The two women were sharing a cab downtown, dropping Tessa off first at the posh Gregson Hotel where the Christmas party was being held. Julia was continuing on a little further to meet Nathan and a group of his friends for dinner.
“It’s his water polo teammates from college,” she’d explained to Tessa. “They have this tradition of meeting over at Berkeley and playing in some sort of alumni game. Then they go get drunk at one of their old hangouts before hopping on public transit – thank God for that – and meeting their wives and girlfriends for dinner.”
Tessa had frowned. “It doesn’t bother you – him getting drunk, I mean?”
Julia had smiled impishly. “Nathan knows his limits, unlike some of his idiot friends. And when he gets a little tipsy he’s really, really fun in bed.”
The subject of alcohol and getting drunk had always been a touchy one for Tessa. Her own mother had overindulged in both booze and drugs at various times, though never to the point where it had become an addiction. Peter’s mother, on the other hand, had been a raging alcoholic and, as a result, he’d sworn off liquor and refused to keep any in the apartment. Tessa hadn’t minded, having been completely sympathetic to the hell Peter’s life had been, and she seldom touched alcohol herself.
During the cab ride, Tessa gave Julia’s hand an impulsive little squeeze. At her friend’s inquiring gaze, Tessa told her, “Thank you. For all of this. Helping me get ready, encouraging me to go, sharing the cab.”
“It’s nothing,” assured Julia. “I had fun getting you all girly. I hardly ever get to do stuff like that to my other friends. You’ve met Angela – the last thing on her mind these days is making herself look pretty. And my sister – let’s just say it takes a lot of arm twisting to convince her to dress up. I don’t really have any other close girlfriends – just the people I work with and now the wives and girlfriends of Nathan’s buddies. And you, of course.”
Tessa felt immensely pleased that Julia included her on the surprisingly short list of her friends. Julia was so beautiful, smart and accomplished that Tessa was more than a little in awe of her – and almost pathetically grateful for her friendship.
When the cab pulled up to the grand porte-cochere of the hotel, Tessa tried to hand Julia some cash for her share of the fare only to have it firmly refused.
“No. I told you this was my treat. God, when you mentioned you were going to take the bus or the metro here tonight I thought I’d faint.” Julia shook her head. “And you’d better take a taxi home, too. Are you okay for that?”
Tessa understood that Julia was really asking if she had enough money, and nodded, trying to conceal her embarrassment. “Yes, thanks. Especially since you won’t let me pay half of this fare.”
Julia smirked. “I have a rich boss. Who also happens to be my rich boyfriend. I can afford a twenty dollar cab fare. Besides, it’s something like the third – or is it the fourth – night of Hanukkah, so consider this a little gift.”
Tessa laughed. “But neither of us is Jewish.”
“Doesn’t matter. Now, you go have yourself a fabulous time, all right? I wish I was going with you instead of to this overgrown frat boy party of Nathan’s.”
As Tessa walked inside the hotel, she wished Julia was accompanying her, too. She felt awkward and uneasy attending this fancy party alone, especially when all of her co-workers were bringing a date or their spouse. There would be very few people in attendance tonight who were here by themselves, and she fought off the feeling of being a pathetic wallflower.
‘It’s not like it’s a high school dance, silly,’ she chastised herself. ‘Nobody’s going to be gossiping about what a loser you are during first period English class on Monday.’
But as she checked her well-worn raincoat at the coat check just outside of the enormous ballroom, Tessa couldn’t help feeling once again like the new girl in school – the outsider who had no friends, who was too shy to speak to anyone, who was always alone and lonely. Some things, she thought sadly, never seemed to change.
Fortunately, some of her unease began to fade as she spotted Kevin and Shelby nearby with their respective companions. Kevin was living with his current boyfriend – an older, wealthy attorney named Terence. It was very obvious from all of the disparaging, almost insulting comments that Kevin frequently made about his lover that he was merely using him for his money. But for tonight at least Kevin preened over the older man, touching his arm and laughing at whatever he said.