The Day

(33) Losing It

Chapter Thirty Three

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                “Champagne, ma’mn?”

                I glanced at the server, who was offering me a small goblet of the yellow, carbonated liquid. His hair was jet black and greased back in such a manner that implied that he was trying a little too hard to fit the part for the job. He even had a curly mustache. “No, thank you,” I said politely. “I’m not old enough,” I added after he gave me a curious look. Crossing my arms over my chest, I looked around for any other guests I hadn’t greeted. My mother hasn’t told me how important it was to greet, greet, greet.

                “Oh, really?” he asked with sudden curiosity. He ran a hand trough his slick hair, and he stood up straighter, the glasses shimmying on the gold serving dish he was carrying with expertise. “How old are you, then?”

                “Eighteen,” I answered absentmindedly. There were no new people to greet. Aunt Amy? No, she’d grown tired of me already. Maybe I can sneak off to my room without my mother knowing…

                “Oh, my!” he exclaimed, causing me to jump. “You’re only eighteen? Why, you fooled me as someone who was already in college.” He raised an eyebrow.

                “I’m going to Stanford next semester,” I said flatly. “I was supposed to have gone already, but there were some issues…” I spotted my mother talking with a group of my relatives, and she looked relatively distracted. Maybe I could sneak off.

                “Right,” he said, out of his Rico-Suave character. He seemed to notice this, and he adjusted the red rose on his lapel. The sight of it made me want to clear out, to never see that thing again as it only reminded me of one person.

                Brent.

                “Well, I am very glad you are back. It would have been a shame to not have such a beauty as you to liven up this party.” He shifted closer to me, and the cologne he used was a stench. Way too strong and it had a faint scent of odor along with it. Maybe it was all that grease.

                Anyway, his attempt to flirt with me was now clear. I had not noticed it before, as I was so absorbed in something else that I had missed to see what was right in front of me. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, I thought dryly. “Mhm,” was all I answered, and I craned my neck, looking for Meg and Alex. Where were they? I hadn’t seen them since the party started, and it’s been going on for at least two hours. Maybe they were smarter than me and they cleared out before people noticed they were there.

                As if in response, I felt a tug on my hair. I turned my head quickly to face Meg, Alex bringing up her rear. “Where have you been hiding?” Meg asked.

                My mouth dropped, and I glanced at Alex, who had his eyes trained on the server. After a moment he relaxed, telling me the guy had left. I checked behind me for confirmation, and I sighed in relief when it was true. “I was being harassed by people I barely know,” I said with a laugh. “And besides, you two were the ones that were missing for forever.”

                “We’ve been looking for you,” Alex told me, a smirk on his face. “Your house was bigger than I imagined. After we couldn’t find you, we took our own little tour.” I did a double take on him, and for the first time, I noticed that his tie matched perfectly with my dress. It could have been mistaken as a failed attempt to match it with Meg’s. But I knew my mother. This was her small way of telling me that she doesn’t think I should be with Brent. I think t that maybe, after more than a decade of friendship, she figured out that I liked him. But she never said anything. My mother was subtle – a small detail was her way of telling me something. Alex’s tie seemed to be made out of the same material as my dress.