there were no other. At night, coming from the leaf-thick tunnel into the brightly lit lot was rather like coming on stage. He parked nose in one of the green composition tennis courts and got opened the door for Abby. She looked very eleganl tuxedo trousers and a whito blouse that looked sot like a boiled shirt.
At her throat was a siting of pea wore a dark suit.
In the ballroom, walled with windows, apparently :mg over the harbor, the guests were generally in for dress accented by Halloween-themed accessories. Sev, women sported satin half masks trimmed with rhinesto Hasty Hathaway was wearing a black-and-orange bow with his tux. The bow tie had. orange lights in it that fias on and off. A four-piece orchestra in one corner was ing music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. At the far end of room a bar was open, and along the wall opposite the w view a buffet table was laid with orange and black pa covered with food, and anchored at each end by a carved jack-o‘-lantern.
“Hasty is drawing a crowd with his bow
tie,” Abby in Jesse’s ear as they pushed toward the bar. “It’s his trademark. At Christmas he has one with red and g lights.”
“He’s a sporty guy,” Jesse said.
He got Abby a martini and himself a scotch and the bar. They came in the same-sized clear plastic gla… Abby sipped hers and made a face. Jesse needed to be ful with the scotch. This was not a good place for the of police to get drank. Abby drank again.
“Got to get some of ths in quick so that the rest won’t taste so awful.”
Jesse smiled. He started to drink his scotch and the better of it. Take your time, he said to himself. Sip and then. Nurse a couple of drinks. You don’t have to here forever. They edged over to the buffet table: p chips; a boiled ham; salted peanuts; cream cheese an logna roll-ups; pretzel sticks; potato salad; a large molded salad made of lime Jell-O and cabbage; pigs in a blanket; goldfish crackers; small meatballs in a sauce made from red currant jelly; a salad made with green beans, wax beans, and red kidney beans in oil-and-vinegar dressing; a platter of sliced American processed cheese food, two colors, yellow and white; some Ritz crackers; some salami chunks; a bowl of caramel corn; and a large bowl of something Jesse didn’t recognize. He asked Abby.
“That’s called nuts and bolts,”
Abby said.
“Yeah, but what is it?”
“Cereal.”
Cereal?
“Yeah, Cheerios, Wheat Chex, bite-sized shredded wheat, stuff like that, sprayed with oil and salted and baked in the oven. Then you add pretzel sticks, maybe some peanuts if you’re at the cutting edge. Some people sprinkle on garlic salt, some people put on some Kraft grated Parmesan cheese. Toss lightly and serve.”
“Oh,‘.’ Jesse said.
“One year they had a Crock-Pot of blushing bunny.”
Abby said.
“Which is?”
“Kind of a Welsh rabbit. Campbell’s cheese soup and Campbell’s tomato soup mixed equally and Served over toast.”
“It’s gotta be
Campbell’s?”
“Yes. WASPs are very brand-name loyal.”
Abby’s glass was empty. He stood near the end of the buffet table trying not to hear the music while she went for a refill.
He looked at the buffet table and smiled. I hope I don’t get hungry, he thought. He took another drink. Carefully.
“You’re all alone, you poor
dear,” Cissy Hathaway said.
Her speech‘ was slow and careful, the way people sI when they’re drunk and trying not to show it. She ha, more makeup than usual and behind the makeup J could see that her cheeks were very red. She wore a 1 sleeved formal gown, cream-colored with a red-andl floral pattern and a high neck. The dress was very’t Her high-heeled shoes were the same green as the le in the floral pattern.
“Abby’s getting a drink,” Jesse
said.
“Well pooh on her,” Cissy ‘said.
“Come dance me.”
If he said no, she’d insist. Jesse could see it in her Jesse put his glass down and let Cissy take him to the: The band played “We’ve Only Just
Begun.” Jesse’s good dancer. He had good
.coordination and he could the music. But dancing wasn’t really what Cissy h; mind. She pressed against him as they moved amonl dancers, pushing her pelvis against his and moving he‘
slightly without regard to “We’ve Only Just Begun.’
“Do you like my dress?” she said. Her face was’t up to his and her lilts almost brushed his face as she’t
“Yes, ma’am,” Jesse said.
