Summary: Tonya is at a small dinner party at her friend's request. Her job was to cheer up the single Will, make him feel attractive. Instead, she's defensive as opposed to flirty. As a drinking lightweight, two martinis hadn't brought out her best side. Let's join the dinner party in progress.




A glass platter appeared in front of her. “Crab puff?” Lynne inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Tonya took two before her friend would say something a bellyful of booze. “I love it when Marc brings work home.” Her giggle invalidated her claims about holding her liquor. Normally, she stayed with one cocktail considering it a luxury.  She never drank alone afraid she’d become one of those women always finishing a bottle of wine every evening.  

The oven buzzer effected a relocation around the table while Marc went off to retrieve dinner.  Lynne took her usual chair, while Tonya sat across from her. No matter where Will decided to sit, he’d be next to her at the small table. Nodding to the end chair, he waited for Lynne’s acknowledgment before pulling the chair out.

A heavenly aroma redolent with butter and salmon floated into the room. Taking a deep breath, she savored it. Salmon Wellington was one of Marc’s specialties and one of her former favorite meals. When she discovered, the pastry wrapped seafood had about a gad zillion calories per serving, she’d eliminated it from her favorite foods.

She’d have to eat it because it would be rude not to. Yep, she’d even have to eat the flaky calorie rich crust. The group looked up as Marc entered the room with the entrée resting on bed of kale leaves with  roses created out of radishes to add color.

“Tonight, we will dine like kings on Salmon Wellington, roasted red potatoes, and sauteed asparagus tips and shiitake mushrooms.”

Clapping filled the room. Tonya noticed the other two people at the table weren’t clapping. Her eyes focused downward on her hands in the prayer position. Ooh, it was her. Salmon Wellington was worth clapping about. It sure beat nuking a frozen entrée.

 

Today's prompt is letter.  Will and Tonya have just met. Tonya hid in the bathroom to get herself together, but now she has to join the party


The sound of voices caused her to plaster a smile on her face before she entered the room.

 “Hey Marc, hope you made me one of your special drinks.” She grinned in her host’s direction hoping her smile didn’t look too manic.

Marc winked. “Got something new. I bet you’re going to like it. All the women at the restaurant do. It’s called The Milky Way Martini.”

“Sounds good.” She tried to put the right amount of enthusiasm in her voice, while trying not to stare at Will. “What’s in it?”

“It has vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur, and Irish cream.” He poured the shot glasses into the shaker with a flourish.
“Whoa.” Will’s remark, forced her to look in his direction. Not looking at him would be strange. It’d make him matter more than he did. 

 Marc offered her the brimming martini glass with an eyebrow wiggle. She took it gratefully, and took a sip of the sweet, potent drink. Fortified, she directed a cool stare at her almost date. “Whoa what?”

The man shrugged. “That’s pure alcohol. Despite the name, it’s not a girly drink.”

What was he trying to say? She couldn’t hold her alcohol or what? “Don’t let the ponytail fool you. I am plenty old enough and can hold my liquor.” She leaned toward Will enunciating her words similar to a belligerent drunk determined to prove sobriety.  The man’s face flushed as he put up his hands to protest.

“That’s not what I meant. Really, it was just a random comment.” He put out his hands as if pleading.  “About the drink, I mean, not you.”

Tonya watched the man flounder knowing his comment wasn’t half as bad as hers. She sipped her cocktail feeling the burn through the sweetness. It was probably her turn to say something, but she had nothing. Damn, somehow, she’d ruined the evening and they hadn’t even gotten to eat yet. Could it get any worse?

Lynne came up behind her and plucked the empty glass from her hand, placing it on the counter. “Oh you have to excuse my friend. Tensions are high at work with looming budget cuts.”

Good thing she never mentioned her problems with Clint to her friend. She edged the glass toward Marc and held up two fingers. The first drink just took the edge off. Besides, she could use a second after the day she’d endured. Work was normally demanding, but more so when she did the work for two in tension so thick she could wrap it around her and use it for a blanket.

Marc nodded and poured the ingredients for the second drink into the shaker. He slid the finished product across the bar without glancing at his wife. 

Lynne would probably be pantomiming behind her back. Staggering around or holding her arms in front of her like a mummy to indicate her friend didn’t need a second drink. It might make Will think Lynne had drinking issues.

The man in question moved closer and sat on the next bar stool looking Tonya in the eye as she tilted her second martini up. “I realize job security can be tricky. I never meant you couldn’t hold your liquor. Want me to write you a letter of recommendation as far as your liquor holding abilities go?”
“I’ll pass.” She waved her hand in the air dismissing the matter. His tendency to keep apologizing struck her as odd. Most men she’d encountered never apologized even if they were in the wrong. Jerks. Will was an entirely different type. One she’d never encountered before.

Last week: Tonya met Will , the lawyer, in the driveway of Lynne and Marc's home. Will is holding his hands up when she accuses him of eavesdropping. Today's prompt is short.





His excuse made sense. “Put your hands down. I accept your excuse.”

Lynne merely lifted an eyebrow as she opened the front door. Her friend waited for them both to pass her before speaking.

Their hostess babbled as they reached the door. “Ah, well, we got the awkward introductions out of the way. I forgot to mention to Tonya that Marc invited you until you arrived.” Lynne managed to deliver the words with a straight face, but winked in Tonya’s direction.

She sucked in her lips, controlling her laughter. Unfortunately, her friend would never be a great actress. Her words sounded as stiff as any business owner who attempted to make their own cut-rate commercial.

Tonya excused herself by pointing in the direction of the bathroom, not trusting herself to laugh. Lynne acknowledged her directional signal while guiding Will to the family room where mellow jazz music and glassware tinkling emanated. Marc must already be making his special martinis. The memory of various drinks in brilliant colors with exotic names made her regret her short detour to the bathroom. Shutting the door with a little more energy than needed, she turned on the faucet full blast covering her laughter.

Seriously, did Lynne think she was fooling anyone? Did Will think she showed up on her own with no hint a single lawyer might be the lure?  A quick glance in the mirror revealed a flushed face. It was hard to tell if it was from laughing or playing her part in this farce. Dampening a washcloth, she patted her face. Thank goodness, she hadn’t bothered with full makeup. Her goal was to look like she hadn’t expected to encounter an eligible male. Well, she accomplished that all right with her ponytail and jeans.

 Oh well, nothing she could do about it now. She stuck out her tongue at her mirrored image. Her goal was not to encourage the man and score a free meal.  A small sigh escaped as she turned the doorknob. The man had potential remembering the spark that zipped up her arm when he touched her hand. Try not to think about it. The last thing she needed was the emotional roller coaster that came with dating. She never managed to exit the horror ride called Clint. It was still going whether she wanted to be on it or not. That would be a hard thing to explain in a budding relationship.

God, listen to her. Budding relationship. Get a grip, chick. Michelle pointed out the man must be a mess if his own fiancée abandoned him to become a man. Will would be smart to avoid her because she was a train wreck in the making with a full time stalker and the possibility of unemployment in the near future.