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Christmas Eve Ball (Part 5)

“Marta, we can’t hide back here all night.” Trilby struggled to remove the jewelry she’d borrowed from Marta’s mom.

“We could certainly try.”

“Marta Kwock, I did not buy this ball gown and put on makeup just so I could hide behind a drape with you all night long. I don’t care if Cyndi Lu-Hu wants you to be her third wheel or whatever. Stick this stuff in your purse so it gets back to your mom.” She continued removing jewelry. “I came here to have a good time and get sauced up and find someone to hook up with and forget all about that giant jerk.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re finally over him but you don’t have to be all desperate and sleazy about it.”

“We’ll just see who turns up. If the pickings are slim, I may have to start adding alcohol to help in subtracting standards.” Trilby yanked the garish clip-on earrings off. “OW!”

“Now you’re just worrying me.” Marta held her purse open to catch all of the discarded jewelry.

“And don’t bother telling me what you couldn’t tell me about this stuff. I don’t even want to know. I feel dirty just having had it on. Thanks for getting my evening off on a low note.”

“Oh, Trilby. I’m sorry. I was just freaked out. I didn’t mean to dump it on you, honey.”

“Well, quit fretting and let’s go sit down. I’m sure Cyndi isn’t so brazen as to talk about her sexual escapades at a table full of strangers.”

“You clearly don’t know her as well as I do.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t afford to go to camp.”

“We would have paid your way, Trilby.”

“I told you…”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it enough times but it’s still true. I don’t mind paying your way as long as I get to have my best friend with me. Don’t let pride stand in your way your whole life long, Trilby Hughes.”

“Well, you can’t just buy everything you want, Marta Kwock. I’m not a rental car. You can’t just wave money at me and expect me to pick up roots every time you want to do something.”

“Sorry if I wanted to interrupt you doing nothing at all to do something interesting and fun with me.”

“Well, you’re interrupting me doing something interesting and fun right here tonight. Come out of here. I’ll sit between you and Cyndi so she won’t bother you. If the conversation gets weird, I’ll redirect.”

“I guess that’s the best I can hope for.”

Trilby just growled and grabbed her friend by the hand. “Dinner is starting. They’re not going to try to draft you into their swinger club while we’re eating.”

They arrived at table twelve and Trilby plopped herself down next to Cyndi as promised.

“Hi, I’m Cyndi.”

“I know. We had Algebra II together.”

The woman stared at her a moment. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, how could I possibly forget? You sat behind me and made me pass notes up to Charlie Fenstermacher.”

“That was you?”

“Yes, Trilby Hughes.”

“My goodness, you’ve certainly blossomed.”

“Um, thanks?” Trilby grabbed the goblet of ice water at her place and wished someone would come join them to break up this awkward conversation.

“Dominic, this is another classmate of mine.”

“Hi.” He said. “Trilby, was it?”

“Yes, Trilby Hughes and you’re Mr. Hu?”

“Doctor, actually. I’m a plastic surgeon.”

Trilby resisted the urge to snicker at the thought that the Witch Queen of the Cheerleading Squad had gone on to marry a plastic surgeon. ‘Well, at least she’ll always get a nip and tuck for free. Good God, she’ll look like that for as long as he can keep snipping, lifting and botoxing her.’

Eventually, others came to join them at the table. None of what Marta feared came to pass. They enjoyed dinner and headed out to the dance floor when Pastor Greg invited everyone to burn off some Christmas calories. Trilby was feeling self-conscious about having nobody but Marta to dance with. When the music began to slow down, she and her friend returned to the table to wait for the trivia contest.

“What’s the matter now?”

“There’s nobody here to pick from, Marta.”

“I told you there wouldn’t be.”

“Well, you don’t need to rub my nose in it.” Her mouth dropped open as she sucked in a huge gust.

“What?”

“He’s here now.” Trilby hissed as she crouched down in her seat.

“Don’t sit like that, Trilby. I can see right down your dress.”

“What?” She jumped up and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Where?”

“Who?”

“Him.”

“Him who?”

“You said ‘he’s here now’. Who’s here?”

“Jeb, for Pete’s sake. I told Pastor Greg not to let him come near me.”

“I’m sure he won’t.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Well, what do you want? I thought you were over Jeb. Do you want him or don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Marta. I’m so used to wanting him that I want him even when I don’t want him anymore.”

“Well, you could go over to his place and get naked again.”

“What?”

“I mean, you could do it on purpose this time.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“What? He said he wanted to peek. He’s just too much of a gentleman to peek without permission.”

“So, you’re saying I should just go over to his place and get naked.”

“You’d be surprised how effective the direct approach is with guys. They’re generally not that smart, Trilby. We spend so much time trying to be all sly and subtle.”

“But what they want is obvious and super-slutty. This is what you’re telling me?”

“If you want an approach that works…”

“Wouldn’t work for me. I’ve got nothing that anyone wants to see.”

“There’s a lid for every pot, Trilby. Just be patient. It happens when you least expect it.”

“Bah, humbug.” She watched Jeb moving around the ballroom. The more he wandered around, the more irate she became. “I’m going to go give him a piece of my mind.”

“Are you sure that’s Jeb? His hair looks too dark.”

“It’s just the lighting in here. I’d know that insufferably gorgeous face anywhere.” Trilby stood up, wadded up her napkin and spiked it onto the table. “The nerve of that guy! Flitting around here like a hummingbird.”

“A hummingbird?”

“Yes, a hummingbird. Everywhere I look, there he is. He’s mocking me.”

“He’s not even looking this way. He probably doesn’t know you’re here.”

“Of course, he doesn’t. You see him standing over Aundrea’s shoulder now? What’s he doing? He’s taking some ugly red jacket out to the coat racks. Why would he take someone else’s jacket?”

“You sound really unhinged, Trilby. You might not want to talk to him in your current state of mind.”

“Ha! This is exactly the state of mind I want to be in to talk to him, Marta. Just you watch me!”

“Oh, boy.” Marta got up to follow her friend. If there was going to be a show, she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss it.

Trilby stopped at the edge of the ballroom to watch him hang the jacket and meander over to the pastry table.

‘Oh, sure. Rub it in, jerkwad. Look at him. What a complete creep! Bad enough he has to like Aundrea better than me, but he’s going to stand there ogling her pastries? Well, buster, there’s only so much a woman can stand!’ She launched herself at him with unbridled fury.

He stood there watching her approach. She braced herself and swung a slap at his face with every ounce of hurt and anger that she was feeling toward him. The moment she made contact with his cheek, she began to truly feel the anger swelling inside.

“Trilby?”

“Jeb, how dare you?!?” She put her fists on her narrow hips and leaned in to give him the lambasting of a lifetime. She waited until he had straightened his glasses to start her tirade. Glasses? “Hey, you’re not Jeb.”

“No, I’m his cousin.” He massaged his cheek.

“Oh, my goodness. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“You’re not going to hit me again, are you?”

“No, gee. I didn’t realize. You look so much like him.”

“I do?”

“Well, you’re not as ridiculously tall as he is but you’re certainly a lot more handsome.”

“Well, that means a lot coming from you.”

“You’re making fun of me now.”

“No, never.”

“Well, what’s that supposed to mean. I don’t know you.”

“Jeb told me all about you.”

“He did?”

“Yes, I rode with him to help deliver the bear and he told me all about you.”

“All about me?”

“He didn’t do you justice.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“Don’t get me wrong. He didn’t say anything bad about you. He values your friendship a lot.”

“Huh, friendship. Friend Zone is more like it.”

“His loss is my gain, Trilby. Would you like to go for a walk?”

“In this weather?”

“Trust me.”

“But I just slapped you. How do I know you’re not trying to give me pneumonia?”

He held out his hand. “I’d never do anything to hurt you. I just want to get to know you better.”

“You know my name but I don’t know yours.”

“Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. Trilby Hughes, please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jeb’s cousin, Brendan Lyons. Would you like to take a walk with me?”

She looked into his steely blue eyes and saw something she never saw in Jeb’s. “Yes, Brendan. I’d love to take a walk with you.”

She led him to where her coat hung on the rack. He helped her slip into it before they stepped out into the snowy night.

Marta couldn’t believe what she had just seen. She rushed to the door in their wake but she couldn’t see them through the colored glass. She pushed the door open and stepped out to see where they’d gone.

The world looked like a snow globe. In the illumination of a street lamp, she saw two silhouettes drawing closer.

“Oh, just kiss him already, Trilby.” Marta whispered.

She did.