I didn't see Sully for a while after that night. For a while there I hung out in Brooklyn and an old friend introduced me to Joe Pepitone, the former Yankee first baseman. Peppi had just returned from Japan where he'd played for three years. But he told me the Japanese were too set in their ways for him. He was always a little wacky, so my guess was that they didn't know what to make of him. Anyway he jumped the Yakult Sparrows in 1973. He was only hitting .163 at the time and that alone explains a lot. But he attracted cooze like nobody's business, and I had a great time palling around with him. When I saw he was getting in with the wrong crowd I kinda drifted away back to Jersey. It turned out I was wrong about that, but we never hooked up again.
Anyway, this is about Sully and me, so . . . the next time I saw Sully was late May. He set me up with my tux and the time schedules for the pictures and all that shit and we went for our last get together before the wedding. This wasn't his bachelor party--that came two nights later-- it was kinda tame, especially for Jack. I mean, we saw to it that he got a blowjob from a Union City hooker, but it wasn't the wild scene I thought it would be. Shit, I went home sober and alone.
Anyway, I was trying to find out what my prospects were for getting laid after his wedding.
"Don't count on me and Shelly," he said somberly.
"Are you kidding?"
"I'm serious, what happened, happened. But we're getting married and I don't want you fucking my wife."
"Sure, Jack. That's fine with me. I won't do anything to fuck up your marriage. There are just too many broads around for me to be chasing after Shelly. Not that she's unattractive or nothing like that. Understand?"
"Right. Lemme tell ya somethin,'" he said, slurring his words a little. This wedding is gonna set me up for life."
"You telling me Shelly's rich?"
"No, no, nothing like that. My old man."
"What about him?"
"He's gonna give me ten or fifteen grand to buy a business."
"Hell! That's great news, Jack. Anything in mind?"
"Sure," he said and glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. He lowered his voice and said, "An ice cream parlor in Kearny."
"An ice cream parlor?"
He grinned and took a swallow from his drink. "Yeah. One block from Sister Theresa's Academy."
"The all girls Catholic School, right?"
"That's the one. All that pussy coming and going all day long. I saw 'em. Couldn't believe how many popped in and out of there while I was checking the business out."
"How you find out about the place?"
"My old man."
"Yeah?"
"He knows the owner. They go way back. Guy's got cancer. Wants to unload at a fair price and if word gets out the buyers will lowball him. My father didn't want that. He asked him how much he needed and told me I could have the dough if I wanted a business of my own."
"Sully, I always said you were one lucky bastard. Congratulations again. First you find a great girl, now you got a head start in life too." I put my arm around his shoulder and even kissed him on the head. Then we got roaring drunk.
***
It was a typical wedding. Two hundred or more guests, most from Sully's side. I learned that Shelly had a very small family and that only a few of her friends were making the trip from Philly to Jersey City. As best man, I was to be paired up with Tracy, the Maid of Honor. I wasn't getting laid there. She was engaged and her boyfriend was going to be there.
Now I had banged Sully's kid sister Megan a couple years before, but between college and my baseball career it went nowhere. She was 21 now and probably in her last year of college. I figured all that time would make a big difference and besides, the family would be there. Nope, I eliminated her as a sex partner for the big night.
There were other bridesmaids that I hadn't met and of course the wedding guests would have several candidates so all in all, I was looking forward to having a good time and getting laid too.
After meeting the bridesmaids, a boffo breasted redhead named Maureen Connolly from Philadelphia, actually, Allentown, became my target. Red haired and fair skinned, with just enough cleavage showing in her gown to produce a nifty bulge in my pleated trousers. And, I detected an interest on her part, catching her sneaking glances my way at dinner the night before the wedding. But, I played it cool and continued checking out the other female guests.
***
Well, the wedding was a big success, going off without a hitch. Sully's sister Megan surprised me in that she'd grown more beautiful as she matured. She gave me a light kiss after the wedding as we waited to have our pictures taken, but then seemed to avoid me. I didn't notice her attached to any particular guy so I kept an eye on her. Then, at the reception we danced and . . . but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The reception had just barely started when my Sully's mother leaned over my shoulder. "James, it's so good to see you again."
"Thank you Mrs. Sullivan.
"Please, call me Cathy, we're all adults now."
Okay. Cathy it is. You look lovely."
"Now it's my turn to thank you. I must admit it is nice for such an old woman like me to receive a complement from a young man."
Her rather full breast pressed into my shoulder instantly reviving my adolescent lust for her body. I grinned at her as I recalled the many times I'd jerked off thinking about her.
"Oh, come on Mrs. Sullivan, err, Cathy, you're one of the best looking women here." I was serious. In her early forties she still looked good.
"Go on with you," she said, obviously pleased with my mild flirtation. "Now how is it that you haven't found yourself a beauty and settled down?"
"Putting me on the spot, eh?"
"No! It's just that . . . from my view, you're a fine catch and many girls should be trying to get you to ask the big question."
"Well, I'm not gay," I said needlessly.
Embarrassed, Mrs. Sullivan put some space between us and said, "Why, I never intended to . . . James, I've never thought that of you."
I laughed. "Only teasing Mrs. Sullivan, err, Cathy. I'm just . . ."
I thought better of what I was about to say and shifted gears. "I'm still chasing the girls. Haven't given much thought to settling down yet."
"I understand," she said. There must be plenty of them after you though," she said kind of wistfully, I thought.
"That's the truth."
"And," her breast was back, pressing its weight against me. "Is there anyone special here this evening?"
"No, but I'm Irish and it's a party. I'll find a female companion for the evening, I'm sure."
Mrs. Sullivan leaned forward and kissed me then, trying for my mouth, but only catching my cheek. I excused myself from the table before she could continue and went to the open bar and requested a scotch and water. As I sipped the drink I watched the couples on the dance floor.
Shelly and Jack were dancing slowly, cheek-to-cheek. I watched them for a moment and finally was forced to admit that I was more than a little jealous. They made a very attractive couple. I was asking myself when the hell I was going to settle down when a soft feminine voice whispered in my ear, "So when are you getting married?"
I squeezed my glass tightly and turned to see who it was. Maureen's brilliantly red hair framed her freckled face.
"Maureen," she said with a big smile.
"Oh, I know who you are. I'm wondering why you posed the question."