The Whole Package

by Cynthia Ellingsen

  “I didn’t think you’d like me,” Jackie said softly. She looked at Cheryl and then at Doris. “I didn’t think anyone would like me if they knew where I’d come from. If they knew what my family was.”

  “So many people have alcoholic parents . . .” Cheryl started to say and Jackie held up her hand.

  “That’s exactly what I didn’t want,” she said. “To get lumped into some category, for people to assume they knew my life. So I showed them what I wanted them to see and by the time we got older, well . . . it just didn’t seem like it mattered anymore. It was in the past by then, so why bring it up? My father’s doing fine, just in case you’re wondering. He’s out of jail and working somewhere in Ohio. I’m going to visit him in the spring.”

  “That’s . . . good news,” Cheryl said, nodding. She’d rested her chin on her hand. The dangly gold disk on the tennis bracelet she was wearing seemed to shiver. “Thank you for telling me.”

  “Look. I’m not going to change overnight. I’m always going to be private,” Jackie said, sneaking another look at Doris, who was still nibbling at that chicken skewer. “It’s who I am. But, Cheryl, if you ever doubted that I love you,” her voice cracked and Jackie took a breath, trying to fight back the emotion. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “If you ever doubted I love you, that’s my fault. I have to be a better friend. And I will, if you’ll let me.”

  Cheryl pressed her lips together, bobbing her head up and down. Finally, she pushed back her chair and ran around the table to Jackie, burying her face in her arms. The two held each other for a long moment, Jackie breathing in Cheryl’s familiar scent. Jackie held her tight and, finally, kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

  The two friends pulled back and smiled at each other. Doris was silent, steadily eating chicken. Jackie sneaked a glance at her, then brushed her blond hair back into a ponytail, held it for a moment, and then let it drop.

  “Doris, you should slap me and kick me out all over again,” she finally said. “What I did to you was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  “Huh?” Cheryl said. She looked from one friend to the other. “What happened?”

  Doris picked up another chicken skewer and took a bite. “She interfered with raising my daughter,” she said. “And allowed her and her boyfriend to sneak around and have sex.”

  “Oh,” Cheryl said.

  “Not smart,” Jackie said, toying with her wineglass and leaning against the table. An image of George’s handsome face flicked across her mind; the picture gave her strength. “Plus, I leeched off her and I lied to her. I had no business doing any of that, much less interfering with your daughter, Doris. If I could do it all over again, I . . .”

  Doris reached out and grabbed Jackie’s hand, accidentally stabbing her with the thin chicken prong. “Sorry, sorry,” Doris said in a rush.

  “No, I deserve it,” Jackie said, grabbing the chicken prong and pretending to press it against her skin. “Stab me again.”

  “No,” Doris said, yanking it out of her hand. “I forgive you, Jackie. I love you. Besides, what you did triggered another series of events. Something good.”

  “What?”

  “Doug came home,” Doris said, blushing prettily.

  Jackie and Cheryl turned to her, surprised. “He did?” they chorused.

  “So, you’re not leaving him?” Cheryl asked.

  “No,” Doris said. “What he did was wrong but it wasn’t just his fault. Well, the affair was, but I wasn’t the best wife, either. I needed to change some things myself. So, I did and things are really good.”

  The room was quiet for a minute. “Jackie, where have you been staying?” Cheryl asked. “All this time I thought you were with Doris.”

  “Anthony’s,” Doris said, in between bites of chicken. “Oh, don’t look so shocked,” she told Jackie, who had turned to Doris in surprise. “I’ve been asking about you every day.”

  Jackie was still living at Anthony’s, in the small, cramped apartment. When she had started dating George, it would have been much easier to migrate into his comfortable estate and never leave, but Jackie refused. She wasn’t going to risk the way she felt for him by doing what was easy.

  “I missed you guys,” Jackie said, looking at her friends.

  Cheryl reached out, tentative. The three friends dove into each other’s arms, not saying anything. They held each other for a long time, hanging on like they would never let go.

  Jackie was the first to draw back, saying, “I can’t believe you guys were fighting, too. I thought for sure you’d be talking when Doris kicked me out!”

  “Nope,” Cheryl said cheerfully. “Doris ditched me because I wasn’t a team player.”

  Doris nodded, shrugging. “We’re a team,” she said. “That means we call the shots together. That is, if you guys still want to be.”

  Jackie and Cheryl nodded animatedly.

  “But I have some requests,” Cheryl said, suddenly nervous. “If we stay in business together, you guys can’t gang up on me. I do have a lot of experience and I need you guys to appreciate that.”

  Jackie opened her mouth to speak, but Doris beat her to it. “Cheryl, we do appreciate that. If it seemed like we were ganging up, it was just because we need two people to equal one of you.”

  “Well, in my vast experience,” Cheryl said, beaming, “I have to say. You have done an amazing job saving our business.”

  “Hear hear,” Jackie applauded.

  Suddenly, Doris slapped her hand to her forehead in a Chris Farley “stupid” move. “But I just realized something,” she said. “Jackie, I can only work with you if you’ll do one thing.”

  Cheryl had reached out for a chicken skewer but stopped in surprise, looking at Doris. Jackie nodded, already guessing. Doris was going to ask for her to put up equal money or withdraw equal ownership.

  “You’re right,” Jackie said. “It might take some time for me to get a loan, but I will figure out how to get my own money for . . .”

  “No, silly,” Doris cried, lightly slapping her wrist. “It’s more important than that.”

  Jackie was baffled. “What . . . what do you want me to do?”

  “Admit you snore,” Doris said, surprising both of them.

  Cheryl burst out laughing. “Like a lawn mower!”

  Jackie squealed, jumping up from her seat to sock them both. The three friends hugged each other, dancing around the room in glee. Anthony and Gabe came bursting through their door.

  “Are we happy again?” Anthony asked.

  “Oui oui,” Jackie cried.

  Anthony lifted Gabe up and spun him around. With the three women watching, he and Gabe actually hugged, holding on for just a moment too long. Anthony caught Jackie’s eye over Gabe’s shoulder. She grinned.

  Chapter Fifty-one

  “BONNE ANNÉE! IT’S ALMOST THE NEW YEAR,” JACKIE SHOUTED, holding up a piece of leftover mistletoe and waggling it over her head. George leaned forward and kissed her. “You’re really supposed to wait ’til midnight,” she teased, sliding toward him in her clingy aquamarine dress.

  Cheryl let out a raucous wolf whistle from across the restaurant and Doris clapped her hands. To celebrate the New Year and everything it would bring, everyone was at The Whole Package. A countdown clock and champagne glasses were standing by.

  Doris and Doug were cuddled at a corner table, planning their second honeymoon. As soon as the weather got warm, Doug was going to take another leave from the bank and Doris from The Whole Package. He was going to take her cross-country on the back of his bike.

  The Harley had arrived that day, shipped back from where he’d left it in Amarillo, Texas. Doug promised they’d hit the West Coast and explore the back mountain roads. They’d eat burgers at the rough biker bars during the day and enjoy the comfort of local bed-and-breakfasts at night. Doris was terrified at the whole concept. She couldn’t wait.

  As Doug explained to her how to tilt her body as they took the tight turns, Doris squeezed his
arm and said, “What if I fall off?”

  Doug studied his pretty wife with adoration. “You won’t.”

  “But what if I do?”

  “I’ll catch you,” he promised, leaning in to kiss her.

  Cheryl and Andy sat at another table with Bob Turner and his wife. Bob Turner had insisted on signing with Nolan/Schaffer that day, to ring in the New Year right. Plus, he and Rachel had been dying to see The Whole Package. Now that it had been featured in the national news, Bob liked to joke that his protégée was a big star. Watching the ink dry on the contract, Cheryl’s eyes nearly misted. When Andy learned she had signed Fitzgibbon Ale, he insisted that her name would be first on the company door. They’d had that discussion in front of Cheryl’s fake fire, earlier that evening.

  “Nolan/Schaffer works,” Andy said. “Besides, I don’t want you to change your last name when we’re married.”

  “We’ll cross that bridge . . .” she started to say.

  Andy sat up on one knee and snapped open a beautiful black box. “I think we’re crossing it.”

  The most beautiful emerald-cut diamond engagement ring Cheryl had ever seen was nestled against white satin. Andy slid it on her finger as she promised to be his wife. Now, Cheryl found herself gesturing madly with her left hand as she talked throughout her conversation with Bob and Rachel. The light of her love reflected across the table.

  “Look at her,” Anthony said to Gabe. “Remember how I used to call her The Tan One?”

  The two men were perched against the host stand, enjoying the show.

  “No,” Gabe said, touching his hand gently. “We weren’t speaking then. Because I was stupid.”

  Anthony’s face got serious. “When are we going to tell them we’re leaving?”

  “Soon.”

  Convincing Gabe his play was worth being seen had been no small task. Anthony enlisted the help of Jackie, who sat Gabe down and gave it to him straight. The part he’d written for Anthony could take them both to the top. They needed to put it onstage.

  “New York?” Gabe said, surprised.

  Jackie nodded.

  Gabe had never been to the Big Apple. As Anthony described the pulse and lights of the city, he became more entranced with the idea. They would get an apartment together, something overlooking the park. It would be like heaven. As though Jackie were lip-reading their conversation from across the room, she nodded at them and smiled. George leaned forward and whispered something in her ear, sneaking a glance at Anthony.

  “I think he’s ready,” Anthony said to Gabe. “It’s almost midnight.”

  Gabe grinned. “Let’s do it.”

  The lights of the restaurant dimmed and the patrons looked around in surprise. A single spotlight shone toward the stage.

  “Darling,” George began, brushing back Jackie’s blond hair.

  She gazed up into his dark eyes and purred, “Yes?”

  “Well,” George mused, touching her lips. “I hope you’ll forgive me for this, but I wanted to start the New Year off right. This one’s for you, my dear Jacqueline.”

  George leaped up and rushed to the stage, with Doug, Andy, Bob Turner, Anthony, and Gabe right behind him.

  Jackie’s jaw dropped.

  “What is happening?!” Cheryl and Doris cried, racing over and sliding into Jackie’s booth.

  In perfect unison, their men pointed at the digital clock Anthony had mounted on the wall. It read 11:59 and fifty seconds. They started the countdown to midnight, slowly swiveling their hips. “Seven . . . six . . . five . . .” The stage lights burst on, disco ball flashing crazily. The pulsating notes of 2 Live Crew pounded through the restaurant.

  “Oh my God, they’re going to drop the ball,” Cheryl realized.

  “The ball?” Doris asked, confused. Then she leaped to her feet crying, “Omigod, the ball!”

  In perfect formation, the men ripped off their shirts and pants to reveal black bowties and sexy little bottoms made out of spandex. “The Whole Package!” George cried.

  In perfect harmony, George, Doug, and Andy danced for their women as though their love depended on it.