Chapter 20: Look Who’s Coming for Dinner

Danny and Ashley were adding the last touches to their dinner. They had worked together to produce a four-course meal, with a made-from-scratch chicken soup, vol-au-vents with shredded chicken filling, a main course of veal roulade, and lastly, home-made fudge brownies. Now everything was ready for serving and the siblings high-fifed each other.

“Should we call Lynn and Chris now?” Danny asked. Chris Di Biasi, Lucy’s partner in crime, was working for the ad agency that was producing the spots for the Two Bucks. Lucy had used her connections to give her friend a leg up before she quit, and she had moved to Philadelphia. She was pretty compatible with them, so they had invited her to share New Year’s Eve dinner.

“I’ll get them,” Ashley answered. “Be a dear and bring in the tureen!”

Obediently, Danny carried the soup tureen to the dinner table and placed it on a cork plate to protect the table against the heat. Just when he was going back to the kitchen to get the sliced bread, the door bell chimed. He was non-plussed as to who might call, but he went to look. Through the spy-hole he saw Helen of all people. She must have seen something from her side of the spy-hole because she gave him a small wave of her hand. Danny hurried to open.

“Hey, what’s up? I thought you were meeting Eric’s parents.”

Helen made a face. “Hey! May I come in?”

“Oh, yes, sure,” Danny mumbled.

Helen stepped in and he closed the door behind her. She looked up at him and he thought she looked agitated.

“Larissa was worn out and she’s in bed already. So what’s up?”

“I just dumped Eric,” Helen announced, clenching her jaw.

“Oh, wow! Why?”

Anger showed in her beautiful face now. “For four days I prepared for this evening. You know, hairdresser, shoe store, getting a matching purse, the works, because, you know, I wanted to look acceptable.”

Danny felt a little annoyed hearing that. She had primped for another guy, trying to impress his parents.

“You know what happened? Eric drove up a half hour late, with two of his drunk brothers in the rear seat and with a beer buzz going himself. There was no invitation from his parents. They’re probably traveling or something, and he’s having a party at their house with his frat brothers. He knew I wasn’t going to a party at the frat house, and he duped me to get me to go anyway!”

“Shit! What did you do?”

“Gave him a good shove making him fall ass-first into a big rain puddle. Then I told him to go screw himself. There’s no way I’d ever get into a car with three drunk frat boys, especially not now, since I learned how my mother died.”

“Whew! Good for you. We really don’t want you to get hurt, Larissa and I.”

“Anyway, there I was, all dressed up and nowhere to go, and Trudy suggested to call on you guys. I know this looks shitty, like you’re my fallback friends, but I really don’t want to go somewhere alone, and Trudy is having her friends over. They’re not exactly my speed. So you think you can put up with me for the evening?”

Danny thought quickly. Mostly, he was happy Helen had been smart enough not to get in the car with Eric. He wasn’t averse to having Helen around either. With Ashley, Lynn and Chris there, he would be the odd man out, literally. There was enough food to go around too. He nodded.

“Lemme ask the girls, but I won’t mind. Take off that coat. I’ll at least feed you before I have to kick you out.”

“You’re the best, Danny,” Helen smiled. “Thanks!”

She took off her coat, and Danny did a double take. She was wearing a green dinner dress and moderate heels, looking entirely too beautiful for him to control his eyes. They roamed all over her before he was able to focus on her face again. She smiled impishly.

“I thought I should at least dress nicely. You like?”

Danny nodded, but he also felt bad. That was how she had dressed for Eric and his parents. He felt stupid jealousy well up inside, but then Helen pressed his arm.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I could have changed into something different, but I decided to wear it for you. It feels good to me seeing your eyes bug out.”

She gave him a warm smile to take out any sting from her last sentence.

“Lemme ask Ash,” he mumbled to cover his embarrassment. “Why don’t you sit at the table?”

Helen sat down and Danny found Ashley already with Lynn and Chris in tow, coming out of the guest room.

“Who was it?” Ashley asked, having heard the doorbell.

“It’s Helen. She’s at loose ends tonight. You think she can stay a bit?”

“Sure,” Ashley shrugged. “What happened?”

“I better let her tell the story. She’s in the living room. I’ll set another place for her.”

“Great! It’s not like we are short on food tonight,” Ashley grinned, already heading for the living room. Danny grabbed a placemat, plates and silverware from the kitchen cabinet and returned to the living room where the four girls were already in a huddle and lots of sympathetic noises could be heard with the words “asshole” and “douche” strewn in. Danny moved the sets around to make room, and before long the fifth place was set. Sitting would be a bit closer to each other, but not impossibly so.

Over the chicken soup, Helen finished reporting the events of the evening from her view, but then, before Danny and Ashley started to clear soup dishes, spoons and the tureen, she put an end to it.

“That’s it. I don’t want to drag you guys down. I’ll be fine, Eric is history, and if there’s going to be any fallout, I’ll handle it. By the way, that soup was delicious! Now let me help with the dishes!”

It was funny to watch Helen in her fancy dinner dress carrying dishes to the kitchen and putting them into the dishwasher, but she insisted on it. Meanwhile, Danny brought in the second course, the vol-au-vents. Those drew even more praise than the soup, not just from Helen but also from Chris while Lynn just gave Ashley a resounding kiss.

“You’re not half bad as a cook,” she told her girlfriend, causing laughter around the table since Ashley had never really done much cooking.

During the main course, the discussion at the table then turned to other topics. Lucy’s move to the West Coast was discussed and what they knew about her experiences there. Danny was surprised that he could talk about that without getting gloomy and he realized that he was getting over the break-up.

Lynn’s plans were discussed next. She would be graduating in the summer, and she was already slated for one of the management trainee slots at Westbrook Inc. Those ran for a minimum of one year and served to separate the wheat from the chaff. After the first year, the ones who made the cut were kept in the program for another year before moving to staff positions in one of the departments. They all agreed that at least the pay was decent and would allow Lynn to contribute to their living expenses, something her pride dictated that she do. Ashley and Danny had agreed to accept her contributions, knowing how much it meant for her.

After the dessert, Danny uncorked a bottle of French Bordeaux wine, also serving cheese cubes and pretzels to go along. Helen made a face and refused, but Lynn wouldn’t accept that.

“Look, we know you were burned once when you got wasted. First of all, there isn’t enough of that wine to get anybody drunk. Second, you’re with friends. Nobody will take advantage of you. Third, you can take the sofa and Ash can lend you pajamas, so you won’t have to drive home. Larissa will enjoy seeing you at breakfast. Come on, just a sip for the taste.”

“Lynn, don’t coerce her,” Danny admonished. “If she doesn’t want...”

“I’ll have some,” Helen said with a nod. “Lynn’s right. I’m feeling safe with you guys and I don’t feel like driving home. Hit me, Danny!”

With a shrug, Danny poured some of the ruby liquid into a long-stemmed glass for Helen. They all sipped the wine, enjoying the bouquet, and then Helen raised her glass.

“To true friendship!” she toasted, to which they all answered in kind.

In the end, Helen even asked for a second small helping, obviously enjoying the taste.

Danny, Ashley and Lynn then mentioned their plan to perhaps use their extra income to rent a bigger place to live, perhaps even a house instead of an apartment. They were surprised when Helen asked them for specifics, and she admitted to thinking about getting out of Trudy’s hair, now that she knew she had the wherewithal for it. Danny felt a little panic thinking of how it would affect him if Helen was living in the same apartment or house and having a boyfriend over frequently. Helen dropped the matter quickly, perhaps sensing his reservations.

At 11:45, Danny pulled a bottle of French Champagne from the fridge where it had chilled. This time, Helen did not even hesitate, but accepted the flute glass of bubbly, and when the TV set showed the ball drop on Times Square, they clinked their champagne flutes and toasted the New Year. Ashley and Lynn immediately fell into each other’s arms, kissing deeply. Helen hugged and kissed Chris on the cheek before turning and giving Danny a nod and a smile. Their lips came together and they shared a long kiss. When they parted, Helen stayed in Danny’s arms for a moment before stepping back with clear hesitation. She was flushed and Danny felt his face burn too. She looked into his eyes and her mouth moved silently, forming the word ‘Later!’.

Chris moved to hug Danny and kiss his cheek, making sure that there was only the slightest contact. When she stepped back, she gave Helen a knowing smile. Then she picked up her purse.

“Guys, thanks for the great dinner and evening. I better call a cab now while I can still get one.”

Ashley and Lynn let go of each other and gave Chris chaste hugs and kisses while Danny called a cab company. He was advised that it would take from 10 to 20 minutes for a cab to arrive, and they used the time to clear the table and move everything into the kitchen. It was time then for Chris to meet the cab, and Danny saw her off. When he returned to the apartment, the girls were already preparing for the night. Knowing that it would take time for the bathroom to become available for him, Danny set to the task of filling and starting the dishwasher. He then filled the sink with hot water and started to wash and rinse the wine and champagne glasses, placing the clean glasses on the kitchen table, bottoms up on a dish towel. While he was still rinsing, Helen came to the kitchen, already wearing a pair of Ashley’s pajamas and looking quite adorable.

“Lemme help with the glasses,” she smiled, picking up a dish towel and wiping the glasses dry and shiny. “So, do you have some pillow and blanket for me?”

Danny nodded. “Sure thing. You can have my bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“Danny, no! I invited myself to dinner and you guys fed me and let me be part of you. No way I’ll kick you out of your bed.” Then a thought must have hit her. “However, if you think you can behave yourself, we can share your bed. It’s a queen-size, isn’t it?”

Danny tilted his head and grinned. “I can behave; can you?”

Helen’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “Who said I’d behave?” She turned serious. “Sorry, Danny. I shouldn’t be a tease. It’s too early today. I just broke up with Eric. I wouldn’t mind cuddling a bit, but anything beyond that will have to wait.”

“Wait?” Danny croaked.

“Let’s not rush things. I think a lot has changed for us in the last two years. I’m no longer this messed up princess and you are no longer the insecure geek who hid his complexes behind sarcasm. Maybe we should rethink our agreement. To be honest, ever since Lucy left for the West Coast, I’ve been worried about you moving on.”

“You mean ... Didn’t you say...”

“Yes, I know what I said. I was awash in hormones back then, and I was also convinced that I could only be a horrible girlfriend, what with my stepparents and their dysfunctional family. Now that I’ve learned about my real parents I’m thinking maybe I won’t ruin things. I’d like us to take our time though. Maybe do stuff with Larissa together, Mom and Dad stuff, you know: going to the zoo, making trips. We could also do some innocent dating. If we then find out that we’re not compatible, we can call it off before we get too involved.”

“Wow, talk about dropping a bomb on me,” Danny quipped. “Did you think all that up between giving Eric the boot and now?”

“I think I’ve been mulling this unconsciously for a few weeks. You know, when I told you about my real parents, you were so positive, so encouraging. I feel that I can tell you all my secrets and that you’d never hurt me knowingly.”

“You were afraid that I’d make some smart ass remarks, right?”

“A little, yes. I should have known better. So, how about a platonic night together for starters?”

“I guess there can’t be any harm from that. Come six o’clock, Larissa will wake us anyway.”

“Oh my God, you’re right. What will she think?”

“She’ll cuddle between us and be happy,” Danny shrugged.

Helen thought about it and smiled. “Let’s!”

Sometime later in the night, Danny woke up slightly disoriented. It took him a few moments to get his wits together, but then he realized he was not alone in his bed. There was a smell in his nose too, definitely not unpleasant but slightly unfamiliar. He was also rock-hard with his dick pressing into something warm and soft – Helen’s tushy. The memory of the last evening returned then, and he tried to retreat a little before he poked a hole in Ashley’s pajamas. This did not work since he was already lying on the edge of his bed. Sensing his movement, Helen cuddled even closer, purring softly. Danny did not know what to do else, so he softly shook her shoulder.

“Helen, can you move, please?”

“Huh?”

“Helen, you need to move a little.”

“Oh!” Helen said softly. Then she must have noticed something else. “Oh! Why are you... ? Was that me?”