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Melanie checked the clock on the mantel. It was past nine. The dogs were waiting at the back door for their final nightly run around the yard.
* * *
Melanie met Shannon at 44 Café at noon. It was a beautiful fall day with clear blue skies reflected in the Potomac.
They ordered mimosas while they perused the menu. “I’m so glad you suggested this.” Shannon smiled across the table. “I don’t think we’ve ever done anything like this before, have we?”
“Not that I can recall.”
“It’s really bad if we can’t even remember whether we were ever alone together, isn’t it?” Shannon said with surprise.
“I know. Shame on us.” Melanie lifted her champagne glass.
“Indeed. Shame on us,” Shannon replied facetiously.
The conversation was pleasant. Delightful, actually. They realized they had a lot of interests in common: art, literature, music, and space exploration. Melanie told Shannon she’d recently purchased a telescope so she could watch the night sky. “You should come over when we have the next meteor shower.”
“I’ll bring the champagne!” Shannon offered.
“Good deal.”
When the check came, they immediately agreed to split it down the middle. “We’re both working women.” They almost said it at the same time.
From there, they strolled to the sculpture garden. Shannon explained she had to arrange for a small group tour for the family of Taiwan’s ambassador. That reminded Melanie to ask, “How did you get into this business?”
“When I was in college, I got a summer job as an au pair for a family from Germany. I lived with them, took care of the kids, and also helped with the planning of dinners and parties. The following summer, I was an au pair for a Brazilian family. Similar duties. By the time I graduated, I’d developed a good reputation and was hired by a catering company. I was getting paid a decent salary, but after two years I thought I could run a small operation on my own. It seemed as if I was doing all the work anyway. So, I took out a small business loan and applied for a grant for women in business. I have a regular staff of five and subcontract the rest of the work to small businesses such as myself. It’s a nice network. Everyone is bonded and goes through background checks.”
“That is very impressive.” Melanie wasn’t lying. She was impressed. What she’d heard validated Melanie’s initial impression that Shannon was a smart cookie. “So what’s your next gig?”
“Oh, you’ll love this. I have to oversee a cigar-sampling dinner at a stodgy old men’s club.”
Melanie almost choked on her iced latte. She coughed to conceal her shock. “What kind of dinners do they serve at stodgy old men’s clubs?” Melanie thought the universe was either intervening on her behalf or plotting against her.
“It’s a five-course menu. First course is chilled lobster with beluga caviar and a dab of crème fraîche. Second course is scallops in a roasted pineapple chutney.”
“Sounds delish.” Melanie’s brain was bouncing inside her head. This was going to be trickier than she’d thought.
“Then there will be a short break, with a dollop of sorbet and a small pony of a digestif.
“That will be followed by grilled baby lamb chops served on a bed of parsnip puree, with roasted corn.” Shannon thought for a moment. “Let’s see, I think they settled on the mini beef Wellington. It was that or short ribs served on polenta.”
“And for dessert?” Melanie couldn’t imagine eating anything else, but she was curious.
“A Viennese table. Pastries, cakes, a huge selection.”
“So what do you have to do to prepare?”
“Get the menu together, order centerpieces, arrange staffing. Dinners are easier than events. Dinners have a schedule. Parties are all over the place. People arrive on time for dinner. They show up whenever they want when it comes to a party. It’s easier to keep track of the liquor consumption at a dinner. Sitting down for a meal also helps the level of sobriety. People go nuts at parties. Drink more than they should. Eat more than they should and say more than they should.”
“Because they drank more than they should.” Melanie understood completely.
“I don’t think I’ve worked an event where there wasn’t some kind of argument.”
“With all these dignitaries and politicians?”
“They’re the worst. You are living in the Ego Capital of the World.”
“And I thought it was Hollywood.” Melanie chortled.
