21 Jump Street (Tom Hanson)

Dinner Party

Tom's POV
January 1989

Jackie came over to my apartment right after work, because she was helping me get my apartment ready for a little dinner party I was throwing. I got a majority of my apartment cleaned up before she got there, but she mostly helped with preparing dinner. Since it was Tuesday, we decided on a Taco Tuesday theme. We got ingredients for build-your-own-tacos with sides of chips and guacamole dip, lime rice, coleslaw, Jackie made macaroni salad, and we thought it would be fun to teach our friends how to make frozen margaritas with the blender that Jackie brought from home. I originally wanted to make grilled vegetables or steak, but I don't have a barbecue and grilling on the stove is never very good.

I had to dig my blue cooler out from my closet, because I finally had a reason to use it. I filled it up with ice and shoved soda cans, bottles of water, beer, and iced teas into it for anyone who doesn't want a margarita. We had the blender with the ingredients beside it on the counter, with a cafeteria-style of bowls of ingredients for the build-your-own tacos, and I put the blue cooler on the kitchen floor just in case it leaked.

I placed a bowl of chips and salsa on my coffee table, which also had some paper plates and napkins for people to use. I wasn't quite sure who was coming, but no one told me that they couldn't come so I was expecting a full house. I heard a knock at the door, and I went to answer it while Jackie was picking out music to play so my apartment wouldn't be awkwardly quiet.

I opened the door and was face-to-face with Doug and Dorothy. I've meet Dorothy multiple times because she and Doug like to host a lot of dinners at their apartment. She has big dark hair, olive skin, and white teeth, and a thick New York accent. Doug smiled and held up a gift of a bottle of wine by his face before he handed it to me.

"Geez, you guys didn't have to," I said. I stepped forward to give Dorothy a friendly peck on the cheek and I welcomed them both in. Jackie walked over to us as I closed the door and Doug started to take off his jacket. "Jackie, this is Doug and his girlfriend Dorothy. Guys, this is Jackie."

Dorothy gave her a forced smile and said, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Jackie."

Dorothy is a very expressive and open person. She lets you know what she's thinking in the moment that she thinks it. Even though her words were kind in this situation, her feelings were not. She did not seem to be very fond of Jackie, and she didn't even give her a chance.

Doug took a step forward and offered Jackie his hand. "Doug Penhall. You work at the District Attorney's office, don't you?"

Jackie smiled at him as she took his hand and said, "yeah. About three years now."

Dorothy gave Doug a stern look so he retracted his hand. "That's cool."

"We have dinner in the kitchen, and some appetizers on the coffee table. We also have a margarita station," I told them.

Dorothy's face lit up after I said that. "I could use a margarita right now."

"Jackie can teach you," I said. I looked over at Jackie and asked, "want to show her?"

"Sure, follow me," Jackie said. She and Dorothy walked over to the kitchen, while Doug and I sunk into a corner of my apartment. He complained about Dorothy, but I let his words go in one ear and out the other. Dorothy is attractive, but she is rude and noisy and has no filter. Doug always complains about her, so I never understand why he has not broken up with her yet.

The door knocked again, and I left Doug to answer it. I welcomed Fuller and his date into my apartment, and gave them the same spiel. Jackie became in charge of teaching everyone how to make a margarita, while I was the host greeting everyone. I felt warm and more relaxed, probably because Jackie kept bringing me margaritas. I definitely got more relaxed and chatty. More people from Jump Street came, including Judy and Ioki, and even people I don't work with that often from other teams. The main purpose of this dinner party was to introduce Jackie to everyone, because they haven't known her as my girlfriend yet. Jackie actually had to push me to do this, I was more than fine with keeping our relationship to ourselves.