20
The now-familiar knock came at the front door—two knocks, pause, three pounds. It was the code derived from the neighborhood
watch to signal a friendly person was there. Its pattern set itself apart enough that it couldn’t be mistaken for anything
else and was a loud-enough combination that residents who were hard of hearing could easily make it out. Not a solicitor,
a scammer, or someone with bad intentions. Henry liked the idea of a secret knock. And he really liked how everyone took care
of each other and watched out for one another at The Sunset. Though, with the way the neighbors always came to visit his granddad
on the regular, Henry had had a hard time concentrating on his work since he arrived.
But if he were being honest, it was the best, most relaxing, most fun time he’d had in a long time.
Henry opened the front door and there, standing behind the screen, was Jia, in a brown-and-blue checkered muumuu.
He wondered if she was ever going to go to the airport to pick up her own luggage, but by this point, it was pretty obvious she wasn’t in a hurry to do so.
The airport was a ten-minute drive away, so it didn’t seem like something too hard to do.
He should ask her. Maybe offer to take her.
But the more he got to know Jia, the more he realized how deep her waters flowed. There weren’t just willy-nilly reasons for
how she was. She was thoughtful and emotional, empathetic and purposeful. The reasons she’d likely share about her luggage
and her clothing would probably go deeper than Henry wanted or needed to know about his neighbor, so he always held back.
Rather, he found it an amusing game seeing what new piece of her grandmother’s wardrobe she’d be sharing that day.
But after their kiss the other night at sunset, his curiosity about Jia had only grown. He wanted to know more. Because her
quirkiness, her zest for life, and her pouty bottom lip were incredibly sexy to Henry.
“Hey there,” he said, as he opened the screen door. “Come in.”
“I wish I could, but I have to get these invitations out for the rest of the street,” she said.
Jia just stood there.
Henry stood back.
“Okay,” he said, drawing it out and hoping Jia would go on with why she was here. “Did you say invitations?”
“Oh god, yeah, sorry. I’ve got like a hundred things going through my head right now. There’s so much to do before the prom,
and if I don’t write this all down, I know I’m going to forget.”
Henry knew he had heard her say prom but had no idea what she was talking about. But if he asked her, he risked distracting her and everything she was trying
to remember. “Jia,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Do you want a pen and a piece of paper or something? To write stuff down?” he offered.
“No, no. I’m good. Streamers, punch bowl, step-and-repeat, photographer. Streamers, punch bowl, step-and-repeat, photographer,”
she chanted.
Henry let out a sigh, dropping his shoulders. They could be stuck there all day at this rate. He made a mental note: streamers, punch bowl, step-and-repeat, photographer. And then asked the million-dollar question. “Jia, what brings you here this morning? Did you want to invite Dennis somewhere?”
“Yes! I’m throwing a seniors’ prom. Get it? A prom for seniors, not the senior class, but senior citizens,” she said. Her
wide smile giving away how proud of herself she was for coming up with that one.
Henry shook his head but couldn’t help but let out a chortle. He was also very impressed that Jia had planned and executed
so many things in a few short weeks. She was motivated and organized, and she delivered. Nothing like the person she had been
made out to be back at Bakerson’s Group. Henry wasn’t used to being surprised by people. He was always prepared, overprepared
mostly, and made sure to know what he was getting into and who he was dealing with. Realizing now that he’d believed in a
narrative about Jia that very likely was untrue made him antsy. And angry.
This emotion was happening more and more with his work.
“And are you here to invite Dennis to the seniors’ prom? Is there a date? A time??”
“Of course Dennis is invited. All the residents are. And so are you. You have to come. All the ladies made sure I asked you. They’re dying to see you dance again,” she said.
“It’s Friday night at six o’clock. I know that’s late for everyone, so I’m encouraging afternoon naps and early dinners before you arrive. Palm Springs formal attire suggested.”
“Palm Springs formal?”
“You know, anything that’s clean, ironed, and can stand the heat,” she said with a giggle.
“Got it. Well, I’ll let Dennis know. I’ll walk him down there on Friday.”
“And you’ll stay and dance a few rounds with the ladies?”
“No promises.”
“It’s gonna be a blast,” she assured him.
“I have no doubt,” he replied.
“Okay. I’m off, then. More invitations to get through.” She waved over her shoulder as she turned and walked away.
“Jia,” Henry called after her.
“Yeah?” she answered.
“Streamers, punch bowl, step-and-repeat, photographer,” he listed off.
She made a mental note, nodded, and smiled. “Thanks, I completely forgot all of that for a minute.”
He knew she would. So that was why he’d memorized it.
The community center was decorated to the nines.
An appreciative whistle came from next to him. “They really know how to throw a party, huh?” his granddad noted.
“She really does,” Henry said back, taking it all in.
The front entrance was decorated with a balloon arch in red, white, and green.
Inside, tables bordered the room with red tablecloths and plastic poinsettia centerpieces.
“Would you look at that! It’s a goddamn Christmas party in the middle of summer,” Dennis hollered over the music.
Henry barked out a laugh when he realized it as well.
“Dennis, Henry, you made it! Isn’t it fabulous? A midyear holiday seniors’ prom! Go figure!” Mimi walked up and gave Dennis
a hug and Henry a kiss on the cheek.
A man with white hair and a full, matching beard walked in the door wearing a red sweatsuit with a white T-shirt peeking out
from the top and bottom of the sweatshirt barely covering his large round midsection. He looked around at the decorations
and down at himself. “Well, shit,” he said and walked back out the door.
Henry raised his eyebrows, and Dennis shrugged his shoulders.
“Oh, that’s Chris. He’s gotten mistaken for Santa Claus for decades. Probably going home to change into something a little
less obvious considering the last-minute theme.”
Henry didn’t know what to say to that.
“Henry, be a doll and go help Jia at the snacks table? She won’t let any of us do any work and insists we get to dancing.
Maybe you’ll have better luck.”
“Sure, of course. I’ll be back, Granddad,” he said.
“I’ll be on the dance floor. Let’s go, Mimi. Tell me they spiked the punch in that bowl,” he said.
“This isn’t amateur hour, Dennis,” she said back.
Henry hoped this wouldn’t quite be the shit show that his own prom had been. But no one needed to know that Henry had been
dumped by his high school girlfriend who’d rather have spent the dance with the runner up for prom king. Henry had been pushed
into taking a picture by himself, drinking too much spiked punch, and throwing up into the school’s prized possession, their
1985 football state championship trophy.
Henry found Jia pouring a bag of chips into a large bowl.
“Hey there, I was relegated to the snacks table so as not to embarrass myself on the dance floor. What can I do?”
“Hey there,” Jia greeted. Her face lit up when she saw Henry, and his heartbeat picked up like a fifteen-year-old boy. What
the fuck? Get a grip, Shin.
But she was beautiful.
Jia had on what looked like a white nightgown with lace around the neckline and the hem. Over it, she wore an oversized red
cardigan with her hair tied up in a ponytail with curls.
“It looks amazing in here,” Henry said as he leaned in, placed his hand on her hip, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “And
you look incredible,” he whispered into her ear. He didn’t know what had gotten into him. He wasn’t a public-display kind
of guy, and this wasn’t even his girlfriend. Maybe it was the surprise holiday spirit. Or maybe it was just the magic of Jia.
Jia’s cheeks pinkened.
“Thanks. It’s one of Mimi’s nightgowns. I just thought it looked so pretty and romantic, I wore it as a dress,” she said.
She was surprisingly shy, and it honestly was a huge turn-on for Henry. He squeezed her hip before letting go and moving back.
They stood there at the snacks table passing out cups of spiked punch to the residents. Everyone who walked up gave Jia a
hug and thanked her for such a nice party.
Henry had felt pretty proud of his accomplishments in his life thus far but hadn’t had reason to feel proud for anyone else. Until now. He loved every genuine and warm compliment people came to give Jia.
“You know, you did a really great job here,” Henry commented.
“Yeah? Thanks. It’s fun seeing everyone having such a good time,” she said.
“Where’d the Christmas theme come from? You didn’t mention it with the invite,” he commented.
She laughed. “We had a limited budget. So it was either the extra liquor for the punch or the decorations. I made an executive
decision and got top shelf at the wine store, and the sale bin at the party store. This was the best I could pull off. And
who doesn’t love an ironic theme?”
“Clearly this crowd does,” he said. “It never ceases to amaze me how well you know the people here and what they want and
need. I feel like your coming here added something special to this place.”
“Well, I think I needed this place as much as it might’ve needed me,” Jia admitted.
Henry raised an eyebrow, hoping to encourage her to go on.
He’d never really heard from her what she wanted, what she hoped to get out of being here, what she was going to do next.
And all of these things suddenly seemed to matter to him.
But she closed up right away, seemingly unwilling to share. For someone so vibrant and willing to do so much to help others,
Henry was beginning to see that Jia shared very little about her own needs.
“It’s not really my place to ask, but do you know what you’re gonna do next?” Henry asked, deciding he had to take the direct
approach.
“I’m not really great at keeping a job, apparently.” She snuck a peek at him under her eyelashes.
He stiffened. “I . . . About that . . .”
“We don’t have to talk about it. I thought about asking your advice with something.
But I realized you might be breaking some kind of rules talking to a former employee about Bakerson’s stuff, right?
And you don’t quite strike me as a rule breaker, Mr. I Have To Get A Visitor’s Permit.
” Jia leaned into him and gave him a little nudge with her shoulder.
The small contact immediately put him at ease.
“Anyways, I figured this time I should really know what I want to do before jumping in. That way, the chances are better for me not to be a total failure yet again.”
“You’re not. A failure, I mean. You’re pretty amazing, if you ask me. I know I gave you a little bit of a hard time about
it when I first got here. But I see it now. What you’re doing here, for the residents, for their lives. It’s incredible.”
“A little bit of a hard time?” Jia laughed. “I thought you were gonna petition to have me removed, citing the HOA bylaws.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “I was just looking out for my granddad, making sure there weren’t any hooligan rule breakers
in the neighborhood.”
Jia gave him a playful push. “You haven’t figured out that you and I are the last people to worry about here? Miscreants,
all of them.”
They both looked out at the crowd of seniors on the dance floor having the time of their lives. Henry didn’t know them all
by name like Jia did. But he could see what her efforts had brought them. He found Dennis on the dance floor, shimmying his
hips, his walker nowhere to be found. Henry smiled.
“Thank you for giving this to him,” he said to her.
She shrugged. “I’m just helping them all have some fun,” Jia replied.
“No, you’re giving them their dignity. You’re building their confidence. You’re giving them reasons to live and enjoy their
lives. It’s pretty astounding. And, well, I’ve learned a lot from you. So thank you.”
Jia laughed off Henry’s compliment. “You make it sound like planning parties is akin to saving lives,” she said.
“You know it’s more than that. What you do here . . .”
Jia shook her head, uncomfortable with the words. Had no one complimented her on her work before in her life? Henry found
that hard to believe.
“We’re low on ice. I’ll be right back.” Jia turned and ran off, leaving him standing there in front of a spiked punch bowl
and filled with questions about who had hurt Jia Chung and what he could do to help her see herself the way the rest of them
saw her.