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Outside, the pool was framed with golden lanterns. Clusters of round tables dotted the lawn, set with dark red and cream linens, matching floral arrangements, candles, and sparkling china. To the left of the pool was a stage with a band. A dance floor had been set up in front of it. I said, “I can’t believe all of this happened in a few hours. And on an island, no less.”
“It’s easy when money is no object,” he muttered.
There were three separate bars, and uniformed waiters moved through the crowd with trays of champagne and appetizers. I snatched two champagne flutes from a passing tray and gave one to Wes, then clinked my glass to his and whispered, “Here’s to the next few hours passing quickly.”
“I’ll drink to that.” We both drained our glasses, and my nose wrinkled, which made Wes grin. “You hate that as much as wine, don’t you?” When I nodded, he guided me toward the nearest bar and said, “Let’s get you something more Ash-appropriate.”
While he ordered drinks, I scanned the crowd. About fifty people were milling around, the majority of them in their sixties. The women wore long dresses, but not formal gowns, and the men were in suits, not tuxedos, so I figured we’d done alright in our choice of attire. I didn’t worry about colors, or fabric choices, or any of the finer details that might prove me wrong.
Just then, I spotted Eloise heading toward us with a grim expression, and I leaned in and whispered, “Red alert. Your mother has us in her sights, and it looks like she’s armed with a list of grievances.”
“Of course she is,” Wes whispered. “In the two minutes I’ve been here, I’m sure I’ve managed to disappoint her in half a dozen ways.”
“There you are,” she said when she reached us. She didn’t glance in my direction or acknowledge my existence in any way. I didn’t care enough to call her out on it.
“Hello, Mother. You look lovely,” Wes said. She was wearing a dark red, floor-length silk dress, matching lipstick, and ruby earrings, and her salt-and-pepper bob had been brushed back and styled into a low twist.
Eloise barreled right past the compliment. “Where have you been? Doctor Blanchard asked about you, and I didn’t know what to tell him.”
“You could have told him the truth, which was that I’d be along shortly.” Wes handed me a bright blue cocktail with a pineapple wedge on the rim of the glass, then took a sip of his whiskey sour.
His mother frowned at my drink, then turned back to her son and said, “I did, obviously, but it would have been nice if you’d been on time.”
“The invitation stated cocktails at seven, dinner at eight. We arrived at seven sharp.”
“Well, you could have arrived before the hour. Many of our guests were early, given the way the shuttle boats were running.”
Instead of arguing, he waited for her to run out of steam. Once she realized he wasn’t going to apologize, she said, “Anyway, I seated you beside Doctor Blanchard at dinner, so you’ll have ample time to discuss the position in Washington, D.C.” She turned to me with an icy glare and added, “I worked very hard on tonight’s seating chart, and it’s not to be altered. Understood?”
In other words, I wouldn’t be sitting beside Wes. In fact, we probably weren’t even at the same table. Since I’d pledged to remain by his side, I glanced at him for guidance. He gave me a slight shrug, letting me know this wasn’t worth fighting over.
I left it at, “Yes, ma’am,” which seemed to surprise her. I planned to sneak off with her son the moment the meal was over anyway, so this didn’t have to be a big deal.
It was a relief when Eloise rushed off to greet an arriving senator and her family, a famous Democrat from the state of…Vermont, maybe? Or New Hampshire? I couldn’t care less, actually.
But then I sighed and muttered, “Warren and Jack just arrived. I bet they won’t get a lecture for being late.”
“No, that kind of thing is reserved for me. There’s literally no way for me to please my mother. Even if I do things right, like showing up exactly on time, she’ll just change the game and make it seem like I screwed up anyway.”
“It’s so unfair.”
He just shrugged, then finished his drink before saying, “It doesn’t bother me all that much. Not anymore. It did when I was younger, but now I just feel sorry for her. She’s a very unhappy person, and her way of dealing with it is to try to exert control over everything and everyone. It must be exhausting.”
“This isn’t the first time I’ve thought this, but you’re a much better man than me. While you’re being all Zen and taking her bullshit in stride, I’m prayin’ for instant karma in the form of a torrential rainstorm.”
