16

New Year’s Eve

Christmas was a busy time in the French household, and this year was no exception. Jackie had all the normal preparations for her family as well as events at school. Her class was part of the school play, and the reception for parents was the last Tuesday before Christmas.

Christmas was good for most Americans, and this was certainly true for the French family. Everyone was well and the economy was the best in history. As for Jerry and Jackie, they both had successful careers and were living the good life. To top it off, their investments were outstanding, and the outlook was for more of the same.

Jackie and Jerry made a determined effort not to allow the potential impact of the market crash to spoil their holiday. They tried to put it out of their minds and enjoy the holiday season. Jackie did hope that she would get some responses from the article in the newsletter. However, she knew that most people had other things on their minds at this time of year. Jerry was able to keep track of Optiscan, and, as expected, it was increasing in price almost daily.

For the past several years Jackie and Mary had joined forces to host a New Year’s Eve party. It had become one of the social events in Princeton. Having been started about ten years ago, the party had steadily grown to the point where it required a lot of planning and the efforts of both families. This year they decided to hold the party in both homes to accommodate the number of guests. To ensure that it was one party and not two celebrations, Mary suggested they consider renting a tent that would tie the two houses together. Jackie agreed, and Mary arranged to have a tent rental company come over to assess their needs.

It was early Saturday morning when Mary knocked at Jackie’s back door. They had coffee, and about eight thirty Mr. Brown appeared at the front door. He looked at the homes and the back yards and listened to what they wanted to accomplish for the New Year’s Eve party. He took some measurements and began to draw a sketch of the back yards. After a short time, he called to Mary and Jackie to look at his idea. The tent he proposed would connect the family rooms via their sliding doors. This would not only tie the two homes together but also provide a focal area for the party outside the actual homes. Both kitchens would be able to feed the party, and guests could enter from either front door. Mr. Brown suggested a dance floor to be placed in the middle of the tent, and he planned to locate a heater to the rear of the French yard. This would keep the noise at a minimum but make the tent comfortable.

Mary and Jackie liked the plan and decided to have Mr. Brown draw up the rental agreement. They also selected serving tables and decorations, including several potted plants. Mary suggested they locate the DJ in one corner and place the food around the edges on two sides of the tent. They would also use the living and family rooms in both houses for added space.

Most of the other details had long since been settled. The invitations were mailed in early fall. Many of the guests were regulars, and the invitation was only a formality. The food would make most caterers blush, but everything except the beverages was homemade by either Mary or Jackie. That was one of the things that made this party so special. The girls put themselves into it, and it showed. Despite its size, this wasn’t another commercial affair. The husbands did the grunt work and made sure the ice, beverages, and furniture were on hand.

Given the size of the tent, Mary suggested she contact the temporary help company to see if they could get two more servers. They had arranged for two kitchen helpers and four servers. If they could add two servers, they would have six people circulating among the guests. As it turned out, the temp service was able to supply the additional help. Jackie and Mary had carefully planned the food to be served at this year’s party. Each year they tried to introduce a few changes, although some things were annual favorites that couldn’t be forgotten. It was almost noon when they finished reviewing the many details. “I guess I had better get moving,” Mary said. They agreed to call each other if other questions came to mind.

Two days before New Year’s Eve, the tent company arrived to set up the tent. It took four hours to set it up and install the heater. Mr. Brown was on the scene to supervise the work. He wanted to make sure his company did their part to make the couples’ party a success. Jackie and Mary were pleased with the tent and thanked Mr. Brown and the workmen for their help. The crew would remove the tent on January 2, weather permitting.

After they left, the girls continued what seemed like an endless series of tasks to prepare the large number of culinary delights that awaited this year’s guests. Some of the items had been made earlier and frozen. Other things had to be completed closer to the night of the party. Jerry and John had gone to a friend’s to pick up another refrigerator as the girls were closing in on their final preparations. Finally, the guys arrived with the refrigerator. They were a welcome sight to Jackie since her kitchen resembled a large food storage room. Mary’s kitchen was not much better. After the refrigerator was set up, Jerry and John began placing the food in it. Even after they completed this task, it seemed every cold-storage area was filled to capacity.

Jerry decided he had better call the icehouse since they were late in delivering the needed ice. He was assured that they were on their way and not to worry. At that, Jerry and John took John’s truck and headed for the liquor store. They found that the beer and soft drinks were already cold, which simplified icing them down. The temperature was in the upper twenties, so the ice was in no danger of thawing. While the guys were at the beverage store, the ice finally arrived. Jackie showed the men where to place it, and in short order they completed this last and most important step. Jerry had set up a backup supply of ice at his parents’ and several friends’ homes. He would be glad to know they wouldn’t be needed.

Jerry also had a backup for the DJ: a Wurlitzer jukebox in the family room that he planned to locate in the corner of the tent should the DJ fail to show up. That, too, was unneeded, as the DJ arrived soon after the ice delivery was completed to set up and test his equipment. By the time the guys returned from getting the beverages, everything was ready. All that was needed now were the guests. The weather was clear but cold, so Jerry cranked up the tent heaters soon after he returned home.

The party was to begin at nine thirty, and the servers and kitchen help were to arrive at eight thirty. By seven o’clock, the two couples decided that everything was in order and it was time to get dressed. Mary and John left for their house, and Jackie and Jerry headed upstairs. Jerry shaved and got into the shower. Jackie got undressed and decided that she would start the evening’s festivities off a little early. She stepped in the shower with Jerry and decided he needed some help washing his package. Jerry’s face showed how great Jackie was at sex.

She knew just how hard to squeeze it to make Jerry lose himself in the pleasure. After she was sure it was clean, she decided it was time for another of her specialties‍—oral sex. Those twenty minutes got the night off to what would prove to be an outstanding celebration that would last until the sun came up the next morning.

It was just about eight thirty when Jackie finished getting dressed. Jerry was already downstairs waiting for Mary and John. Jackie made her grand entrance in a striking red silk dress. She looked elegant, showing just a hint of the fantastic body she had under that silk. Jerry was a bit taken aback and told her how truly beautiful she was. Just as Jackie got to the kitchen, Mary arrived. John had remained at their house to finish a few things and wait for the help that would be working out of his house. The help arrived about twenty of nine, and Mary took one of the kitchen helpers and three servers to her house. The girls had tried to split things up evenly to help make sure this was truly one celebration.

About nine o’clock the DJ arrived. He had set up everything earlier and only had to turn on the equipment and practice a few minutes. They were off and running about twenty after nine before the first guests arrived. After giving the help their final instructions, the two couples went to their front doors to greet the guests.

The homes and the tent were outstanding. The Christmas decorations in the two houses made it clear these were two couples that did everything with class. The tent was decorated for the New Year with a large banner. There were potted plants placed throughout the tent, and the serving tables were placed to provide convenient access to the food and beverages without interfering with the dance floor.

The selection of the food included peeled shrimp, oysters Rockefeller, imported and domestic cheeses, liver pâté, caviar, buffalo wings, sesame chicken strips, assorted fruits and vegetables, several types of dip and crackers, deviled eggs, pasta salad, potato salad, pizza squares, and a Swiss cheese fondue with French bread. The desserts were equally impressive and included assorted petit fours, pies, and cakes. There was also a chocolate dessert fondue with fresh fruit. The bar was stocked with every imaginable type of hard and soft drink. There were cases of champagne to celebrate the New Year in a fitting way. Coffee and tea were also available to round out the offerings.

It was just after nine thirty when the first guest got to the Frenches’ home. After that, there was a steady stream of arrivals through about half past ten, when all of the guests had arrived. The party was a big success. The guests loved the idea of combining the two homes, and the tent with the dance floor. And the DJ was the thing that made it really work. The food and beverages continued throughout the evening. The dance floor was never vacant. The DJ took only a ten-minute break, as he sensed how much the guests liked the music. It was about ten minutes before midnight when the TV sets were turned on to prepare for the big event. The familiar scene at Times Square blared throughout the tent and family rooms.

Everyone was served a glass of champagne as the ball began its inevitable descent to the bottom of the long pole. As the seconds ticked off, all were ready to do their part to greet the New Year. At the stroke of midnight, the guests sang out with “Happy New Year!” As soon as the merriment of that moment was past, the DJ returned to playing and everyone began dancing with their partners. There were couples dancing in the family rooms and living rooms and on the dance floor in the tent.

After another twenty minutes of dancing, the crowd seemed to have worked up a fresh appetite and the food and beverages again took center stage. About twelve thirty, Jerry went over to the DJ and asked him if he would stay until 2:00 a.m. He agreed, and Jerry handed him three hundred dollars as a bonus.

The music ended at two o’clock, and gradually people began to leave. By two thirty, the DJ had packed up and left, and the last of the guests walked out the door. The help did a great job of cleaning up and stacking the mounds of refuse in plastic bags behind the garage. The help was finished about a quarter of three, and they, too, said good night. Jackie and Mary were hyped up from the evening.