Liddy looked down at the gold foiled box that was tied with a gold satin bow. “Alan, what is this?”
“Just open it.”
She looked at him and bit down on her bottom lip and took a deep breath.
“Come on, open it.”
Liddy untied the wide ribbon and let it fall over the sides of her legs. She lifted the lid and the inside was filled to the top with a shimmery bronze fabric. She stared at it for a moment, and then, with both hands, gripped the front edged of the sofa cushion and looked at him.
Alan picked it up and stood to let the length of the dress fall to the floor. “Don’t you like it?” He was beaming.
“It’s beautiful. I think you’ll look lovely in it.”
“Liddy, I’m serious about this. My family and friends are beginning to think I’ve made you up.”
“What exactly is it you’re telling them? You’re hot for a female pilot from Missouri, who lived in a little homemade trailer and now lives in a tiny little house, both of which would fit in their bathrooms. Oh and what about the whole Army thing? How impressed are they Alan? I’m sure they can’t wait to meet me.”
“You’re sounding like quite a snob, Liddy Hall.”
“You’re calling me a snob?”
“No, I just said you’re sounding like a snob. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?”
“Look, just because you don’t want me to meet your family, doesn’t mean I don’t want you to meet mine.”
“I never said I didn’t want you to meet my family, which by the way is an uncle and a dog. Oh, yes and a cat.”
“But I haven’t met them, have I, or any of your friends. Why is that?”
“Are we having a fight?”
“No, we’re having a discussion.”
“It feels like a fight.”
“You’re changing the subject.” Alan moved the box to the table and floated the dress back into it, and then he sat back on the sofa next to her. “This is important to me, Liddy. Please, say you’ll go. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I try never to think about the worst that can happen.”
“Okay then, don’t think about it and just be there with me.”
Liddy took in a deep breath and held it. Then let it out and wrinkled-up her forehead. “Okay, but you’re wearing the dress.”
“You got it, Sweet Cakes.”
Alan booked a room for Liddy at the Drake Hotel and when she checked-in the bronze dress was hanging from the door of the wardrobe. An invitation to the 75th Birthday Celebration had been left on the bed. Pick you up at 7:00 p.m. had been scribbled across it in Alan’s handwriting.
When he arrived that evening, Liddy had been dressed for half an hour and then sat on the edge of the bed and didn’t move until she heard the knock. When she opened the door, Alan’s eyes widened as he looked her up and down and whistled.
“Not bad, baby, not bad at all.” He twirled her around. “Not sure it wouldn’t have looked better on me, but you do it justice, I think.”
Liddy tried to smile but felt she might be sick.
“What’s wrong?” He held her chin. “Liddy, you’re so beautiful.”
“I’m doing this for you, you know that, right?”
“I know, and it means a lot to me, doll.” Alan led Liddy down the hall, down the elevator and to his car. She had liked the way he had guided her with his hand on the small of her back before, but now it was like he was pushing her off a cliff.
On the ride across town he tried to make jokes, but Liddy felt she needed to prepare herself for the opposite of Alan. And she was right. As they walked into the building, she stuck out like a sore thumb and she knew it. Her hair was down, theirs was up. These women floated and she walked like her feet actually hit the ground; they knew why they were there, and she knew why she shouldn’t be there.
When they hit the door to the main ballroom, Alan’s mother glided over immediately. Mrs. Alan Bradon the III scanned her from head to toe and back again, and then she held her hand up in front of Liddy like she wanted her to put something in it. “Alan dear, is this your Lidia?”
It didn’t feel natural to Liddy to set her hand on top of the woman’s cupped palm that way, but she did. And then Alan’s mother allowed Liddy’s hand to rest in her palm briefly before she drew her hand back to her side like a butterfly retreating from a flower.
“It’s Liddy, mother.”
“Oh, of course it is. It’s wonderful you could be here tonight, dear. There are so many people who are looking forward to meeting you. Alan darling, your Aunt Judith is sitting by your father, why don’t you go and say hello and I’ll introduce Lidia to the other guests.”
Liddy’s eyes practically popped out of her head as she shook, No, No, No, microscopically but firmly at Alan. Before she knew it, his mother had pushed her across the room and Alan was gone.
Liddy met Constances and Reginalds and Carolines and lots of IIIs and IVs. Formality was thick and she forced a smile and said as little as possible. As Mrs. A was running out of introductions, Liddy sensed the probing was about to begin, and she searched for Alan in the crowd.
“So, Lidia, what is it that your family does?”
“It’s just Liddy, and my parents are dead. I have an uncle, and he’s a pilot and works on planes.”
“You’re in aviation then?”
“I’m a pilot. I deliver planes and teach how to fly them.”
“Oh.”
And that was the first of many ‘Ohs’ that she received that night. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, one of Alan’s old college roommates swept her onto the dance floor. Liddy kicked and tripped his feet until he gave up and escorted her back to the sidelines. The man was actually trying to be nice, she believed that, but she also believed he was now feeling very sorry for Alan, ‘Poor boy, what must he be thinking?’ Liddy ended up in front of Aunt Judith, who looked her up and down grimly and said, “Who is this?”
It was about that time that Alan appeared behind her with his big, stupid, smiling face. She might have taken a swipe at him had they been alone. He took her arm and didn’t let go for the rest of the night. But by that time the damage had been done, and Liddy wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole.
Alan tried to get Liddy onto the dance floor, but the dancers weren’t trotting and swinging. No, they were waltzing a hundred different waltzes. Even with Alan as her guide, Liddy wasn’t going.
Alan seemed to have the time of his life. Unlike Joy Lynn and the Calbert Clan, it was not clear to Liddy how these could be Alan’s people. But everybody loved him, that was clear, and he loved them back.
When Alan finally tore himself away, he led Liddy to the car. She saw David standing at the open door of the Lincoln and a sense of relief ran through her. She wanted to give him a big kiss and tell him, ‘Drive like the wind and get me out of here, brother.’ She practically dove in and then looked at Alan as he slid into the back seat after her, and he was smiling, smiling, smiling.
“That went well.” He leaned over to kiss her.
Liddy leaned back and held her hands up against his chest, keeping him at bay. “What universe were you just on? Not mine, obviously.”
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“You were great in there! It’s over! You’re still alive!” Alan cheered and grabbed Liddy around the waist and slid her to him. “Let’s celebrate.”
She stiffened and turned to look out the window.
“You’re mad at me.”
“You left me.”
“Liddy, I did not leave you. It wasn’t more than twenty minutes and I was watching you the whole time.”
“Watching for what, for me to melt into a puddle on the floor?”