Another Friday, Another Dip

Karen and Nikki couldn't wait to have Michele at Girl's Night. Actually they were a little put out that I had been the first one to meet her. I said Emily thought meeting everyone at once would be too overwhelming. Nikki said she didn't think anything could overwhelm Michele.

"Is she still going to be here?" Karen asked. "Doesn't she have a job?"

"She's a painter. And she's independently wealthy."

"Alimony?" Nikki sneered.

"Now be nice, Nikki. It happens that her family has money."

"That they probably got by exploiting the poor."

"Meeting a novelist and a rich artist! We're on a roll." Karen likes to look on the bright side.

At first, Alice had been hesitant about coming. She thought it might be awkward. But then she decided it would be good for her artistic development, and anyway she didn't want to be a wuss.

For some reason, I was nervous about having everyone over. I took Friday off to clean and I got fancy cheese and crackers and dips from the intellectual deli that the faculty uses and made carrot cake.

I ended up making two cakes, so the troops wouldn't feel neglected.

Ed took Josh to the movies and the girls went to stay with Janet and Kate. Janet came to pick them up and offered to help me get ready.

Janet: So what's she like?

Me: Who?

Janet: Michele, of course. Sheesh! (Sheesh is Janet's favorite swear word. It incorporates "shit" and "Jesus". Janet is very creative.)

Me: Oh, she's very nice.

Betsey: What's that purple stuff?

Me: It's beet root and mint dip.

Janet: Sheesh! You're going all out for this chick.

Me: Cilla, you can have some olives before you go. (To Cilla, it's not a party without olives.)

Cilla: Can I have all three kinds? (I'd gotten two kinds of green and one kind of black.)

Janet: Have you seen much of her?

Me: Well, I've been busy, but we've been talking on the phone.

Janet: About what?

Me :Oh, things. Relationships and . . . things. You know.

Janet: Indeed.

Janet looked like she wanted to hang around and meet Michele, but the girls were clamoring to go.

We had a very nice time. Michele helped me in the kitchen. Everyone else stayed in the living room and got rowdy.

"Charlie," Nikki bellowed, "Come out here and entertain us."

"You're the hostess," Karen giggled.

"What are you doing in there?" Emily wanted to know.

Then they all started laughing. Maybe it was the wine. I'd gotten the really expensive kind.

"I don't know what's so funny," I said to Michele. I wondered if I should apologize for them. Michele just smiled.

Fortunately, Alice had stuck to diet soda, because she said she needed all her wits about her if she was going to spend the evening with Michele. So she was able to drive everyone home.

After they left, I had some carrot cake and olives. For some reason, hadn't eaten anything. I felt like I had a buzz, but then I realized that I hadn't drunk anything either.