Page 49 of Family Affair

Chapter 12

The blue dress was gorgeous.

It brought out the rosy hues of her complexion and made her dark blond hair stand out in the most attractive way. Coco had loved the cut, the color, the material - everything. She had imagined how she would sparkle wearing it to Dan’s party.

That was yesterday. Today, the dress hung from her frame, its blue silk limp.

She had woken up with a headache. Perhaps that explained why she entertained the idea of snuggling in her pajamas at home instead of wearing the silk dress and looking bedazzling for Dan’s benefit. But if Coco cancelled, Stella wouldn't go either, and Stella really looked forward to some fun, her breakup with the boring Art affecting her more than she was letting on.

Coco sat down on the couch and rested her head against the cushion. If she didn’t move, the headache almost disappeared.

The unhappy thoughts that were never completely gone from her mind assaulted her with renewed force. Dan desperately wanted her at this party. She suspected that he, too, felt the material of their new relationship unraveling with an alarming speed and was trying to reverse the relentless process.

She got up and went to the closet. Ten minutes later, she was standing outside on the lookout for Stella, dressed in a knee length skirt and a gray blouse that mirrored her drab disposition.

The area in front of Dan’s house overflowed with cars.

“Where the heck am I supposed to park?” Stella craned her neck as she looked around trying to assess the parking situation.

“Park right there, under the tree. That way nobody can block you.”

"Let them block me all they want, Coco. I don’t plan to leave until this party’s over. Dan has single lawyer friends, you said?”

“Oh, boy. Someone’s on the prowl.”

“Rawrr!”

The door to Dan’s house was closed but unlocked. When Coco and Stella pushed through, they found the house jam packed with people, and Coco didn’t recognize any of them. She weaved her way to the kitchen, leading Stella behind and looking around for Dan.

A group of men stopped laughing as they passed and followed them with their eyes bringing to mind those cringe-worthy old sitcoms where men's eyeballs literally popped out of their heads in the wake of a hot babe. Coco fully expected to hear them whistle. Since she could hardly attribute such a dramatic reaction to her pale visage and lackluster attire more suited for a Monday at the office, she assumed Stella’s big blue eyes and the jade-green mini dress hugging her curvy butt were the reason.

“Coco! Hey, baby. I was just about to call you, see where you were.” Finally, there Dan was. In his shirtsleeves, his dark hair tousled, he appeared… drunk. He gave her a big hug, enveloping her in a masculine aroma of hot skin, cologne, and alcohol. “Hey there, Stella! Where’s the Art fart?”

Stella wrinkled her nose. “He isn't here and that’s all I’m gonna say. Coco’s my date tonight.”

“Wrong, sister. Coco ismydate tonight. But feel free to find your own.” He hooked Coco’s arm through his elbow. “Come, there’s someone I want you to meet. ‘scuse us."

The “someone” turned out to be about thirty different people. Dan dragged her through rounds of introductions, leaving her no chance to catch her breath and no choice but to smile, shake hands, and chat with people she didn't know and wasn't in the mood of befriending.

Meanwhile, the party was gathering force. The voices grew louder, the laughter erupted more uncensored, and the upbeat 1980s music played a few decibels too loud for just a background. New names and faces quickly blurred in Coco's memory, and her headache pulsated with the music.

She didn’t want to meet any more people. She wanted to reestablish her connection with Dan. She felt him slipping away, disseminating into the crowd he was working like a pro. He was near but far away, and she might as well have been an accessory like a watch on his wrist for all the attention she was receiving.

“Dan, would it be an unforgivable faux pas if we got a few minutes to ourselves? I’m terribly thirsty. Let’s go have a drink, just the two of us."

“Sweet, this isn't a good time. See that guy over there? He’s the VIP of this entire goddamn party. You haven’t met him yet.”

“Dan, seriously, give me a few minutes. I’m not feeling well.”

“I’ll ask caterers to make you tea.”

Someone came up from behind and clapped Dan on the shoulder. “Hey, man, what’s up?”

“Jeff! Glad you made it, man. Real glad. Wagner’s here.”

“Oh, yeah? Where?"

"Over there."