Not then at least. Jackie delivered Dorrie safely to Solomon and nothing was mentioned of ride home.
It was not yet 11:00 pm and these old party goers were done for the night.
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