I don't own any of the original characters created by Blake Edwards and make no monetary profit from this story. When Pete and Edie decide to come out and play I pick up my tablet and wait for inspiration.
Edie's Baby Shower
• Friends and Family
Edie couldn't stop smiling as she found herself engulfed in hugs from the small group of women who had become her best friends over the years, from dark-haired bespectacled June Holton who she had known since childhood, to Lauren Martin who she'd met back in June 1959 when she'd ended up in City Hospital after being shot by a thug who'd had a vendetta against Pete. She and the pretty auburn-haired RN, who had less than a week ago married Pete's best friend from college days, had become fast friends.
Becoming aware of the gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder, Edie turned from Sheila Bell's typically unreserved greeting and found herself looking suddenly and directly into a pair of smiling blue eyes almost identical to her own.
"Mama?"
Edie laughed through sudden tears as her mother enveloped her in a big hug. Although they lived just over three hundred miles apart as the crow flew it had been a little over a year since they'd last seen each other. Edie and Pete had driven out for what had turned into a somewhat crazy three-day visit two Thanksgivings ago. Otherwise daughter and mother kept in contact with frequent letters and telephone calls, Edie having received a long four-page missive tucked into Mama and Papa's Christmas card, the Harts getting a phone call from their daughter on Christmas morning.
"It's so good to see you, Goose." Mary Grace Hart's voice sounded suspiciously damp as she released her daughter and took half a step back. "Just look at you, almost a mama yourself." She touched her palm to Edie's ever-expanding abdomen. "My little girl," she murmured in a soft voice almost to herself, then pulled Edie close in another compulsive embrace before pushing her toward the younger women milling or standing with big smiles on their faces. "I need to go join the other ladies to see what needs to be done to make sure the meal is ready when the time comes. We'll talk later."
Edie's bemused gaze followed her mother as the older woman hurried to the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind her. She gave Lauren Martin a big smile as the auburn-haired girl reappeared, simultaneously putting a cup of fruit punch in her hand and urging her toward Mother's comfortable floral-patterned sofa. Seating herself between June Holton and Lynn Martel, the blonde's eyes drank in the sight of the large two-layer sheet cake centered prominently on her former employer's antique rosewood game table. The cake was smothered in thick white cream cheese frosting and was edged in yellow. A pair of blue baby shoes adorned one corner and a pair of pink the other, both life-size and made of some sort of edible, sugary, marshmallowy concoction. Confectioner's icing formed delicate pink roses in the bottom left corner and the words 'Welcome Baby' were spelled out in yellow across the center.
"We'll save it until the men get back and serve it for dessert," June grinned.
"Leslie had Jean Paul make a couple extra pans of lasagna last night so we could feed everyone supper," Betty Kendrick added. "They personally delivered the food about an hour ago." The dark-haired woman, just a couple years older than Edie, had been head waitress at Mother's and now held the same position at Edie's. Wendy Iverson and Marge Meadows, the other of Mother's former waitresses who'd moved on to Edie's when the supper club eventually opened after Mother's was sadly destroyed by arson, were also in attendance, filling out a trio of women with whom Edie had become fast friends at the old jazz club.
"We invited them to stay but Leslie said just the mere thought of being among a horde of women at a baby shower was enough to give him nightmares!" Wendy's catching laugh and perfect imitation of the maitre d' had the rest of them giggling.
"I don't know what to say," Edie murmured, looking around the room at the platters of food and drinks, the yellow paper storks hanging from the ceiling and the colorful bags and boxes almost overflowing the square coffee table. Wide crepe paper ribbons of blue and pink adorned the fireplace beneath a baby shower banner and same-colored balloons bounced against the ceiling at the opposite side of the room. She had seen Mother's apartment decorated for Christmas just two weeks ago and while she knew the tree and lights would be gone she certainly hadn't dreamed of seeing the cozy living room decked out like it was this early evening in January.
"Well I certainly do!"
Sheila Bell appeared from the direction of the kitchen along with Mother, Mother's old friend Gussie Warnecke, Mary Ann McAllister – hadn't she and Frank Gunn returned home to Iowa only five days ago? – and Mary Grace Hart. Edie couldn't get over her mother being there and wondered whether Papa had come along with her. Surely he had.
"I say it's time for you to start opening the cards and gifts. But before you do that –" Sheila's eyes skipped from one to the other of the group of women, most of whom had found seats though a few stood sipping punch and nibbling cookies, " – we want you to know that they're not individual gifts. All of them came from all of us."
"When Eric told me about Pete's dad surprising you by showing up on Christmas Eve we decided to put him to work for us," Lauren cheekily chimed in. "He told us what you already had and what Santa brought and we went from there." What Lauren didn't say was that all the women had combined their funds, then the younger women had divided themselves into several small groups and armed with various lists stormed Chadwick's and other stores during the post-New Year's Day sales, ending up with more than what their lists called for. The older ladies had taken care of ordering the cake, preparing the snacks and hanging the decorations.
Sheila grabbed a bundle of cards from among the presents and thrust them at Edie.
"You can start with these! And read them out loud because we want to hear every word!" She gave her friend a cheeky grin. "It was decided the cards all had to be funny – "
" – so be prepared to throw all the dignity you might have left straight out the window," Mother concluded, her eyebrows leaping up her forehead the way they had in times past whenever she'd caught Edie and Pete out on the dock smooching.
Frank Gunn sat down beside his son on a turquoise-colored hard plastic chair, wiping his hands on a small towel before taking a sip from a bottle of Budweiser. Though the elder Gunn wasn't much of a drinker he did enjoy a beer on the rare occasion. His gaze found the stylized black letters, each set in a turquoise-colored boomerang-shaped background, of the sign high on the wall above the pinsetters – Star-Light Bowling Center. Beneath that in smaller letters patrons were informed that the lanes were Open 24-Hours for All Your SPARE Time. Additional signage across the far right wall advertised the availability of further amenities – Snack Bar • Cocktail Lounge • Billiards. Frank watched Emmett Ward grab a shiny black ball from the automatic return, step to the line and pick up an easy spare. This was quite the place, he decided, fancier than anything back home. He turned to say just that to Pete but had to chuckle instead.
"Are you sulking?"
The younger man was sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, rolling a bottle of Canada Dry between his palms as his eyes absently followed the motions of the pins falling for Danny Bell's third consecutive strike. The men had split into two teams and due to the odd number Danny was bowling for both teams. Someone had to do it and he belonged to a league so it gave him a chance to get in a little extra practice. Or at least that was his excuse for volunteering his arm.
"What? Of course not."
Pete sat up straighter, loosened his tie and rolled up both sleeves another inch. Of course he wasn't sulking. Was he? To this point he and Edie had gone through most of the baby stuff together. Doctor appointments, save one or two. Shopping, especially for big items for the baby's room – the baby's room in that nice house on Maple Street that they'd be closing on at two o'clock Wednesday afternoon. So why did he feel left out because her girlfriends were giving her a baby shower? They were her good friends who'd wanted to surprise her and they'd done a good job of it. And here he was at the bowling center with Pop, Joe Hart (who to this point he'd barely had a chance to talk to) and the guys – Eric, Emmett, Barney, Danny Bell, Danny's brother Harold and Lester Kendrick. And he still hadn't figured out how Pop and Mary Ann figured into things considering he and Edie had put them on a plane home just a few days ago.
"You are." Frank held up a hand as Pete made to deny it. "You want to keep her all to yourself and that's understandable. A couple more months and there'll be a baby taking up most of her time and you'll be lucky to have five waking minutes together."
"Hey, Pete! You're up!" Emmett beckoned briskly with his hand.
The PI got to his feet and took his turn on the lane, sliding a crisp curve along the shiny pine boards. What looked like a sure strike became a seven-ten split. He gave a mental groan, or maybe he uttered it out loud considering the cheeky grin Eric Martin turned in his direction. Pete stared down the pins and wiped his hands on a towel as he waited on the ball return. He heaved a sigh that had nothing to do with the placement of the pins and decided he was an idiot, something that Edie would undoubtedly agree with in her own teasing way. He smiled to himself. He'd been her idiot for quite some time now and while he'd often teased her about her unwarranted jealous streak he had to admit he was on the precipice of acting just as badly. All because of a gaggle of females who had the temerity to steal some of her time from him.
Pete picked up the ball that had finally found its way down the chute and made quick work of the difficult spare, somehow managing to keep his smile in control at the round of applause the fellows extended.
"It's a nice thing the women are doing," Frank Gunn grinned, picking right back up with their conversation as Pete reclaimed his chair. "You have no idea the amount of fun I had snooping around to find out what you already have for the kid so they wouldn't end up getting duplicates." His smile broadened at Pete's quizzical look. "Mother put the bug in my ear after Christmas Eve dinner."
"Which begs the question..." Pete took a swallow of ginger ale, "...didn't we put you and Mary Ann on a plane to Iowa Tuesday afternoon?"
(Referenced Episode: Edie is shot by Max Grayco's thug in "Vendetta" S1 EP36; various references are made to events in "Christmas Surprises", a story co-written by Melchy and myself as Precinct 13.)