by Tara Oakes
Cecily inches closer to get a better view of said shoes. Her eyes widen and take on a distant look of longing. “I remember high heels. I probably couldn’t even fit my toes in them at this point.”
Tony holds her from behind and whispers in her ear. She quickly perks up and blushes while making sure no one else hears whatever he says to make her flush. I’m the only one who notices them, and give her a quick smile as if to keep their little secret.
Dom breaks through the front lines and shakes his head at me. “All right ladies... they’re just shoes. Pretty and dangerous, and the cars are here to take us to dinner, so let’s move along. Aunt Marie, I’ll make sure V doesn’t break her neck or anything else,” he speaks over to Momma as he scoops me up to stand next to him, taking my bag so I can grab onto his arm for support while we walk toward the main entrance.
Mom follows suit behind us, as John holds the door open for us all to walk through.
“You know, regardless of what you just saw... I can manage to walk on my own,” I manage to let out near Dom’s ear as we exit the Carlton Manor hotel.
He laughs to himself, “I know. I remember when you learned. Just appease them,” he answers just as privately, lest my mom should hear. Then he turns to the rest of the group behind us, “Momma, Aunt Marie, Nonna, John and Mary should go in the first car. Tony, Cecily, Mike, Theresa, V and I will take the second.”
Just then, two dark, stretched SUV’s make their way around the drive and park under the front overhang of the hotel. The parking attendants open the back passenger doors as we all split into our respective groups. Tony helps Cecily into the car and slides down to make room for us all. Theresa and I follow, and then scoot down for the boys.
Dom is the last to take a seat before the door closes and the car engine begins its gentle roaring. We start slowly out of the lot, turning onto the main road before I hear a hollow popping sound from the other end of the car. Theresa passes a champagne flute to me before turning and taking her own. The gentle fizz, and sparkling bubbles hug the tiny raspberries settled at the bottom of each glass.
“To Vincenza, and all of her accomplishments. May they serve her well, whatever her future has in store for her. We all love you and are very proud of our Baby V,” Dom toasts as he locks eyes with mine, raising his glass before sipping from the top of it.
Everyone else follows suit after offering similar wishes. Cecily raises her ginger ale, and I clank it with my glass before taking a small sip. It’s delicious. I’m not much of a champagne drinker but even I have to appreciate the fruitiness of the liquid. I finish my glass and look up to see that everyone else’s glass is still nearly full.
Dom laughs at my empty glass, causing Theresa to take notice.
“V!” she gasps. “Slow down! Keep this up and you’ll be two sheets to the wind by appetizers.”
Theresa is much more of an accomplished drinker than I am, so I should probably listen. The others continue to take small sips between small talk. I have nothing left in my glass to occupy myself, so I tip it high, the raspberries sliding down the crystal wall landing on my tongue. They are bitter cold, as if frozen and thawed. I bite into them, causing the small berries to explode slightly against the inside of my cheeks. I hiccup loudly after swallowing the champagne-raspberry mixture.
Cecily and Theresa hear me, laughing together while I try to hold in an encore hiccup with the back of my hand. Dom and my two brothers halt their conversation to glance at us, trying to figure out the joke. The girls pretend to act serious as if they have no idea what the guys are curious about, before Theresa looses it and declares, “Oh this should be a fun night!”
The feminine laughter starts again.
~*~
Due to traffic, we arrive at the restaurant a few minutes after our first half. They’ve already been seated in a private dining room at the exclusive Elks Room steak house. The seating choices are limited to the remaining chairs, so I sit next to Mary, and Theresa takes the chair next to mine. John sits at the head of the table with Dom facing him from the other end. After we are all settled with our dinner choices given to the waiter, John stands with his glass raised and clears his throat before speaking.
“We’re here tonight to celebrate V’s graduation and to welcome her back home. She’s brought a lot of pride and happiness to us all these past few years while studying at school, but she’ll bring even more happiness to us home, where her family has missed her. Our dad would be so proud of his little girl today, and I know we all felt his presence as we watched his pride and joy, his Baby V, receive her degree.”
He lifts his glass further, “To Vincenza, to my dad, and to the future of our family... where wonderful things are upon us. Salute.”
Everyone raises their glass in unison, while chanting “salute” toward me. My eyes swell thinking of my dad and his absence from such an important day. I blink back my tears as I have done all day when thinking of him. This is not the time or the place to let them out. I quickly down my glass of champagne to distract myself. It’s not as delicious as the champagne in the limo, but it’s sweet and pungent.
The servers arrive with large silver trays filled with salad plates and bread baskets. I seize the interruption to slip out of the room quietly, without anyone making a fuss. I head straight for the ladies’room to take a breather and check my mascara.
The bathroom attendant is tidying up the counter area as I walk in. I sit in one of the oversized plush armchairs and lean back, relaxing for the first time today. She must think she’s holding me up from using the counter, because she steps aside and apologizes.
“Please, help yourself. I can finish this later,” she offers, gesturing to the marbled vanity area.
I shake my head, “No... no. I’m just hiding out in here for a bit,” I explain to her as I close my eyes.
She smiles warmly. “Well, in that case, do you want me to keep an eye out for anyone looking for you?”
She must have seen this type of situation a time or two before. I hope no one will search me out, seeing I’m a hot mess from those comments about my dad. Enough time has passed where I don’t think they will automatically assume I’m upset at the mere mention of his absence. Just to be sure, I need to head back before they become suspicious.
I’ve gotten all of my crying out last night, while making my final preparations before graduation. Today would have been much happier if he could be here to share it with me, but he sacrificed so much to be able to provide for us the way he did. I was given a top-notch education and I promised myself I would try and make today as positive as I could. That’s what he would’ve wanted. That’s how I’ll honor him.
I smile graciously at the middle-aged attendant as I collect myself and stand, checking my makeup in the mirror, take a deep breath and head back out to the dining area. As I head down the private corridor back to our dining room, I pass the men’s cigar lounge with its door slightly ajar.
I can hear Dom’s voice from inside, talking sternly at someone.
“I don’t care how many hours it’s going to take, Tom. I want answers, and I want them by the time I get back to the office on Monday, or heads will roll for this one. Someone dropped the ball, and I want to know who. Understand? Good. No more calls tonight. E-mail me anything you think I’d want to know before I read it in your report.”
I don’t hear anyone talking back, so I assume Dom is talking on the phone and the call is over. I open the door further, alerting Dom to my presence. He’s sitting in an antique smoking chair, hunched over with his hands supporting his hanging head. When he realizes it’s me, he runs his fingers through his short hair, standing.
“Hey... where’d you disappear to? I was just about to come look for you, before I got... um... sidetracked. You OK?,” he asks while taking strides to close the distance between us, “You’re missing your celebration dinner.”
I swallow hard. “I’m fine. I just needed to stretch my legs.” I lie. “Everything OK with you? I heard you o
n the phone. You sounded mad.”
He waves it off, “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a business screw up,” he quickly changes the topic before I can ask anything else about the call, “So where are we going after dinner?”
I pick up on the sudden topic change, but think it best not to ask questions about the family business tonight.
“A place called Flynn’s, by the marina. I told my friends we would show up sometime after ten. Don’t feel obligated to go, if you don’t want to. Theresa and I are just going to catch up with school friends before everyone heads home. We might be awhile.”
“Well, so far the only ones in are Mike, Tony, Theresa, you and me. Cecily was going to go, but she’s gotten really tired and changed her mind. John and Mary need to head back to the hotel to check on the kids, and I can’t imagine our moms or Nonna going to a club... so, I think it’s safe to say they’re not coming either.” He winks at me, “Is that alright... or will we embarrass you by tagging along?”
He raises his eyebrows as he speaks that last sentence to see if I will catch his sarcasm. Oh, I caught it... but I can dish it out just as much as he can.
“Just don’t hit on any of my friends and I’ll tolerate you tagging along, old man. You sure you can keep up with us young folk? I mean, won’t we keep you out past your bedtime?”
Mission accomplished. He realizes it’s a stalemate, and his eyebrows relax although his deep, dark, eyes still hold a mischievous glint to them.
“Oh... don’t worry, little girl. I’m pretty sure I can outlast you, and I will notbe hitting on any of your friends. Pinky swear.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Dinner was delicious, even though we missed half of it by the time Dom and I got back to the table. I thank everyone for coming to celebrate with me, and hug my mom, Cecily, and Aunt Rosie goodnight before they disappear into the black SUV taking them back to the hotel with John and Mary. By the time I get to Nonna, she hugs me first before letting go to look me in the eyes. She speaks very little english, but sometimes I suspect that she understands far more than we all think she does. With my own blood grandmothers long gone, Dom's grandma, or “Nonna” is the only one I have left.
At ninety-three years old, she is still energetic, but I am sure the day’s events have exhausted her as she speaks in a slow, quiet tone that reflects her fatigue.
“Good girl, Vincenza. Beautiful, good girl. No dancing too much. Go to sleep not too late, yes?”
I kiss her on her cheek before answering her. “Si, Nonna. Thank you for coming today. Let Momma and Aunt Rosie take you back to the hotel now.”
I help her into the car and shut the door snuggly behind her. We all waive at the tinted windows of the luxury car as they leave, and I’m sure she is waiving back. When the car is out of sight, I hear Mike pipe up from behind us.
“All right! Now let’s have some real fun,” He claps his hands together and rubs furiously in an animated way, “Ladies and Gentlemen, our chariot awaits.”
Our SUV pulls up alongside us, as Mike and Tony simultaneously pull their neckties loose and take their jackets off before getting in after us. Dom leaves his navy blue blazer on. It looks good on him and he probably knows it. Hence... why he leaves it. He does take his tie off and throws it at Tony.
“Here, bro. Hold this for me.”
Tony lets it drop to the floor as I’m sure Dom expected him to. He laughs it off while unbuttoning the top two buttons of his collared shirt, before he catches me staring at him. Dom cocks his head to the side slightly, raising a quizzical eyebrow back at me.
Instantly shifting my eyes away, I feel the lack of oxygen from a missed breath, and quickly draw in some air as I lower my car window. I can see the lights of main street from my seat, and know we are no more than a few minutes away from Flynn’s.
Thank God. I suddenly have the need for some real fresh air, without the confines of the limo.
Flynn’s is packed tonight. They are usually busy on a Saturday night, but I have never seen it this crazy. I’ve also never been here this late before. Curfew at St. Bart’s was ten-thirty on Friday and Saturday nights. By the time we usually left, the bouncers were just starting to work the door. Tonight, they have already formed a very long line waiting for vacancy to be granted entry. We all head to the end of the line, falling in place to wait our turn. By the time we settle into a spot, about ten more people join behind us. Ugh. At this rate, we’ll never get in.
I look around at the crowd to see if Theresa or I know anyone when I see Dom walking down the line, approaching us. Where did he go? I thought he was shooting the breeze with Tony and Mike behind us. He gently grabs Theresa’s palm with one hand and mine with the other.
“Come on, follow me.”
Mike and Tony take up the rear as we all march past the restless people dutifully waiting their turn. Dom walks up to the bouncer (who looks like a spokesman for Gold’s Gym, by the way), and lets go of Theresa’s grip. He reaches into his back pocket before shaking Mr. Steroid’s hand, all the while nodding. The bouncer steps aside and unhooks the velvet rope so we can pass through, while the mumbles and protests can be heard from the witnesses behind us.
Dom leads us straight to a back table by the bar and pulls out a wooden chair for both Theresa and myself. What are the odds of a table, let alone one this close to the bar being vacant just as we walk in? My question is answered as I see Dom give another pocket/handshake to the busboy carrying away a bin full of empty glasses that had most definitely been on this table a few minutes earlier. Theresa and the boys sit down and pull their chairs in to make room for all of the people walking by.
I hang my bag around the back post of my chair and unclasp the two closures on my blazer before shimmying my arms free.
“WHOA!,” and “V, what the hell?,” blurt out from Tony and Dom’s direction although I can’t tell which one had said what.
Not one to miss a shot, Mike chimes in almost immediately. “Since when do you wear just your bra to go to a club?!”
I look down at my camisole, and slit my eyes at them, while throwing my jacket over the back of my chair. “Take a look around boys... what do you think women wear nowadays? It sure ain’t petticoats and hoop skirts.” I sit down and pull my chair in close to Theresa’s, before looking at her, and adding, “Seriously! They’re not giving you any crap. And you’re not wearing much more than me. What the hell?”
She looks at me apologetically as if she had been the one to offend me, and not our stupid brothers, before assuring me. “Don’t worry. They’ve seen girls in less. They’re just being their usual jerk selves,”she accurately assesses the situation.
Tony holds his hands up a few inches and rattles off, “V. Theresa is two years older than you. She is wearing more than just her bra, and she can handle herself better in places like this. If some creep hassles her just‘cause he thinks she’s looking cheap, she can deal with it.”
He and Dom are nodding in unison as he finishes his little speech. The words are no sooner out of his mouth before I feel the fire build in my throat.
“Are you saying I’m a kid who can’t handle herself!?,” I spit back at him.
He doesn’t even flinch while quickly replying, “Yup.”
Theresa smacks the heel of her palm to her forehead, aware of what’s coming. I carefully concentrate on reigning in my erratic breathing so that I appear in control, before standing up and straightening out my camisole. I throw my shoulders back, flip my hair, and smile tightly down at the three of them.
“Watch and learn, boys. I’m not a kid anymore, and I can handle myself just fine, thank you,” I smugly nod and agree with myself, “I’ll go get a round of drinks.”
I grab my bag and walk off toward the bar, half expecting one or more of them to tackle me. Dom holds out his arm like a bar across Tony and Mike’s chests as the two of them start to follow me, and he tells them to “wait.”
I squeeze my way through people holding out their drinks carelessly, dodging glasses
and beer bottles like land-mines. As I reach the bar, I turn back toward the table with a smug look of victory. Dom still has his arm holding down Mike and Tony while saying something to the both of them. Whatever he is telling them doesn’t seem to convince them at all, as I see him grabbing his fingers around Tony’s shirt to keep him seated in his chair.
Dom now looks at my victory stance at the bar with a furrowed brow and steel eyes. If I could read his mind I’ll bet it would be shouting a very sarcastic “And now what?” at me. I smile at him although it doesn’t seem to soften his gaze any.
I turn back to the task at hand, and search for a bartender. I can see at least three of them scrambling around, taking drink orders from loud customers waving green bills and credit cards. I am being pushed around like a rag doll from all directions while fellow customers try and position themselves better to get a bartender’s attention.
Another push from my left gets my attention because it doesn’t let up like the rest had. It’s more constant, more of a semi-grope. I look to see a tall guy who looks to be in his early thirties, squeezing next to me. I smile awkwardly at him before turning my body to ignore him, but he speaks.
“If a knockout like you can’t get them to serve her, than I haven’t got a chance.”
Oh God, no. Did he really just say that? Cheesy! Obviously not one to know when to quit, he keeps going. “I’m Todd. And you’ve got to be the best looking girl in here. I’m sure I can get them to come over here and take my order if you let me buy your drink...”
I can smell the three or four drinks he’s already had…on his breath. It’s about two inches from my ear.
I turn to Todd, if that is even his real name, and politely smile while shutting him down quick, with “Oh, thanks. But, I’ve got it.”
Todd is obviously a determined little bugger, because I can feel his hand on my shoulder as his slurred words try to override mine. “Noo... I really insist. Hot girls should never buy their own drinks.”