She was just about to fill the turkey cavity when the bell rang. She turned on the intercom and was overjoyed to hear Quentin's voice.
"Are you the lady who advertised for kitchen help?" came his jocular tones through the speaker.
"Yes, but you'll need to bring references and have a personal interview. You'd better come on up."
She wasn't exactly dressed in her best, but it would have to do. He had said he wanted to see the real Suzy, after all. But she did have enough time to run a brush through her hair and slick on some lip gloss before the bell rang.
After Quentin had given her a friendly hug and kiss, he removed his jacket, requested an apron, and asked what he could do to help.
"Since you know where everything is by now, suppose you set the table? You can use the same china I used before, except we'll need wine glasses instead of beer steins. Use the orange candles in the top drawer of the buffet, and there's an arrangement of 'mums on the coffee table in the living room. You can put those on the table. After you've finished that, you can do the rutabagas. They're hard to peel and cut."
"Yes, Ma'am. Anything else?"
Suzanna thought about it.
"You can make Bloody Marys in that big pitcher on the bar and cut some celery thinly for swizzle sticks. Then we'll see."
Suzanna continued stuffing the turkey, peeled pearl onions, made white sauce, defrosted a couple of packages of frozen peas and peeled a couple of pounds of potatoes and put them to soak in cold water with some salt. She made a hard sauce with butter, confectioner's sugar and rum for the plum pudding.
Suzanna had planned on an early dinner so that she'd have time to organize any last minute details for the location trip for F. F. Cosmetics. She and Quentin would be leaving right from the office the very next day.
An early dinner meant that the turkey had to be in the oven by ten. She looked at her watch and saw she was running right on schedule.
Quentin called in from the dining room. "Suzanna, do you want to come and take a look to see if I've forgotten anything?"
"Okay. In a second," she called back. She put the last skewer into the neck and body cavities to contain the dressing, and put the turkey in the oven.
Then she went to the dining room. "That's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't have done it better myself."
"What else do you want a hand with?"
"The turkey is just in, but we will still need to do the pumpkin for pumpkin pie, and the corn on the cob and the salad."
"Fine, anything you want, I'll do it."
"Er, not quite anything, as we agreed."
He laughed. "No, you're right, not quite anything. I have a feeling I am going to regret that bargain."
She grinned at him and led the way by the hand to the kitchen. She took out the greens for the salad, and they collaborated on cutting and slicing. Quentin also prepared the rutabagas and Suzanna put them on to cook. Then they attacked the pumpkin, which was going to be turned into pie and soup with the help of her food processor.
"What time is everyone coming?"
"They are meant to be here at two, for dinner at three. That will give enough time for the turkey to stand, and you will carve for me, won't you?"
"Of course I will. So let's see, lots of vegetables. Anything else?"
"The potatoes are going to be mashed, and I have some for roasting in the pan as well, and then there are the sweet potatoes."
"You look like you're ready for an army. Is there anything else I can do now?"
"How are you on pie crusts?"
"Not so hot. But would you like me to get the drinks ready now?"
"Yes, I think that's a good idea. They'll be blended and nice and cold. I'm going to make up a few simple hors d'oeuvres, then I'll get us each a sandwich to tide us over until it's all ready."
"We can have a Bloody Mary apiece with our lunch."
"Great."
It was one by the time they had got all the snacks and drinks ready, and they took their light repast into the living room, turned on TV to watch some of the holiday specials, as well as the ads. They put their feet up on a couple of ottomans and relaxed, occasionally commenting on the competition's commercials.
At one point, Quentin remarked, "A lot of people I know would find me in this scene of domesticity hard to believe."
"A lot of my friends would find it highly suspicious too," answered Suzy. "Especially Jerry, if he should happen to arrive a bit early, which wouldn't be too unusual considering the length of time I've known him."
"'Hone soit qui mal y pense,' or words to that effect."
"That's not fair. Evil to him who thinks evil hardly applies to Jerry. I don't think he's ever had an evil thought in his life. But finding you here before anyone else, and in an apron too, indicates a degree of familiarity, after all."
"Do you want me to leave and come back?"
"Now you're being silly. Of course I don't. I was just thinking that it might be the perfect way to make him more receptive to Sharon. "
"If he does get here early, what do we talk about?"
Suzanna thought about it for a minute, then said, "I think we'd better start with the day at F. F. Cosmetics. He's going to be surprised to see me out of my disguise. We can talk about that and about our upcoming location trip to the Bahamas."
"I just realized, Barry may or may not notice the difference, depending on how wrapped up he is in Elsa. I hope he doesn't notice."
She winked at him, and went back into the kitchen to baste the turkey and prepare the gravy and the sweet potatoes, which they were going to have in a casserole with apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
"Don't tell me you're going to put marshmallows on top. Then I really will have died and gone to heaven."
"I had my doubts, since some people might find it a bit sweet, but if you like it so much, sprinkle away."
"I tell you what, we'll put it on one half, and only put them on just before it is ready, so they don't get too brown."
"You're more domesticated than you let on, after all," she said with a grin.
"It's just common sense. I learnt that making s'mores at camp."
At two o'clock, Suzy finished wiping down the counter and said, "If you'd like to go home to tidy yourself up and change, you can go now."
"I've brought everything with me," he said, going to retrieve the small duffle bag he had brought with him. "I'll just head into the bathroom and wash up. Then it can be your turn."
As luck would have it, Quentin was ready and back in the living room, and Suzanna had just gone in to dress when the bell rang.
Quentin asked who was there, and when he heard, "Jerry White," he answered, "I'm Quentin Pierce. Suzanna's busy. Come on up."
From her bedroom, Suzanna heard Quentin invite Jerry in. Quentin explained his presence easily.
"I came early to see if I could help. I did it once before when Suzanna put on a rather important dinner for a new client, making use of several of his products in ways he'd never heard of. "
"That sounds like Suzanna. She's one of the most intelligent women I've ever known."
"She's told me you're good friends. Tonight you'll meet a couple of her more recent acquaintances. One is Barry Jarvis, advertising representative of Imperial Foods, the client I mentioned."
Jerry looked surprised. "Is this another business dinner, then?"
"No indeed. Tonight he was invited by Suzanna's friend Elsa. I believe you know her?"
"Yes, I've known Elsa as long as I have Suzanna, but I've never heard of Barry Jarvis. "
"That may be because Elsa just met him recently, at that business dinner I mentioned."
Just at that point, Suzanna came through the door in a burnt orange-colored woolen dress. It had long, full sleeves, and nipped in her waist before flowing down over her feminine hips. She had put gold jewellery at her throat and ear lobes. Her hair rippled to her shoulders in shimmering waves that looked almost russet.
Jerry and Quentin both rose to their
feet at the same time.
"Suzanna!" Jerry was the first to speak. "I don't know what I expected, but hardly this. What happened to your disguise? You're a good month ahead of schedule, aren't you?"
Suzanna shot a glance toward Quentin. "It's a long story, and a strange one. I think I'll let Quentin tell you all about it. He was there. In the meantime, I'll get into an apron and check on dinner. "
She made good her escape as she heard Quentin start to relate the events leading up to her 'discovery'. Suzanna fervently hoped that Quentin wouldn't tell the part about having to strip. It was entirely too personal a detail for her liking.
By the time Suzanna had put the plum pudding to steam and mashed and seasoned the rutabagas, the story had been told. When Suzanna went back to the living room, Jerry got to his feet, gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and said, "Congratulations. You were an excellent choice. Lucky for them you came along at the right time. You ought to sell lots of cosmetics for them. So, what happens next?"
Suzanna looked slightly embarrassed, while Quentin was trying, unsuccessfully, to repress a smile.
"Oh, I didn't get to the best part yet, " said Quentin. "Suzanna gets a trip to the Bahamas on location for Femme Fatale Cosmetics. And since she was already scheduled to go anyway as a representative of Elder and Rubin, it means she'll be making twice as much money."
"That sounds fabulous," said Jerry. "Who else is going?"
"All sorts of people," said Quentin. "There will be at least two cameramen, a photographer and a video man, Bruce the makeup man, and Candy Barr, the woman who spotted her talent, and possibly a wardrobe woman. And of course I'll be going too."
At this, Jerry's face became a battleground of mixed emotions.
Suzanna was saved by the bell, which announced the arrival of Sharon. She looked gorgeous in a black velvet coat with a fake silver fur collar and hood.
When Suzy took her coat, she was delighted to see that Sharon looked lovelier than she'd ever seen her. She was dressed in jet black velvet, fitted and with a deep plunging neckline that showed off her alabaster skin to perfection. Her red hair was like a living flame as it caught the light from the lamps and brought out the sapphire blue of her eyes.
It had been the perfect time for her entrance, for Jerry did not get to say anything about the trip to the Bahamas--he was too busy staring at Sharon.
Sharon's eyes gave a flicker of surprise as she saw her boss rise to greet her.
"Good evening, Mr. Pierce," she murmured.
"Good evening, Ms. Welsh," he replied.
Sharon turned to Jerry to be introduced, and really saw him for the first time.
Suzy smiled to herself as she saw Sharon's face take on new animation. Her cheeks developed a rosy glow, and her whole expression came alive.
Suzy could tell that Jerry was impressed in spite of himself. After the conventional, "How do you do?" Jerry said, "I hope you don't mind my mentioning it but your hair is closer to being real red than any I've ever seen. And it's not out of a bottle!"
Sharon smiled. "I don't mind at all, but if you had said that to me twenty years ago, you probably would have had your nose bloodied. I told Suzanna when we first met that it took me a long time to learn to live with it. "
The doorbell rang again for the arrival of Elsa and Barry. As they came in amid a flurry of greetings, they remarked on the savory aromas coming from the kitchen, and everyone agreed it was a meal they had been looking forward to ever since she had invited them.
When the introductions were completed all around, Quentin poured the drinks and Suzanna put out the hors d'oeuvres around the living room for people to help themselves.
As it turned out, Barry did notice the change in Suzanna. "What have you done to yourself, Suzanna? You look so different."
Barry was told the whole story right from the beginning, and at the end of it he laughed. "Now I can understand your amusement the day we went to lunch. You sure fooled us all. But I still think you'll do equally well on products that aren't female-oriented."
After that the conversation became more general and quite lively. It was a congenial group, and it would have been difficult to find a handsomer one outside of central casting, Suzy thought as she looked around.
By the time they sat down to the delicious dinner Suzy had prepared, they were all on a first-name basis and acting like old friends.
As they ate their way through course after perfect course with a bone dry white wine as accompaniment, even Jerry, who had been out of sorts at the beginning of the evening, mellowed.
When they got to dessert, all six decided to have a little of each sweet. Everyone proclaimed the dinner a huge success.
"Don't just thank me," Suzy said with a warm smile at Quentin. "I did have a wonderful helper."
He returned the smile, their eyes meeting intimately across the room as they sat at the opposite ends of the table playing host and hostess.
Then they retired to the living room for espresso, and once more Suzanna was prevailed upon to play. This time, everyone sang, starting with "Over the River and Through the Woods."
The evening flew past, and by nine o'clock everyone was ready to leave. They all had to get up early for work the next day, and Suzanna had to clean up, then finish packing.
They all offered to help, but Suzanna refused all offers but one, explaining, "Quentin is used to it. He's done it before."
That being settled, they all started putting on coats. Barry asked Sharon, "Can Elsa and I drop you some place?"
"No, thank you," she answered. "I'll take a cab, if you'll call one for me, Suzy. I live downtown."
With that, Jerry spoke up. "I'll be glad to see you home. I'm going in that direction."
Sharon beamed at him. "Oh, that will be wonderful."
Suzanna and Quentin gave each other a knowing smile, and as soon as they were alone again, they sank onto the sofa and into each other's arms with a sigh.
"That was great! Really, it was a fantastic party," he said, giving her a warm but light kiss on the lips.
"I'm just glad it's all over."
"No you aren't. You'd have played all night if it hadn't been for our busy day tomorrow."
"I have to confess, it was fun. But we did have a few sticky moments there with Jerry and then Sharon. It was worth it, though. I think my matchmaking paid off, don't you?"
"Definitely." He kissed her again, and then sighed.
"Well, we can have a post mortem on the party on the flight down tomorrow. In the meantime we had better get his place ship-shape before you go away. You get your packing and everything sorted, while I do kitchen duty."
"No, we can do it together."
He nodded and smiled. "Right, let's get started then. Bring the rest of the Bloody Marys with you."
By ten o'clock the place was shining. Everything perishable was put in the freezer since Suzanna would be gone for a few days. When all was in order, Quentin phoned car service.
As he stood by the door saying his goodnights before he left, he took Suzanna's hand in his and rubbed the fingers with his other one.
"Such pretty, soft hands, and so capable. Have I behaved myself to your satisfaction today?"
"Why, yes." Suzy answered. "It's been great. Well, I thought it was, anyway! Thank you for helping me, for being so considerate."
"Do I rate a goodnight kiss?" he asked humbly.
Suzy stepped into his arms and raised her lips for his almost innocent kiss. She tried to hide her disappointment, but she had promised to take things slowly. In any case, she had little choice, for he stepped away quickly, and opened the door.
"Goodnight, darling, " he whispered, and left.
Suzanna hugged that 'darling' to her as she crossed her arms across her chest. No matter what she had told Quentin, it was only what he had wanted to hear.
Deep down inside she knew that she really did love this man who had been the first ever to arouse her, but if his conscience wanted to call it something else, sh
e'd play along.
We made progress today, she thought to herself as she headed for the bedroom to get ready for the Bahamas trip. She reasoned that if he had never been in love, he couldn't know for sure that he wasn't now.
As she started to pack for her island sojourn, she hummed along to the radio, and soon she decided on a cafe au lait pinstripe suit for travelling. Although tailored, it was feminine. With it she would wear an off-white blouse and brown pumps with stacked heels, and of course her fake beaver coat and hood until she was on the plane.
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