Stupid Smile

I have been walking around town all afternoon with a stupid smile on my face. I know it is a stupid smile because anonymous people keep giving me strange looks as they walk by me -- but I just cannot stop!

Why am I smiling? Well, I will tell you. I guess it started yesterday. I dragged my daughter, Anne, with me up to our project house. I had some boxes to take up there and wanted her to see the progress that has been made on the house so far. (She was pretty impressed with the changes, by the way.) Because we got a late start driving up there, we decided to spend the night rather than drive home in the dark. Thus, we wound up eating dinner in the area.

Now, I always eat dinner at the same restaurant when I go up to work on the house because there are only two local restaurants with free Wi-Fi, and only one of those restaurants offers a complete meal for $11, Perkins. So that is where I took Anne to eat. We walked into the restaurant and the manager/hostess greeted me, asking if Anne was my daughter. A server recognized me and said hello as we passed her on the way to our table. The waitress who came to take our drink order, again, recognized us. When a different server came on his shift and saw me, he waved a friendly hello. Well, you know me. I tried to convince Anne that everyone knows me because I am "famous." She did not buy it -- even though they all confirmed my story. I just shrugged nonchalantly at Anne and told her to believe what she wants.

This morning, we got up early and headed home right after breakfast. We were home in time to eat lunch at my normal Monday lunch hang-out, The Old Country Buffet, then stopped on our way back to the house to make an appointment at Cost Cutters to have our hair trimmed. I made the appointment with a hairdresser I had never before seen and, I have to admit, I felt a little confused by some of her reactions.

When our appointment time came, we returned to the salon and my hairdresser wound up being the same girl who had made my appointment. She did a good job and I was pleasantly surprized by her service. She also gave me some good ideas for my hair for my sister's wedding this Friday -- and even blew dried my hair for me, an extra service I was not expecting. At the cash register, I handed her my coupons, and as she was ringing me up, another hairdresser came to the counter. This second hairdresser was one that I recognized.

"Did you tell her?" asked the second woman.

Dead silence responded.

Looking between the two of them I asked, "Me? Tell me what?"

More silence. Then the second hairdresser addressed me, "She read your book."

"Really?" My response begged more information. (Score points for my ego! In the background, Anne rolled her eyes, groaned and plopped down in a chair to wait for me to get done talking.)

Cat out of the bag, so to speak, my hairdresser suddenly let loose of her shyness, "I read it in Two Days. I couldn't put it down!"

She made me sign a copy of the book that was right behind the counter and asked if I am going to write another one. (The answer is maybe.) That was about the time that this stupid smile plastered itself all over my face.

Walking out the door, Anne volunteered, "I know what you are thinking and the answer is no."

"Famous," I grinned.

"No."

Then, this evening, I took Anne out for dinner to our favorite pizza buffet, Cici's West Allis. We know several people there, including the bussers (Tip: Always be friendly with buspeople if you want good dining service), the owner and both the managers.

I, of course, was still glowing from meeting a new fan (I will likely glow for several days) and mentioned what had happened to one of the bussers. She then asked about my book and I briefly told her the name and genre. Several minutes later, the busser came to my table while Anne was there. Note: I did NOT ask her to do this! She asked for the title of my book so that she could tell her mother, who loves to read romance novels.

Handing the woman her my business card with the title of my book on it, I took the opportunity to give her the information for my "15 Minutes of Fame" promotion. She took the information with a huge smile and made some positive comments about it. (I hope she participates!) After she left our table, I looked squarely at Anne with raised eyebrows and this same stupid smile on my face.

"Famous," I declared.

Shaking her head from side to side, she simply stated, "No."

The stupid smile remains.

~ Beth Durkee, award-winning author