For a second, no one makes a sound and I am frozen in horror. Then, Gwen screeches, "Oh my God! Do you know how much these shoes cost? No, of course you don't! These are $1400.00 shoes!"
And oh my God, I'm frozen, but it registers that I didn't even know $1400.00 shoes existed and that my estimation about my entire wardrobe equaling the cost of her outfit was way, way off. And not in my wardrobe's favor.
Landon rushes up to us seemingly from out of nowhere and takes my tray out of my hands, putting his face close to mine briefly as he leans in to take it, eyes wide, and says while barely moving his lips, "You okay, Fancy Face?"
I nod slightly to him and then bend down with Gwen where she is using a napkin to try to clean the caviar off of her shoe, swearing under her breath. "I'm so sorry," I say, "Please, let me help you clean it off. If you'll come with me to the ladies room, I can use a cleaning cloth on it. I bet it will come right off."
She glares back at me but she starts standing anyway and says, "Fine!"
Jake is standing there watching this, his jaw clenching and if that goes on much longer, he's going to need a mouth guard because TMJ is no joke.
Landon rushes up again, offering Jake a glass of champagne from a tray of glasses and I lead Gwen towards the ladies room.
Once we're there, I motion for her to sit on the chaise lounge, and she removes her shoe and hands it to me with a scowl. I open a small Bounce packet from the complimentary guest basket on the bathroom counter and wipe the top of the shoe off completely. I also offer Gwen a baby wipe from the guest basket so that she can thoroughly clean the top of her foot.
When I'm done, I hand her shoe back to her and say, "Good as new! I'm really very, very sorry. I hope I haven't put a dent in your evening." I'm just being nice. Truthfully, I hope I put a big dent in her evening because the feeling is mutual.
She ignores my comment, straps her shoe back on and then heads to the sink to wash her hands, as I wash mine in the sink next to her. "You know," she says finally, "Jake loves a good cause. I can see why he's friends with someone like you."
She dries her hands and then turns around. "It's sweet really. Just don't get any ideas, okay? He's in my bed at the end of the day and I'm the one screwing his brains out."
With that, she brushes past me, knocking me to the side a little and walks out the door. I will not cry. I will not cry.
Damn, Leo, why did you send him? He totally played me. All that talk about do you feel it, too, Evie this and you're so amazing, Evie that and God! He has a girlfriend! And that thought makes me want to cry again so I shut it down and exit the bathroom.
I head back towards the kitchen. Landon is there and he pulls me aside whispering, "Holy SHIT, Evie, that's HIM, isn t it? Like him, him. Holy SHIT, he was, like, pacing the floor after you took off to the bathroom with Bitchy Barbie. Honey, the look on his face was tragic. WHAT is going on?"
I sigh as I take his hand and pull him over to the tray stocking counter. "Obviously, Landon. He has a girlfriend. He was probably shitting bricks that we'd both find out what a douchebag he is. Obviously I'm just an idiot who got all swoony about a guy after one date and some sweet words. When all along, he was just… I don't even know what he was doing! This is exactly why I do not need this type of thing. God, that was humiliating!"
He looks at me sadly and squeezes my hand. "Evie, remember what I said to you earlier. No matter how this ends, I am fucking thrilled that you put yourself out there. Do you hear me, Fancy Face?" He takes my face in his hands and looks at me for a minute and then whispers, "God, so fucking beautiful. No wonder Devil in Red was shooting eye darts at you."
I smile a real smile at Landon because he is seriously so sweet, and squeeze his hand back. "Hey, do you think it'd be okay with everyone if I stock trays back here instead of working the room?"
"Yeah, I think everyone would be fine with that. Plus, cocktail hour is almost over. Dinner is about to be served. Why anyone wants to eat dinner at nine at night is beyond me but I guess when you're the type of people who can afford $1400.00 shoes, you can make your own rules."
"Oh my God! You heard that?" I say, incredulously, loading a tray up with delicious looking phyllo dough pockets.
"I did, but honey, I saw some strappy sandals that were nicer at Payless Shoe Source last week for $29. I was gonna buy them but they didn't come in my size."
I burst out laughing and Landon winks at me and heads out the door.
I spend the rest of the night in the kitchen, loading up trays with the dinner courses for the other servers.
I'm loading up desserts when Tina breezes in saying, "Evie, darling! I heard you dropped caviar on the tall, blonde in red’s foot!"