Chapter 11

I had always looked forward to my parents' parties in the past. I would be provided with additional opportunities, like a salesman getting live leads.

This year it didn't satisfy. I was starting to look at the guys as people, rather than opportunities, and I didn't much care for them as people.

Was I becoming enlightened? If so, life was much easier when I was ignorant.

I felt exhausted when it was over. It had been an effort and I hadn't enjoyed it. Well, tonight I would get to see my friends, except they really weren't friends. They were people who thought highly of me in a competitive environment where it was advantageous of them to do so, people who would follow my lead. They would fawn over me to curry favor.

But would they offer if I needed a kidney? Well, maybe that's setting the bar a little too high for friendship.

I realized I had only one friend - Jeff. For that matter, if I really needed help, I could probably count on Sunny more than any of the people I had previously thought of as friends. I couldn't think of an accurate name for them. They were more than acquaintances, but far less than friends.

I had a very strong urge to call Jeff and tell him I really did consider him my friend, but talk is cheap. I wanted to show him I would be there for him, in the unlikely event he needed something he couldn't get from his family or his other friends.

Then I had a goofy idea. It wouldn't exactly say I'll be there for you, but it would let him know how important he was to me. I picked up the phone.

"Hi, Sunny. Is Jeff in?"

"Ashley. What you did for Sandy was so sweet. She's on cloud nine. Thank you so much."

"I was happy to do it. She's a really good kid."

Thinking about it brought a smile to my face.

"Just a second, I'll get Jeff."

Having to wait for him didn't change my mind.

"Hi."

"Hi, Jeff. You doing anything tonight?"

"Not really. We'll probably watch a movie here."

"Good. I want to take you to a party."

"What kind of party?" he asked.

"The kind I go to."

"Wouldn't I be kind of out of place there?" he asked.

"Not at all. You'd be with me."

"I'm, stunned. Is this like a date?"

"No, not at all. This is a date."

"Okay. Are you sure? Won't this kind of hurt your status?"

"I won't be losing anything important enough to me to worry about. Have your Mom, have your Dad, I'll be over there to help you pick out something to wear."

Jeff cleaned up pretty good. Put a tie and jacket on the boy and he looked almost, cute.

When it came to conversation, my idiot savant wasn't fully up to the task. Small talk was still in his idiot zone. I didn't care. The inability to talk about unimportant nonsense didn't seem important at all.

I shared my view of him as an idiot savant pointing out his idiot conversation. He was tickled.

He did make some people uncomfortable when he cut straight through their bullshit and focused on what lay behind it. That amused me.

In the few instances where the conversation included something of substance, some of these people were genetically and familially destined to be business and political leaders, he shone. People forgot I was there they were so drawn into discussion with him. Not only did it not bother me to be ignored, I was positively proud of him.

Eventually I had enough of these people, I don't know what the word is, but these people I knew. I said my goodbyes and told him I wanted to go, even though it wasn't that late.

He seemed pretty mellow as I pulled out of the driveway.

"You know, I really didn't think it was going to be much fun, but I had a good time. I'm surprised," Jeff said.

"Stick with me, kid, and you'll go far."

"Back to school?"

"There too."

In just a few minutes I turned into a driveway.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"My house."

"I didn't realize you lived in Gladwyne."

"We moved here after I graduated. I guess the house in Merion wasn't expensive enough. This is."

"I'll say. It looks like a fine old hotel."

"That's no problem, I have a reservation."

"But ma'am, you didn't bring any bags."

"I checked into the room earlier."

"Seriously, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted to spend a little more time with you."

"So, you're taking me home to meet the folks?"

"Oh God, no. Not until it's absolutely unavoidable."

I'm sure my voice told him the idea was appalling.

"You're still embarrassed by me?"

"I'm embarrassed by them."

I parked and led him in. Jeff's bedroom wasn't small, but it would have easily fit into the front hall. I suppose there were some parts of the house you could have mistaken for a hotel.

"Isn't the concierge on duty tonight?" he asked.