Chapter Eight – The Reunion
"Will you still love me when I'm not young and beautiful…?"
The words kept echoing in her mind no matter how much she tried to shake it away as she took the lemon cupcakes out of the oven.
"Are you seeing this?!" Nick whispered, peeking through the window.
Lifting her head, she struggled to make her laugh sound like a cough when she saw Gatsby's gardener mowing his lawn. Several figures in the distance were already making their way over with what appeared to be very large and lavish plants. "He's going all out," she noted, returning her attention to the cupcakes. "Nick, would you be a dear and get out the tea set?"
Tearing his attention away from the scene outside his window, Nick went to the cupboard and did as he was asked, placing the tea set Gatsby had bought for them on the countertop. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of irony as he recalled how Gatsby brought it over and said they might use it if a guest came over. A knock at the door distracted him, however, and he bounded over to answer it. "Desiree-!"
"Scoot over," she told him, yanking him outside onto the porch swing before a line of servants walked in as rain began to fall from the sky. He watched with wide eyes as man after man walked in with giant pots, vases, and baskets filled with humongous arrangements of large white flowers. Behind the barrage of men was Gatsby, followed by faithful Herzog who held up an umbrella as they came towards the house.
"Everything seems to be all right," Gatsby said, sounding stiff and forced as he came up the steps onto the porch of Nick's home.
"Yes, and I see you've got the grass cut," Nick jested, remembering how Gatsby had mentioned he would send someone over to deal with the lawn.
"What grass?" Gatsby asked, staring at him in unfocused confusion.
"Never mind, let's go inside," Desiree waved it off, motioning for the men to enter.
Herzog bowed and excused himself before returning the way he came as they stepped inside. No sooner had they done so, the trio had to step off to the side as the troupe of servants hurried out the door and vanished into the rainy afternoon.
"Wow," Desiree commented, noticing how the parlor was now filled with the enormous arrangements.
"Nick, he's ordered a rainforest! It's incredible!" Evelyn's voice resounded from the kitchen. "Have you seen it?!"
"We're looking at it right now," Nick chuckled. It did not escape his notice, however, when Gatsby's head jerked in the direction of the kitchen when Evelyn spoke. The moment she stepped out to greet him, his posture loosened just a smidge.
"You're looking as handsome as ever," she smiled. "Excited?"
"…yes. Yes, I'm…" he stumbled, fixing his tie and gripping his cane.
"Well, why don't we all wait in the parlor?" she suggested, ushering them in. "I'll have the tea ready in a few minutes."
The two males and Desiree found their places in the parlor and sat down, the ticking of the clock suddenly loud and distracting as the rain continued to fall. Gatsby arose from his seat, marching to the mantle where the clock sat and checked his own watch. Glancing over at Nick and Desiree, who sat side by side on the sofa, he gestured to the room. "I don't suppose there's anything else I could do?"
"Perhaps more flowers?" Nick jested, causing Desiree to bite back a snicker.
"Do you think she'll like it?" Gatsby asked, his eyes boring into Nick's.
"…I think…it's what you want it to be"
He nodded, temporarily satisfied with the answer. Turning promptly, he returned to his seat, sitting down stiffly with his cane at hand. His lips pressed together firmly into a thin line, he gripped the cane's handle tighter and tighter, the ticking of the mantle clock ominous and nerve-wracking.
"She's not coming," he said angrily, getting to his feet.
Nick raised an eyebrow, perplexed by his behavior. "It's only two minutes to four-!"
"I'm going home, this was silly," he snapped.
"Oh, for the love of God!" Desiree growled. "Don't be ridiculous."
"She's not-!" Gatsby started again.
"She's here!" Evelyn's cheerful voice came from the kitchen, cutting him short.
As if to reaffirm her cry, three short honks came from outside, accompanied by the sound of tires sloshing through mud.
"There, you see?" Nick grinned, getting up from his seat and hurrying to the door with Desiree in tow.
Pulling up to the little bungalow, the fine white car slowed to a halt, giving Nick enough time to grab an umbrella and rug. Shielding himself from the rain, he cautiously placed the old rug over the soggy grass and mud before opening the door for Daisy.
Stepping daintily onto the rug, she placed herself at Nick's side and gazed at the little house with a smile. "I'm so glad you've invited me, my dearest one. I saw your home last time when we came for Evelyn a few days ago."
"She told me about it," Nick grinned, kissing her cheek and earning one in return. "Now I get to show you the inside." Glancing at the man inside, he told Daisy, "Tell your driver to come back in an hour."
"Be back in an hour, Ferdy," she called to him before letting Nick guide her to the front porch. "His name is Ferdy," she repeated, almost as if to remind herself.
"Hi, Daisy!" Evelyn said, standing by the open door with a towel at hand, just in case.
"Evelyn, darling! And Desiree!" Daisy squealed in delight. "This is a real treat!" Kissing them both on the cheek, she let the trio usher her in as she glanced around at her surroundings. "Why did I have to come on my own, Nicky? Are you madly in love with me?" she smirked playfully.
Nick laughed with a wince, unaccustomed to Daisy's teasing. "Won't you have a seat in the parlor while we get the tea?" They all stood there in the hall, waiting to hear some sort of big reaction when she saw Gatsby…
"Oh…! Oh, how lovely!" she exclaimed, causing them all to exchange confused looks. "Did you purchase a whole greenhouse for me?!" Tiptoeing over to the room, the peered in and looked about. Evelyn blinked, unable to believe that Gatsby had vanished.
"Where is he?!" Desiree hissed through her teeth as she scanned the area.
Nick said nothing but pointed to the French doors in the room that led to a verandah outside. They were cracked open, allowing the cool air from outside waft in.
"My God, he really is in love with me," Daisy whispered with a giggle as she sniffed the flowers.
"How will we…?" Evelyn started when a fierce knock at the door stunned them to silence.
Looking at the girls before casting one final glance at the open doors, Nick walked down the hall and to the front door, his eyes widening as he saw a drenched man standing before him. "Jay!" he gasped. "What happened-?!"
Gatsby was soaked, his hair falling over his tormented blue eyes as he hastily walked in and took a detour through the kitchen.
Desiree and Evelyn gawked at him before turning to look at each other, unable to believe the sight. "He's gone stark mad!" Desiree whispered before peeking into the parlor to see what would happen.
Daisy could sense movement behind her, and in hearing voices she assumed that perhaps another guest had come to tea. Looking over her shoulder to cast the stranger a careless smile, she felt her body go numb, her face pale as she saw the drenched form of Jay Gatsby standing only a few feet away, slowly raising his gaze so that their eyes met. With trembling lips, she finally spoke. "…I'm certainly glad to see you again."
Nodding once, he softly stammered, "…I-…I'm certainly glad to see you as well."
No one moved. A minute passed, then two…
"That's enough of that," Evelyn murmured, moving away and stepping into the kitchen.
The sound of her footsteps seemed to snap everyone out of their enchanted trance, causing them to turn and peer at the kitchen where Evelyn poured the tea into the elegant teapot and prepared the gorgeous set. Placing the cupcakes on a separate plate, she gathered the cream and sugar onto the tray and stepped forth. "C'mon, Nick," she urged him in a hushed tone. Understanding, he walked in with her, motioning for Desiree to join them.
"Please, won't you sit down?" he asked them.
Shaking, Daisy sat on a wicker chair, averting her eyes to the floor. Gatsby in turn stood by the mantle once more, his arm resting against the clock. Desiree took a seat on the sofa as Evelyn set the tea set on the coffee table.
"Allow me," Nick insisted, pouring the tea into the cups provided. Evelyn sat beside her friend, watching the others with confusion and expectancy.
Curling his fingers into a fist, Gatsby put a smile on his face and said, "...we've…we've met bef-" With a nudge from his elbow, the clock came tumbling down. He caught it swiftly with both hands, breathing heavily as he brought it back up. "I… I'll just…" he stammered. "…send someone over immediately for repair…" Evelyn heard him mutter. He began to mercilessly pound a broken piece of the clock back into place before stepping back, running his fingers through his hair. "…sorry about the clock," he apologized as he took a seat opposite of Daisy.
"It's an old clock," Nick shrugged.
"A lovely clock," Daisy added quickly.
"Yes," Gatsby agreed.
Again the room fell silent, while Nick continued to pour tea and handed the cups out to each person.
"…we haven't seen each other in… many years," Daisy spoke, breaking the awkward silence again.
"Five years in November," Gatsby verified, causing her to glance over at him sad, doe-like eyes.
They stared at each other, then looked away quickly, as if they just remembered they should not be looking at the other.
"…how is the tea?" Evelyn asked, accepting her own cup.
"Fine," both Gatsby and Daisy answered, causing them to rapidly share glances before staring off at the wall. Mechanically, they both sipped from their cups, neither one uttering a sound.
Evelyn frowned, catching sight of Desiree's irked face and Nick's exasperation. This was not how any of them imagined the reunion would be like. Getting up, Evelyn began to move away.
"Evelyn?" Gatsby asked, his head jerking up to follow her movements.
"I just remembered, Desiree and I forgot to buy apples," she lied, her eyes locking with Nick and Desiree.
"That's right," Desiree agreed at once, hopping to her feet and stepping out of the room breezily.
"You know what, you're right," Nick spoke, getting to his feet and following them. "We're going into town."
"Town?!" Gatsby asked, his voice keeping in panic.
"We'll be back before you know it," he reassured them. "Hurry," he whispered to the girls, trotting to the front door.
"Nick!" Gatsby called, jumping after them with a sudden burst of speed. "I've got to speak to you about something."
"Sure, you can tell me when we get back," Nick reassured him as he and the girls slipped on their coats and he snatched his hat. "Quick, the umbrellas," he urged them, but Gatsby had them cornered.
"Stop!" he begged in a whisper, grabbing Nick as Desiree began to open the door. "This is a mistake! A terrible, terrible mistake!" he hissed, gripping onto Nick for support as he frantically spoke.
"Would you knock it off and let go of him?!" Desiree snapped, struggling to yank Gatsby off of poor Carraway.
"You're just embarrassed. Daisy's embarrassed, too!" Nick replied.
Gatsby faced him, disbelief and hope fighting within him as uncertainty shone in his eyes. It was as though Nick had uncovered the secret to entire life with those words. "…she's embarrassed?"
"Yes!" Nick insisted. "Just as much as you are."
"Don't talk so loud!" Gatsby hissed, yanking the trio outside onto the porch.
"Hey!" Desiree yelped.
"Jay, calm down!" Evelyn nearly exclaimed. Yanking her arm free from his hold, she slapped his shoulder and frowned. "Now, stop it!" she scolded him. "You're acting like a little boy! Daisy's in there all alone and-!"
He held his hand up, causing everyone to freeze. They watched as he let her words sink in, resolution showing as he furrowed his brows and nodded before straightening his sleeves and cautiously tiptoeing back inside. Stepping through the kitchen, he peered through the small window in the wall, watching Daisy as she played with her fingerless lace gloves, looking like a lost child waiting for her mother. He hesitated, turning to see if the others were still there.
"Oh Lord," Desiree sighed.
Quietly stepping in, Evelyn went to his side and began to straighten his tie. "It's been almost five years, right?" she whispered gently, smoothing out any wrinkles on his coat. "I'm sure you both have a lot to catch up on."
"But…but I-" he choked.
"Hey," she smiled, using her fingertips to gently brush away a stubborn stray lock away from his forehead. "You're Jay Gatsby. You can do this. And I know she'll be happy to finally see you and talk with you again."
He gazed at her, a sudden wave of serenity washing over him as she fixed his collar. "You think so?"
"I know so," she winked. Pecking his cheek, she motioned with tilt of her head at Daisy. "What're you waiting for?"
Raising his eyes, Gastby saw Desiree give him an encouraging smile and thumb's-up, while Nick reminded him to slick his hair back into place before entering. He did so, nodding at the two of them before looking down upon Evelyn once more. A small, shy smile graced his lips as he whispered, "Thank you."
"Go," she urged him, moving away and following the others outside as she snatched her umbrella. Together, the three of them hurried away from the house, coming to stop by an old withered oak that shielded them from the rain.
"Now what?" Desiree asked, leaning against Nick's frame as they stood together and shared the same umbrella.
"We wait, I guess," he shrugged. "Let's give them half an hour. That ought to be good enough."
"Hmm…what could we do I half an hour?" she asked, an impishly look upon her face as she moved to peck his cheek.
"I can think of a few things," he grinned slyly, claiming her lips as he wrapped his free arm around her.
Rolling her eyes, Evelyn shook her head with a smile before stepping away from the couple. Walking down the path, cautious of the mud, slime, and stones, she found a place by the shore, standing by another large tree as she gazed out at the bay, Daisy's green dock light still blinking at her from the other side. "Just half an hour…"
~JG~
At long last, the trio began to return to the quiet little bungalow, wary to see what exactly ensued after their departure.
"Do you think they're ok?" asked Desiree as they stepped inside and peeked through the kitchen.
A smile began to grow on Evelyn's lips as she saw that the two of them were deeply engaged in conversation in hushed tones, with bright and child-like smiles on their faces. "I think they're great."
"Ahem," Nick coughed, hoping to get the couple's attention. Still they talked on, not even realizing they were being watched. His brows knitting together in frustration, he shook his umbrella but to no avail. He rattled some cutlery on the dinner table (much to Evelyn's and Desiree's amusement) and at last got the two to look up and see who was there. "Hello," Nick smiled politely, taking off his hat at last. "It's stopped raining."
"Huh, so it has," Gatsby grinned, getting up and strolling over to the French doors. Opening them, he stepped on the verandah, placing his hand on one of the pillars. "Look at that, Daisy. It's stopped raining."
"How lovely," she cooed, following him out and mimicking his movements. Their pinkies touched, causing them to gaze at one another, small, gentle smiles stretching over their lips.
"Listen, old sport," Gatsby said suddenly, turning around and facing the trio. "I want you, the girls, and Daisy to come with me. I want to show you all my house."
"Oh, we don't have to go if you don't-" Nick protested.
"I insist," he said with a wink.
"Oh, please come with us!" Daisy implored, her face aglow as she skipped to the girls and took their hands. "It'll be so much fun!"
With a nod and smile, Evelyn consented. "That'd be wonderful."
Together, the unusual crew began the walk over to the Gatsby estate. He began to point out items that he had shipped over from other countries, all the flowers he had planted in the gardens, and once they had entered the building, he began to explain the bits of pieces of history that came with each artifact or piece of furniture.
"What a marvelous house!" Daisy sang, hurrying up the stairs.
"Isn't she amazing, old sport?" Evelyn could hear Gatsby whisper excitedly to Nick as they followed her up the stairs. She smiled at his joy, reminding her of a child at seeing the wonder of fireworks for the first time. Deep within, however, she could feel her heart being pricked by an invisible needle. Brushing it off, she and Desiree entered a simple but elegant room as Daisy gazed up at its second floor.
"I see you found my chambers," Gatsby chuckled, climbing the steps up to the second level of his room. There were drawers, bureaus, and cabinets lined on this floor, full of colorful clothing, shining buttons, and pristine shoes that had probably never been worn before. "I have a man back in England who buys me clothes and ships them over in time for each season," Gatsby explained as he began to tug the door open and grabbed handfuls of expensive shirts.
Immediately, Evelyn remembered the Whitner family, a smile coming to her face as she recalled how little Winny embraced her. Raising her eyes, she watched as Gatsby tossed his shirts out to Daisy, who hopped and bounced on his bed as she strove to catch all of them. She laughed gleefully, exclaiming how wonderful it all was until she suddenly slipped and landed upon her back on the plush sheets and mattress. From beneath the layers of shirts, they could hear her crying.
Gatsby rushed down, thinking she had hurt herself. Nick, Desiree, and Evelyn all hurried, stopping at the bedside to see what was going on. Gatsby brushed to shirts off of her, caressing her face. "Daisy? Daisy, what's wrong?"
Lifting her head, she wept, "…I've…never seen such…beautiful shirts…"
Evelyn sensed it had much more to do with things aside from shirts, but she held her tongue.
"Wait here," Gatsby said to Daisy. "I have something I want you to see." Getting up, he walked to a bookshelf and tugged out a thick volume of what appeared to be a photo album. Returning, he handed it to Daisy. "Have a look."
Flipping through the pages, she gasped in delight, her eyes sparkling at the sight of old letters, newspaper clippings, flowers, small mementos, and even a handkerchief. "Oh Nicky, Des, Evelyn, come look!" she cried to them. They stepped forward, leaning over her shoulder to see the artifacts from their past. "Oh, Jay! You kept all these?"
"Everything about you."
"Kind of creepy," whispered Desiree with a wink, causing Evelyn to giggle and Nick to send them a scolding look, though he couldn't help cracking a smile as well.
The cry of the telephone shook them out of their conversation as Herzog entered the room. "Mr. Gatsby, sir, Philadelphia on the line."
Gatsby gave them a weak smile before going to the phone installed in his quarters, speaking in hushed tones at first, but eventually raising his voice. "If that's his idea of a small town, then he can go to hell-!" he started saying, then readjusted his voice and finished, "Listen, we'll talk about this later, old sport. I'll call you back." Hanging up the phone, he sensed that there was a pair of eyes on him. Turning his head, he caught sight of Evelyn quickly turning her back to him as she paid attention to Daisy's sighs and murmurs. He felt a twinge a guilt shoot through him, though he couldn't quite understand why.
Tremors shook the establishment, startling the lot as Gatsby grinned. "Klipspringer's awake," he noted.
"Who's that?" Daisy asked playfully, raising her brows at him.
"The dubious descendant of Ludwig von Beethoven," Desiree said with a flourished air, causing the others to laugh.
"Shall we?" Gatsby asked, leading them out into the ballroom, where Klipspringer played an enormous organ several stories above them.
"Shall we dance?" Nick grinned, bowing to the ladies. Taking Daisy and Desiree by the hands, he spun them around and dipped Evelyn before snatching Daisy.
Gatsby chuckled as he watched them, jumping into the fray and taking Desiree for a spin. Evelyn giggled as she swayed and hopped, spinning and exchanging partners back and forth. Klipspringer's music suddenly changed drastically, compelling her to join in.
"Love is blindness,
I don't wanna see.
Won't you wrap the night
Around me?
Oh, my heart…
Love is blindness.
Love is clockworks,
And it's cold steel
Fingers too numb to feel.
Squeeze the handle,
Blow out the candle…
Blindness."
Klipspringer seemed to range on, his music pounding and thrashing, compelling the group to keep moving, kicking and waving and twisting as they continued to dance, never remaining with the same person for too long. As she listened to the seemingly furious tune, she felt that strange little prick at her heart grow, her brows furrowing for a moment before letting her frustration run free through her lips.
"Love is drowning
In a deep web.
All the secrets
And nobody else to tell.
Take the money,
Why don't you honey?
Blindness…"
She felt someone catch her and spin her around as she took a moment to breathe, thinking perhaps it was Nick. Opening her eyes, she was frozen in place to see Gatsby holding her, his eyes locked on her face with curiosity and wonder. Everything around them seemed to slow down, the pounding, furious song drowning out for just a moment.
"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful…?"
Daisy's mindless laugh shattered everything as Evelyn realized that Nick had released her from his hold, and she now twirled over in Gatsby's direction. With a harsh shove, Evelyn managed to get the man to let go and twist around, just in time for Daisy to bump into him. She watched their eyes lock and Daisy's smile become even larger. Gatsby stared at the woman's face, his smile slowly returning as he held her securely in his arms.
Seeing this, she stepped away, her voice returning but much softer this time.
"Love is Blindness, oh…
Oh, I'm too numb to feel...
Blow out the candle,
Blindness…"
~JG~
It was dusk when Nick, Desiree, and Evelyn departed from the mansion. They quietly slipped away as Daisy and Gatsby continued to waltz in the enormous ballroom.
"Can I get you anything before you leave?" Herzog asked as they informed him they were returning home.
"No, thank you," Nick responded, waving goodbye. "I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."
"Good night, Mr. Herzog," Evelyn winked at him, causing him to crack a smile at her.
"Good night, Ms. Keller." He ushered them out, shutting the doors behind them as they left. Stepping onto the gravel road, they could see the first set of stars peppered throughout the blue and orange sky.
"I'll take you home, Des" Nick said, offering his arm to her.
"Thank you," she nodded, accepting his arm. They walked on quietly, their eyes set on Evelyn as they made their way back to the little cottage. "Hey, Eve?"
"Hmm?" she asked, peeping at them quickly over her shoulder.
"Tell me something," the other girl said, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Back when we started dancing and you were singing, why did you fling Gatsby away like that?"
"What are you talking about?" she shrugged, thankful when she saw the path to the little house up ahead.
"You know what she's talking about," Nick frowned. "I saw it, too."
"Why'd you throw him to Daisy?" asked Desiree once more.
Facing them, she smiled beautifully, though they could see tears shining in her eyes in the twilight. "Because I'm not his green light." With that, she embraced the two, stating she was tired and hoped they would have a safe trip. Admitting defeat, Nick promised he would be back within the hour before helping Desiree into the old Dodge and driving down the street.
Evelyn remained on the steps, waving until they left. Slowly, she walked back into the house, locking the door behind her and heading straight for bed. She didn't bother cleaning up or even changing – she simply threw her shoes to one side of the floor and slipped under the covers, pulling them up to her chin.
"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful…?"
"He was never mine to begin with," she whispered, her tears finally breaking free from their hold. "…and I'm no Daisy." It was useless to be upset – she wanted Jay to be happy, and today just proved to her that they were both still in love with each other. So why did it feel like she was going to die if she saw them looking at each other and holding hands again…?
A/N: I own nothing except the OCs, typos, and insanity you may or may not find in this fic. Thank you to all my readers, reviewers, followers, and faves ;) I was blown away when I saw your messages and I really appreciate them, and especially from guest Stabson, FluffyHanyoEars, VampireSolidarity1, jaygatsbyforever, grapejuice101, and FAYZAIN (and anyone I didn't mention). Hope you enjoyed this one and I'll see you next time!
