For Sale in Palm Springs: The Henry Wright Mystery Series by Albert Simon

was rumored to have met President
Kennedy in 1962, I think it was.” Henry moved his coffee cup aside
as the waiter brought their plates. “Housemate? I’m sorry; I
assumed that you were married. You wear a wedding ring.” Rosie said
with a flustered tone in her voice as the waiter set her enchilada
plate in front of her.

    “ Will there be anything else
folks? Would you like a refill on that margarita, Ma’am?” The
waiter asked having set the hot plates on the table. “I normally
don’t, but I think that this time I need another one.” Rosie nodded
to the waiter. Henry pushed the refried beans around on his plate
and looked down at his left hand where his wedding ring was still
around his finger. “My wife Irma died suddenly about three years
ago.” He said quietly, “I haven’t felt a reason to take it off. It
was just before my retirement from the police force, things were
kind of hectic and I just have had a hard time letting her go, so I
guess that’s why I didn’t take my ring off.”

    “ Oh, I’m so sorry.” Rosie
put her fork down, she too was quiet. “I know what you must feel
like; I lost my husband in a plane crash five years ago. One minute
he was whistling a tune as he walked out the door on the way to the
airport, the next thing I knew the Highway Patrol was on the phone
with me to let me know that his small plane crashed while he was
trying to land. He was such a good pilot too.”

    Henry looked up at Rosie,
whose eyes seemed misty at the thought of her dead husband. “I’m
sorry for your loss as well.” Henry finally said. “You know, you’re
not the first person I have ever met who lost his wife and then
became gay.” Rosie put a forkful of enchilada in her
mouth.
    “ Gay, what do you mean?”
Henry asked incredulously. Rosie finished chewing, “You know, you
lost your wife, your life with her was obviously very happy since
you still wear your ring, you couldn’t imagine yourself with
another woman, so now you live with Charles.”

    Henry couldn’t help but
chuckle, “Well you’re partially right, Irma and I were very happy,
but Charles rents a room from me, we don’t have any relationship
beyond friendship and as far as other women, I haven’t really given
them any thought after Irma died.” Until now, Henry thought to
himself taking another look at the lively woman across the table
from him.

    Rosie put her fork down,
“I’m so, so, sorry for making the wrong assumption.” Her face
turned nearly the color of her hair. “Yesterday I saw your wedding
ring, I assumed you were married, and then just a moment ago, I
thought you were happy in your relationship with Charles, I don’t
know how to apologize, can I buy you a margarita?” “Is everything
ok here folks” the waiter appeared as though summoned. “I’ve
decided to have a margarita as well.” Henry was still laughing,
“Better make it a large one, frozen with salt please.” “Yes, sir!
One large frozen margarita with salt coming right up.” The waiter
disappeared again.

    Henry attacked his fish
tacos with renewed interest. It seemed as though something had been
cleared up between Rosie and himself. He had not enjoyed lunch with
a woman in a long time; he was certainly beginning to enjoy this
lunch and this woman. “I’m glad we’ve resolved that, yesterday I
was wondering if your husband was jealous of your relationship with
Thornbird.”
    Rosie licked the salt off
her margarita glass and took a much larger sip than earlier. “When
my husband died, he didn’t have any life insurance or anything, so
I had to go to work to support myself. I started as a receptionist,
just like Tiffany, at Coachella Real Estate and eventually worked
my way up to office manager.”

    The waiter set Henry’s
margarita in front of him and brought Rosie’s fresh margarita as
well. Henry picked up his glass and held it in front of him as
Rosie lifted her glass to his and clinked it. “Here’s to
communication without