CHAPTER NINETEEN

Didi peeked at the caller I.D. Bridget. Uh-oh. I forgot to call her and tell her the wedding is off. Her sister was going to go ballistic.

“I’ll be back in a minute. I have to get this.” Hurrying to the bedroom, Didi slipped in quickly, careful not to let Maisie out, and picked up the phone. “Hey, Bridge, what’s up?”

“Hey, yourself. Did you forget we were going to choose bridesmaids’ dresses? You were supposed to call me this week.”

“Sorry. I didn’t really forget. You were next on my list.” Didi perched on the edge of the bed.

“In that case, I’ll do my best to overlook it. So what did you decide? The peach or the teal?”

“Neither. It’s a long story, but the wedding’s off.” Didi hated to shoot her sister down yet again, but she had a party to host. “Can I call you later? I’m in the middle of a dinner party, and I have to get back to it.”

“You spring it on me that you’re not getting married, and you’re going to leave me hanging while you go party?” Didi could envision Bridget’s pout.

“I know. I’m a bad, bad sibling, but I really do have to go. How late are you going to be up?”

“I’ll be up for hours yet. Aren’t you a wreck? You don’t sound too upset.”

“I’m not. Mostly. It’s complicated.”

“Call me as soon as you can?”

“Sure. Bye.” Didi set the phone back in its cradle. She was truly the wicked sister. Bridget should have been called days ago. Maisie made a dash for the door, but Didi gently shooed her away and slunk back to the party. All eyes focused on her as she entered the room.

“So?” Carol Ann tapped her foot with impatience. “I repeat—who’s Flower Man?”

Didi cracked a smile as she brought the hot soup and French bread to the table. “All in good time. All in good time. His name is Jake, but I’m not going to say another word until we all sit down. Soup’s on.”

The group of women hustled to their seats. Sitting at the head of the table, Didi surveyed the group. She started to ask Samantha if she would say the blessing when Carol Ann spoke up.

“Do you mind if I say the prayer? When I was a child, Mom always said the ‘Motzi’ before we ate. It’s a common Jewish prayer, and it makes me think back to when life was good.”

“Sure, Carol Ann. We’d love to hear the prayer.” Didi was thrilled with this new side of Carol Ann. Her friend didn’t often bring up her childhood, but her mother had died from multiple sclerosis when Carol Ann was only ten. It was nice she had some pleasant memories of her mom.

They bowed their heads, and Carol Ann offered up the prayer in fluent Hebrew. She added, “Translated, it means, Blessed art Thou, oh Lord our God, King of the Universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth. Amen.”

“Beautiful.” Didi gave her friend a playful thumbs-up, served the soup in small china cups, and passed them around until everyone was served. After she was done, not a single woman lifted a spoon.

“What?” Didi feigned ignorance. “Oh, all right. Kevin is history, and I went out with a guy named Jake last night. He bought the flowers. Everybody happy?” Didi dipped a spoon into her soup. “Now, please eat before the soup gets cold.”

Kelly snatched a piece of French bread and waved it in the air. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. The flowers are beautiful, but before we weigh the pros and cons of Flower Man Jake, I want to know what happened to Kevin. ‘He’s history’ just doesn’t cut it.”

Samantha added, “Yeah. When I was last in the loop, you had a wedding coming up.”

“You’re not the only one who didn’t know,” grumbled Fanny. “The last thing I heard, Didi was searching for a wedding dress.”

“I’ve never met him, and I work with our esteemed hostess.” Kristin sipped her soup and frowned. “You’d think in the year and a half they were dating, he could’ve popped into the office once or twice.”

Didi sat dumbfounded. Her friends were spot-on. How had it happened that few of the people she felt closest to had never laid eyes on the man she’d planned to marry?

Samantha waved her hands in the air to get everyone’s attention. “I’m not hearing much concern for Didi here, ladies. Didi, are you okay? You don’t have to tell us if it’s too painful, but something major must have happened if Kevin is out and Jake is in.”

Didi flashed Samantha a grateful smile and regrouped. “Thanks, Samantha. Yes, I’m doing really well, under the circumstances, but the short story is Kevin cheated on me. He had another girlfriend on the side, so it’s over between us.” She didn’t want to get into Kevin’s two girlfriends. Pictures of Kevin with a titian-haired beauty and a curvy blonde filled her mind, but she thrust the images away.

Murmurs of shock and sympathy resounded, and Maria rose from her seat and slung an arm around Didi’s shoulder. All heads swiveled toward Carol Ann as she muttered curses under her breath. Her eyes flashing with vengeance, she turned to Didi, balled fists on the table. “I have an idea. Why don’t I trot across town and slash his tires for you? What’s the weasel’s address?”

Kelly dissolved into laughter and upended her not-quite-empty water glass on the tablecloth. The group howled, Suzy and Kristin tossed their napkins on the spill, and Didi pounded on the table with her spoon to restore order.

When the laughter died down, Didi continued. “Thanks, Carol Ann, for your suggestion. I’ll give it all the consideration it’s due. There have been days this week when I might have taken you up on it.”

Everyone giggled, and Didi went on. “But you know, as you guys were talking, I’ve been thinking over how odd it is that not many of you ever met Kevin. That’s odd, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is a little strange, honey,” Fanny said. “We’re your friends.”

“Kevin always said he had too much work for ‘extracurricular’ activities, and I never pushed it. Even before we broke up, I guess it wasn’t very good between us.” Didi studied her nails, face flaming with embarrassment. “I should’ve talked to somebody.”

Kelly finished sopping up the mess. “Ah, Didi, please don’t feel bad. Next time, we’ll all do better and speak our minds. Okay, everybody?” Kelly cast an eye over her audience, and the women nodded their agreement. “And you’re way better off without him.”

“Amen. By the way, this soup is really tasty.” Turning her radiant smile on Fanny, Kelly took her last sip. “If I could cook more than badly burned toast, I’d ask for the recipe.”

As the guests enjoyed another laugh, Didi gathered the dishes and stood up to fetch the next course. Always ready to lend a hand, Suzy was already in the kitchen, dishing the entrees onto platters and into bowls.

Didi and Suzy brought in the entrees along with the mixed-greens salad Didi had thrown together. “Now, if everyone will please consult your menus, next up we are serving asparagus lasagna, lemon chicken, and shrimp fried rice. We also have another cup or two of broccoli soup, if anyone wants seconds.”

“I want to hear more details on your hot date.” Maria didn’t speak up often, and Didi was glad her meek friend joined in.

“I think I’ve met the mystery man.” Kelly beamed and passed her cup for more soup. “Was he that adorable Mr. Nice Guy with the broad shoulders we met outside Crossroads Church?”

“Good memory, Kelly. That’s the man of the hour.” Didi served herself a piece of lasagna and passed the dish.

“I always remember the cute ones.” As a lonely, single woman, Kelly was always on the prowl. “And man, oh man, was he cute.”

“It’s good to hear Kelly thinks he’s a feast for the eyes, but is he a nice guy?” asked Maria. She could be a real worrier.

Didi ladled up some fried rice. “So far, so good. We went to Ramino’s, and Jake was a real gentleman. I really liked that. He picked me up right on time, opened doors for me, and made sure I was happy with my meal. He showered me with attention, and I felt comfortable with him.” Didi sighed. “It was almost a perfect first date.”

Carol Ann groaned, not missing a trick. “Uh-oh. Almost? What’s ‘almost’ mean?”

Didi speared a chicken leg and launched into her tale. She told them about the delicious food, the “Ten Words or Less” game, and Jake’s interest in her family. Then, quietly, she told them about Victoria’s death, Jake’s subsequent depression, and what little she knew of his difficult road to recovery.

Suzy abandoned her bite of lasagna and wiped the corner of her eye with her napkin. “Oh, the poor, poor man. What a lot for someone to go through and come out the other side. He sounds like someone to hold onto. So, why wasn’t it a good date?”

“Gravity.” Didi nodded her head sagely.

“Gravity? What? Did your bra strap break?” Carol Ann winked at Didi, and the group erupted with laughter. It was hard not to laugh when Carol Ann was in the room.

“Well, no.” Didi slid her chair back and smiled. “There were no wardrobe malfunctions on this date, although I did need to change my clothes when I got home.”

“This keeps getting better and better. Don’t keep us in suspense.” Kristin passed the salad to Maria and helped herself to another piece of chicken.

“Jake and I were having a fine time until a flying bottle of wine landed on the table and soaked me good. And that reminds me, I totally forgot to go to the dry cleaners today.” Didi smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand and went on to relate all the gory specifics.

“So he drove your wet, sorry behind home, and the date was over?” Carol Ann was relentless. “What happened at the door? Did he kiss you?”

“Well, no, but I didn’t give him much of a chance. The poor guy was trying so hard to be sweet, and I would have loved to have spent more time with him. But to be honest, my pants were soaked, not to mention my undies, and I was very uncomfortable. I kissed him on the cheek and made a hasty exit.”

“You kissed him on the cheek? Holy cow, Didi, what are you? Amish?” Carol Ann rolled her eyes.

“I think it was a wonderful way to end a first date,” Suzy said.

“Thanks, Suze. I considered asking him in for a while, but I really needed a good rinse. Who knew that wine was so sticky?”

Didi began to clear the table, and Suzy hopped up to help. Dishes clattered as empty platters and plates were passed to the bar area. Didi waved everyone out to the living room while she and Suzy finished clearing.

While they were loading the dishwasher, Didi hung an arm around Suzy. “Are you all right? You’ve been kind of quiet all evening.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Suzy yawned as if to prove the point. “The house was too quiet with Michel and the kids away.”

“Too quiet, huh?” Didi plated the brownies while Suzy dipped up a small mound of vanilla ice cream on top of each serving.

“Yeah. When Michel’s not in the bed, it feels mighty empty.”

Didi wished she had a husband to miss. “He’ll be home soon. Monday, right?”

“Yes, thank goodness. At least I have a puppy to curl up with in the meantime, which is another reason I need to get home. Percy’s such a little thing. He has a teensy bladder. You have to come over and meet him. He’s a cutie.” Suzy served the brownies and then apologized to the group for her early departure.

At the door, Didi pressed two foil-encased brownies into her hand. “Thanks for all your help. Call me later if you’re lonely. You know I’ll be up.” They hugged and said their goodbyes.

Didi brought her dessert back to the living room and dropped into the wing chair. Maria cleared her throat and asked the question that, doubtless, was on everybody’s minds. “Didi, we’ve been kicking around our assessment of this Jake guy, and well, I hate to be a wet blanket, but do you think maybe you should wait a while before you start seeing him?”

Concerned whispers whizzed around the room as all eyes turned toward Didi. She swallowed hard, smiled, and spoke her mind. “Thanks, everyone, for your concern. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably be thinking the same thing. But honestly, no. I don’t think I should wait. I had a terrific time on my date last night. I promise I’ll take it slow.”

Fanny strode over and squeezed her shoulder. “Honey, you’re extra vulnerable right now. We don’t want to see you hurt again.”

“You’re absolutely right. I’ve been through a lot in the past week, but for some reason, I feel safe with Jake. I know I can’t possibly know him yet, but in so many ways, he seems like the opposite of Kevin. He listened when I talked. He gave me flowers he ordered days before the date. He didn’t get mad when a waiter spilled the wine.” Didi turned thoughtful. “But would you like to know what impressed me the most about him?”

“What?” six people said in unison.

“Even though our meals came gratis, before we left the restaurant, I saw Jake leave an enormous tip for Vincent. I can’t picture Kevin ever doing that.” Didi took a breath and broke into a wide grin. “Plus, for Maisie, it was love at first sight. It may sound crazy, but for now, I’m listening to her.”

* * *

Those churchy chicks were sure taking a long time to leave Didi’s house. The car was cold, and he hated to be cold. Kevin cranked up the heated seats, tilted the driver’s seat back, and yawned. He needed a drink, but he wanted to make sure she was in for the night before he took off. The drive down to D.C. averaged a good forty-five minutes, but the Twilight Lounge was open until two a.m. on Saturdays. The dancing girls were more than worth the trip.

While he vegetated, he stewed over the scene with his Uncle Chad at the office yesterday. How dare his uncle challenge him in front of his secretary? So what if he was always late and missed a few days here and there? They weren’t about to fire him. They wouldn’t dare. Before she’d died, his mother had promised Uncle Chad would take care of him. Some days it was a blast to see just how far he could push the envelope.

After his uncle had gone back to his office in the executive wing, Kevin had been so mad he’d left early and taken Tiffany with him. She’d been coming on to him for weeks, and he’d done her a favor and taken her out to dinner. Later, plenty of drinks at the Red Derby had loosened her up, not that she’d needed much persuasion. Back at her place, she’d given in soon enough. He sure knew how to work the ladies. That gold digger probably thought she’d be getting a raise and a promotion.

Half the night had flown by, and it was nearly four a.m. when he’d left Tiffany’s. As usual, he’d cruised by Didi’s and done a quick survey. Pleased that her car was in the driveway and all the lights were off, he’d gone home to sleep it off.

Now here he was, at midnight on a Saturday night. He was glad he’d brought coffee this time. He gulped the dark brew and yawned again. He was bushed, and it was all Didi’s fault. She made him do this. He was just doing what any loving fiancé would do to make sure his woman was traveling down the straight and narrow.

The last one of Didi’s little friends finally toddled off, and for once, she turned the lights out early. Good thing for her sake. Maybe he’d take a break tomorrow night and do something for himself for a change. She plainly knew better than to rile him.