My first after-school job was in the Katonah Deli and it is where I learned to do catering and a lot of cooking. The owners were John and Manny, and they had several regular employees that I always enjoyed seeing. They were usually there and if I hung out in the deli long enough, I would always see others I knew. It was an easy way to catch up on the local gossip.

When Ann and I walked into the Deli I could see Manny and Richie in the back, and John in the front helping some customers. Despite the customers John yelled “hey” and called Manny and Richie.

“Joe!” Richie exclaimed as he rounded the corner of the counter. We hugged and then I hugged Manny too.

I introduced Ann to Manny and Richie, and then John came up and gave me a big hug too. As I was hugging John and saying hello, Manny and Richie had already started teasing Ann about being “stuck” with me.

“What do you see in this guy?” they were asking.

Ann was nonplussed. I had forgotten to brief her on their sense of humor.

“If you need any secrets or blackmail, on Joe, let us know—we have it all,” Richie said.

“Oh, NO!” I exclaimed. I tried to change the subject. “Did you know that Kathy is getting married tomorrow?”

“Yeah, to Pete Fullerton.” “He comes in all the time. We knew about the engagement the day before he gave her the ring.”

The guys in the deli knew everything that happened in town even before it happened.

We had a great visit and Ann warmed up to their jocular style. We hung out in the back of the deli and took turns tending to customers as they came and went. On occasion someone I knew would come in and we’d catch up. When introduced to Ann, almost to the person they would have a teasing remark like, “You must be crazy to hang out with him!”

Ann caught on quickly and soon had several comebacks, including: “I do charity work” and “He reminds me of a lost puppy.”

Manny stood next to me, put his arm affectionately around me and said, “Joe the kid. Still a lucky guy with the ladies.”

My eyes widened as I stared at him, imploring him to not say anything more or bring up any long-lost secrets.

“Did he ever tell you about the proms?” Manny asked Ann.

“No,” Ann responded timidly.

“Joe, here, went to more proms than anyone else – ever.”

“What?”

“Yep, what was it—20 proms?” Manny asked looking at me as the embarrassment of the situation started to take hold.

“22,” was all I could choke out.

“You went to 22 proms?” Ann asked.

“Yeah, well I had a van, I don’t drink and drive, I was an ambulance guy and safety conscious; parents liked me because I was a safe date.”

“It was not the parents who asked you out, was it?” asked John. John once told me he lived vicariously through the exploits of the younger employees in the deli.

I was mortified but at the same time kind of proud to show off to Ann because this subject had never come up.

“I was invited to my first prom as a Freshman in high school. It was a Junior prom. The next year, I had a car and was invited to several at John Jay as well as two neighboring high schools. My junior and senior years I was going to proms at numerous schools, driving hordes of students to proms. I had purchased a tuxedo by this time, so it was cost effective too.”

Ann just stared at me and the guys started to bring up details of certain dates: they had met every single one. They always seem to remember the girl who “wore a towel” to the prom.

“It was a terrycloth dress.”

“It was no wider than any of the towels I have at home, and went from here to here.” John gestured with his hands between his chest and upper thigh.

“That was the style then,” I said.

“We want to see that style again!” the three of them said in unison.