Free Hair of the Dog by Susan Slater

he was looking at had driven some souped-up cars in their day. He tried to conjure up what a turbocharged golf cart would look like.
    â€œDan, quick, a parking place.” Elaine pointed to her left. The last spot in a public lot. “It’ll be fun to walk around a little.”
    A stroll in The Villages wasn’t Dan’s idea of fun, still he would like some lunch and there was a feeling of relief that he wouldn’t be circling the rest of the afternoon just trying to land.
    The main street seemed to have all the usual stores and restaurants. Italian sounded good and the Red Sauce looked inviting. With a population of over sixty thousand in mostly an over-sixty demographic, eating out was a way of life. He quickly noticed that the twenty- and thirty-something wait people stood out in stark contrast. He wondered where they lived. On the periphery outside city limits, he guessed. He was tempted to say outside “the dome” because that’s what it reminded him of—a special, sterile living bubble that dropped over a certain few acres and kept an homogenous way of life intact.
    He remembered reading that there was a fifty-five-year-old requirement for residency and no one under nineteen could visit longer than thirty days in any calendar year. Wow. He never thought he’d long for kids on skateboards, but he was getting close.
    â€œMr. Mahoney, how nice to see you again.” Dixie Halifax stepped out from a booth. “I’d like you to meet my mother, Agnes Halifax, and my father, John. I wouldn’t have expected to see you here.” A sweet half-smile from Agnes, a nod from John.
    Dan introduced Elaine and explained they were on a check-it-out sort of trip for his mother and her partner. He hoped he was being correct that “partner” didn’t denote only same-sex arrangements. But what did you call “live-ins”? You couldn’t use the word “lover” in polite company, not that he even associated that word with his mother, and “mate” seemed dated and at the very least gave him an Aussie accent. Significant other? He remembered picking up a popular magazine recently that had an article on “Sig-Os.” No, “partner” was the best choice.
    â€œMy parents moved here last year and love it.” Dixie had sat back down. “Good to see you make use of a little track downtime. Things will get busy once we open up again.” She passed the breadbasket to her mother.
    Dismissed. Apparently allotted small-talk time was over and Dan and Elaine followed the hostess to a booth at the back of the dining area.
    â€œA shame Dixie’s parents aren’t able to speak for themselves.” Elaine was being a little snide, but those were his sentiments exactly. The lady seemed to have real control issues. “I can see why Melody didn’t want to cross her.”
    â€œMe, too. I’m glad we took Sadie in.”
    â€œSo what do you think? Is the place a thumbs-up for Maggie and Stanley?” The entrees of pasta and sauces were excellent, salads crisp, bread fresh…crème brulee, a perfect touch with coffee. With the dishes removed and only the coffee left, it felt good to just relax and talk. Based on the last few months, this was a luxury. Elaine leaned against the cushioned seatback.
    â€œI have to look at things through their eyes. I’d hate it but I’m not in my seventies and not a golfer. It’s probably fine for them. Maybe they could rent for awhile—not make a decision to buy until they were sure.”
    â€œI’d agree to that.” Now if he could only convince his mother.
    â€œYour mom still has an apartment in Chicago but spends a lot of her time visiting Carolyn in New Mexico. Do we know where Stanley is from?”
    â€œShe met him on a cruise—I’ve forgotten which one. I think it was the Arthur Murray cruise—billed as a dance camp on the