Chapter Twenty-Five
-- October, 1974
Gilbert O’Sullivan – “Get Down”
Janet tip-toed in the back door, heavily tanned from her time on the coast. She stayed quiet until she could cover her mother’s eyes from behind. “Guess who?” she whispered. Sandra shrieked, horrified, which sent Janet into convulsive, doubled-over laughter.
“God, you scared me!” Sandra wheezed out between deep breaths. She whipped her daughter with the dishtowel she had in her hand. “What are you doing home?!”
“I took the red eye, wanted to surprise you guys.”
“Well, I should say you did!”
The phone rang and Nick came bounding into the room to pick it up. But Janet was closer. She grabbed the receiver even after Nick said, “it’s for me.”
“You don’t know that.” Janet put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Benson residence?” She listened briefly to the voice at the other end of the line, before handing the phone over to Nick.
“Told ya.” he smiled.
“Yeah, yeah, good to see you too.” Janet said, ignoring the cheekiness. She and her mother moved a few feet away to let him have his conversation.
“Well, you picked the right weekend, now you can come to your sister’s debut.”
“Get out, Lynn’s in a play?!”
“No, her debut into society... at the debutante ball.”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“It was her idea!”
“Oh, and I’m sure you’re tickled pink!”
“They do put the announcement in the Star-Ledger...”
“Isn’t that the thing where you have to wear little white gloves?”
“It can be...” Lynn had heard voices and decided to join the conversation.
“Don’t do it, Lynn - it’s a meat market! Only the farmer is dad and he’s shopping you around seeing who wants to marry you!”
“You’re just jealous!” Lynn sneered.
“Of what?!”
“That the spotlight won’t be on you for once!”
Janet laughed. “You’re right – I forbid you to go! Come on, Lynn... is this for you or is this for mom?”
“I have my own mind!” Lynn cried, stomping out of the room.
Janet watched her go, stifling a grin. She headed into the den where Nick was now on the couch, clearly stoned, watching “Hong Kong Phooey” and sketching.
Janet smelled the air. “Nice perfume...”
Nick looked up, all bleary-eyed. “Oh, is it bad?”
“Little bit...” Janet said, smiling. Nick shrugged and went back to drawing. She looked at his sketch pad over his shoulder. He was putting the finishing touches on a couple of medieval princesses.
Nick noticed her spying and explained, “It’s some of the girls from my class. I get in good with them because I draw them prettier than they are.”
Janet smiled. “That’s a good plan.”
**
The next night at a palatial colonial, Kevin Vanowen and Buck Tracey got dressed to go out. Buck stepped out of his closet wearing only a tuxedo t-shirt. “Okay, I’m ready.” he said.
“You can’t wear that, dummy.” Kevin laughed as he fixed his hair.
“Why not? The invitation says ‘black tie.’”
“They’re not gonna let you in...”
“Fine. I’ll change. But I’m keeping the roller skates.” He went back into the closet to get ready for real this time. “Hey, throw me the thing...” he called out over his shoulder.
Kev dug into his suit jacket pocket and came out with a cough syrup sized bottle of Johnny Walker. “That’s the last until we get there,” he said, tossing the bottle over to Buck, who caught it handily.
“Who made you ‘king shit?’ Buck roared, taking a healthy sip.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
“I’m serious, have you ever been to one of these before? They’re stuffy and boring and if I’m not medicated enough there will be hell to pay!”
“You’re just not looking at it right. These debuts, they’re like scouting seasons. You see the talent that’s gonna be on the streets in the coming months...”
“You know, I never thought of it that way.”
“Because you’re a sissy.” Buck went back to digging around in his closet for a moment before asking, “do you think the women would respond to a ruffled cravat?”
**
At the New Providence Elks Club, Lynn Benson seethed. Her family was late. No Janet was fine, but not having her father there to present her was out of the question.
Her best friend, Susan, tried to calm her down, fanning her cheeks. They had flustered, turning an hysterical red. “Don’t even think about it. They’ll be here!” she insisted, supportively.
“No, they won’t!” Lynn fumed. “They’re selfish! This is just like them! I’m always here to support whatever they want to do, but when it’s something that’s important to me, they’re nowhere to be seen!” She motioned desperately around them at the near empty banquet hall, gaudily decorated in a Grecian white & gold motif.
But Susan wouldn’t let her mope. “Just think about something else, think about all the boys that are going to be here!”
“Boys are stupid.”
“I know that. But Todd and Arnie are definitely gonna be here. And Buck Tracey said he’s coming. He might bring his friend Kevin too! You know, the one with the big--”
“—Susie!” Lynn blurted out, embarrassed.
**
Kevin Vanowen sped through the night in his Datsun 240Z. It was a cooze hound, tried and tested, but in traffic it couldn’t corner for shit. And they were running behind. Buck had insisted on opening another bottle before they left. He could be a real asshole.
They pulled into the parking lot of Hobby Hall. It was normally a dance school, but tonight it had been rented out for spillover traffic for the Elk’s club across the street. Kev parked and he and Buck hopped out.
“You got the booze?” he asked Buck.
“You’re too high strung, you know that? Now, how do I look?”
“I don’t care.”
They crossed the street, hurrying past a cop car that slowly drove by. Buck hid the bottle as they scampered into the venue.
The event was already in progress. Some old guy was parading his daughter around to light applause.
“God, this is brutal,” Kevin mumbled. He looked around only to notice that Buck wasn’t with him anymore. “Son of a bitch...” He groused to himself.
When Buck finally reappeared a few minutes later, he gave Kevin the okay sign. “Where the hell did you go?” Kevin demanded.
“We’re all set.”
“Just give me the whiskey.”
“What do you mean ‘give you the whiskey?’ It’s gone, it’s in the punchbowl like we planned--”
“What?! When did we plan that?!”
“You said you wanted to go to a real party!”
“Yeah, but I don’t care if other people get drunk – I wanted to get drunk!”
“You gave me the wink!”
“I had something in my eye!”
“Well jeez, I wish you had said something five minutes ago...”
On the parquet dancefloor, William danced his daughter around the room to ELO’s “Can’t Get it Out of My Head” as other partygoers slowly began to join them. Lynn still looked down though. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” her father asked.
“Oh daddy, where is everybody? Where’s mom?”
“I’m sure she’s just parking the car.”
“And Janet and Nicky?”
“They’re probably on their way...”
“They forgot!”
“They didn’t forget, I promise you.”
“I have to deal with Nick’s bad reputation with each new teacher I have, the least he can do is show up for me!”
“Honey, if we’re being honest, this is clearly just for your mother’s benefit, so it really doesn’t matter that nobody else showed up--”
“Yes, it does! I AM-NOT-IRRELEVANT!”
“Now-now, no crying on your big day. All your friends are here and that’s what matters.” They continued to waltz in silence, until William added. “Also, I’m just reminding you that I may have to duck out a little early--”
“Daddy!” Lynn wailed, stomping her foot.
“Sweetheart, I have a client dinner!”
**
An hour later, the punch bowl stood empty. When the young men queued around it noticed, a fight broke out among the angriest of them. The girls standing nearby watched and cheered it on, ultimately dragging the victors off to dance.
Lynn wandered aimlessly through her party, just miserable. Word must have gotten out that there was booze to be had because gate crashers had started climbing in through the fire escape. The Elk’s Club, never massive, was at capacity and growing.
Lynn leaned against a pillar, resigned. She slowly slid down it until she landed unceremoniously on the marble floor.
“What a scene,” Kevin said beside her.
Lynn looked up from the floor, unimpressed. “You like parties like this?”
“You kidding me,” Kev scoffed. “Bunch of fuckin’ animals. You know, someone’s gonna have to clean all this up, right?”
Lynn stared at her future husband and climbed to her feet. “I’m Lynn,” she said, extending a hand.
“Kevin.” He said, shaking it.
When Lynn realized who it was she was talking to she smiled stupidly, her cheeks blushing.
**
At the same time across town, Janet stood against a motorcycle making out with Glen Tonche, her arms wrapped tightly around his leather jacket.
“In all your time overseas, you never heard of it?!” he asked.
She laughed. “No, it sounds disgusting...”
“It’s not disgusting, it’s the European way...”
“Well, we’re not doing it!”
“Fine, suit yourself.” He said, grinning. “I’m still glad you called.”
“I’m glad you picked up.” They were somewhere around the heights, a scenic bluff that overlooked New York City in the distance. But the local kids mostly used it for necking.
Glen leaned down to kiss her. When he pulled back, he gazed at Janet adoringly. “When are you gonna let me marry you?”
Janet groaned into his chest. “You know I don’t want to be locked down.”
“Because then, you’d be your parents...”
“You got it.” she said, kissing him again. She broke it off short though to tag him. “You’re it!” She smiled, devilishly, and bolted away.
Glen was ready for this. “--Oh, you are so dead!” he roared.
He ran after her, catching Janet by the midsection. She cackled, deliriously, kicking her feet in the air until a noise distracted them both.
They looked up to see an older man, much older than anyone you’d see at “lookout point.” He was kissing a younger woman. He had his hand between her knees. In their excitement, they had knocked over a trashcan.
Janet watched in horror as her father kissed Maggie Birch. He spun her around, oblivious to the rest of the world.
Janet turned back to Glen, her eyes unreadable. She marched past him towards his motorcycle. “Take me home.”
“What?!” he said, trying to catch up with her. “Why?”
But Janet was already climbing onto the back of his bike.