I know she's not the super bitch she pretends to be, so on her second day back I dropped in even though it was a Saturday. There were a couple hardcore regulars there and a couple casual regulars. I greeted them all by name just in case after six months at a different place she had forgotten.

She listened in on my cell phone call when it rang an hour and a half after I was there.

"Whose birthday is it?"

"Lady G's mother's." I said.

"You don't know your own mother in law's birthday? Sheesh. Men and birthdays."

I finished lunch and asked for my bill. I wondered as she ended up punching way too many keys at the register. I looked at the receipt, and of the four beers I ordered not one made it to the bill. I wrapped the slip around a twenty and placed it under my pint glass. It should have been twelve dollar tab.

I would have stayed longer but I had a phone call to make, wishing someone a happy birthday.