Chapter 12 The Dinner Party
The echo of the knock still lingered as Jake threw open the door, launching into a story about being forced by his parents to attend his father’s charity awards ceremony.
In sweatpants and running shoes, he’s sweating profusely, despite the forty-degrees and the biting wind making it feel like December, not late October.
He mumbles a hello in my direction before collapsing into a chair, clearly venting to Vee, who knows his parents.
She makes small sounds of outrage in solidarity throughout his tirade.
“Besides the stupid charity event, they’re hosting a dinner party this weekend. I need you, Vee,” he concludes with a plea. “You must come to dinner. If it’s just me and my parents and Jessica, I will go batshit crazy. Please.”
Vee quirks an eyebrow in my direction. “If I have to go, Emma has to go. That will make it much better.”
Jake tilts his head in my direction as if realizing for the first time I’m sitting in the room and responds, “Hell yeah! That’s an excellent idea. Christ, that could almost make it fun.”
“A dinner?” I ask nervously.
He announces grandly, “Emma, I’d like to invite you to dinner at my parents’ this Saturday. It will be a lovely affair, just a few of us, and we will have some good food, good drinks, and kind of okay company.”
Hearing the sarcasm in his voice, I’m unsure of what I’m missing, I nod. “Sure.”
I’ve been curious about Jake’s parents for ages. I rarely saw them when I was living across the hall. They didn’t seem to be home much of the time.
Jake stands and gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Six o’clock sharp and dressed to the nines.” His mood has lifted.
I look at Vee who gives me a confident nod.
I muster another less than confident, “Sure.”
“Phew! I was so annoyed with my parents that I needed to get out of there,” Jake says, “So, I ran around Central Park before heading here for a visit. Thank you, ladies, you have probably saved my life.” Jake pauses and frowns.
“Oh, let’s not tell my parents you live next door.
Let’s just say Vee met you at the bakery and hired you as her PA.
We don’t need to get into any other details. ”
He turns and gives us both a wave, heading out the door.
Glancing at Vee, she is chewing on her bottom lip.
A niggle of worry worms its way into my head despite the flare of excitement at the thought of spending Saturday night with Jake.
I’ve missed our conversations in the evening when he returned from class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have loads to tell him.
“Saved his life! That seems serious.” I say
“Oh, don’t pay him any attention. He’s being dramatic as usual.”
On Saturday, Vee frowns at me as I stand in front of her in my black work slacks and gray sweater.
She rummages around in her drawer and pulls out a gray and cream silk scarf and artfully drapes it around my shoulders, it falls in soft folds around my neckline.
I glance at myself in the mirror, touching the luxurious material.
I’m wearing my only pair of hoop earrings, and my shiny, patent leather flats.
Vee is wearing a gray-checkered sweater dress that hangs straight down from her shoulders, and she belts it with a large, black belt that matches her knee-high, black boots. She looks smashing.
Vee sits down at her make-up table. I still can’t believe there are special tables and chairs just for putting on makeup.
She starts applying her makeup. When she finishes, she points me to the seat and spends more time than normal on mine.
When she is done, I stare at my reflection, she hasn’t done her normal “less is more” approach.
Instead, she has emphasized everything. My lips are a deep red hue, and my eyes stand out with shimmers of browns and creams, enhancing my blue eyes.
My eyes are always large, but now they look like saucers.
She has put on extra coats of mascara, making my blonde lashes look like brown spikes surrounding a deep pool of blue.
I stare. I look so different. My skin and cheeks are still pale, almost translucent, but my skin has a shimmer to it.
“Wow, you can make anyone look beautiful.”
Vee smiles. “Emma, you are beautiful. Makeup just enhances what you already have. That’s all it does.
” I wonder for a moment, why all of this is necessary, but forget it as I step out the door.
I feel I can conquer the world. Boy, maybe clothes and makeup are worth the price if they give you this kind of confidence.
We hurry by my parents’ door, and I glance surreptitiously at it. Vee knocks on Jake’s door with a little three knock, two knock rhythm; like she hasn’t a care in the world.
It’s 6:15 p.m. and I’m nervous as Jake said 6:00 sharp. I hate being late and we are late because of the extra time Vee took on my makeup. The door swings open wide, and Jake smiles brightly at each of us.
“Ah, my two angels of mercy have arrived. I was getting worried.”
We hand him our coats and walk down the familiar hallway toward the sound of voices.
Jake grabs both of our hands in his as he seems concerned we may fly away leaving him all alone.
My stomach jumps a little when we veer into the formal dining room off to the left of the kitchen.
We never spent any time in this room when Vee was staying here, as it’s stuffy and uncomfortable.
Jake announces grandly, “Veronica is here, and she brought her friend Emma. Emma, these are my parents, Carol and Oliver.”
Frowning a little at Jake’s use of the word her friend instead of our friend, I hesitate at the threshold but quickly put a smile on my face as Jake’s mother and father stand up.
They give Vee a hug, then take turns reaching out their hand to me.
Jake’s mother is wearing a rose-colored dress with matching pumps.
She has pulled her hair back in a tight bun.
She has pearls dripping from her neck, ears, and wrists.
The term well put together pops into my head.
Jake’s father has a bit of a paunch and while he has a smile on his face, it easily could be a grimace.
His suit is impeccable. They both level cold eyes at me and don’t hide their looks of surprise.
I assume they were expecting another model like Vee instead of plain, old little me.
Jake ushers me over to the one other person in the room, who has remained sitting.
“Jessica,” he says pleasantly, “this is Emma.”
I smile wider, glad he didn’t add Veronica’s friend this time. I reach out my hand to Jessica. Jessica turns ever so slightly in my direction, placing her hand into mine, and then pulls it back quickly.
She remarks in a nasal voice, “Oh, so pleased. Now, Jake come back and sit. Before being interrupted, you were telling me such a marvelous story.” Jessica shifts back in her seat, smiling encouragingly at Jake.
Simpering pops into my head. She is pretty, but in a cold, haughty sort of way.
Her brown hair is pulled back tightly in a ponytail and her lips are a little thin.
Standing awkwardly, I jump when someone claps me on my back.
“Well, what can I get you to drink, Emily?” Oliver asks loudly.
I murmur, “Emma.”
Barely acknowledging my correction, he says, “Right-o, so what would you like?”
“Water is fine.”
Jake’s father barks out a laugh, “Water, water! Let’s get you some white wine, hey?”
A maid I hadn’t noticed darts forward with a long-stemmed wineglass.
I take hold of it with both hands, immediately worried I’m going to drop it.
I spot Vee with a large, sturdy glass of water with a refreshing slice of lime in it and wonder how come she got to have water.
Ah, maybe this is a dinner where you get the opposite of what you want, as I’m pretty sure Vee isn’t thrilled with her option either.
I hear my name and realize I’ve drifted off in my musings.
“Emma, what do you do?”
Glad Carol got my name right. I respond, “I’m Vee’s personal assistant.” Dismay replaces my happiness as Carol turns away from me.
Fortunately, Jessica steps in. “That sounds interesting. How did you get into that?”
“They knew each other because Emma ran the local bakery,” Jake interjects quickly, “and when Vee needed someone, she figured Emma’s experience could be perfect. It turned out she was right. Plus, Emma makes a mean pierogi.”
There’s polite laughter.
“Everyone says the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Carol says, “but I think it’s through his mind.” With a slight pause, she continues, “Jessica is a lawyer, graduated top of her class from NYU.”
I turn to Jessica to give her a warm smile, but she has a hard look in her eyes and is looking at me challengingly. My smile wavers and I turn around to see if Vee can save me from whatever is going on, but she is chatting with Oliver. Thankfully, I catch her eye and she waves me over.
“Oliver is just telling me about his upcoming charity event. It sounds just marvelous.”
She perfectly rolls her eyes, conveying utter boredom, and smoothly changes the subject by asking about Oliver’s recent Hamptons stay.
They chat about a few people they both know from the Hamptons, and then Carol ushers us to our seats at the table.
I’m glad to be part of any conversation even if it is one sided.
Oliver sits at one end; Carol at the other. Carol pointedly motions for Jake to sit next to Jessica, and Vee and I take the seats across from them. Dinner starts with a pale soup. I can’t determine what it consists of. It’s not unpleasant, just not wildly flavorful, and rather watery.
As if reading my mind, Jake exclaims, “Well, this is no ka-pus-niak, is it?”
I look at him and he winks; I smile gratefully. He seems to want to see me smile. It never takes much attention from Jake to get the pink to start inching up from my chest to my cheeks. I hope it doesn’t ruin the effect of Vee’s makeup magic.