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Chapter 38: Gala Part II

Dave and Janet sat quietly in a corner barely speaking.

"Why did you come?" He asked. "You never come to this."

"I'm going through a hard time," she said. "I'm in a place in my life and career where I don't know who my friends are. So, I came home, to my mother and the people who have known me since we were in diapers." He nodded. "You?"

"I can't tell you," he said. She sighed. "Janet, I can't."

"Is your girlfriend in this room Dave?" She crossed her arms. "Is she someone I know? Is this entire night going to be even more humiliating for me than already is? My husband shows up to a party where I told everyone he wouldn't be because he's in bed with the flu and he does it so that he can spend a weekend with the woman he's sleeping with."

"Janet," he sighed. "What do you want from me? I've lived with having a wife with one foot in and one out of the closet. I haven't been able to look Emily in the eye in a month, which is hard, given our line of work." She sighed. "So I'm sorry if you feel like me being here is making a fool of you." He stood up and walked outside. She sighed and followed after him.

"I'm sorry," she said. He turned and looked at her. "I'm sorry, because, this is all my fault."

"No," he said. "No it's not." She nodded.

"Yes it is," she said. "I was the one, who begged you to put the ring on my finger and I was the one who told the guy on the beach that it was what we wanted to do."

"I was the one who said 'I do,'" he shrugged. "I was the one who knew who we both are and decided that we should go for it anyway."

"Do you remember how we started?" He laughed as she smiled at him. "God, I was so pissed off that night. Your brother had jerked me around for three years, and I'd let him." He nodded. "And there you were, my chance to jerk him around. And then you said you wanted to see me again."

"You made me laugh," he said. "You challenged me." She looked at him. "And you're beautiful." She hugged him. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," she said. "I hate what I did Dave." He nodded.

"I know," he said.

"I haven't gotten a lawyer yet," she whispered.

"Yeah me neither," he said. "I mean I've talked to Brad, but he's a second year law student, so that doesn't really count."

"And I've talked to Rick," she nodded. "But he's a real estate lawyer in suburban Minnesota."

"Right," he laughed. "So why are we dragging our heels on this?"

"Because it's scary," she said. He nodded. "And because maybe we aren't ready to let go yet."

"Maybe," he said. She smiled.

"Guess who?" Tommy laughed and turned around. Angela was standing smiling at him.

"Hey," he hugged her. "You look great."

"So do you," she said. "So what? Do I not warrant an invite to the party anymore?"

"No, you do," he said. "I was looking for you so that I could invite you."

"Bullshit, but I'll take it," she laughed and took a sip of her drink. "So, is Diane here?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Is it over for good or what?" She asked.

"No, we're engaged actually," he said. "She just, um, she's got this cancer thing."

"Like a benefit or," she tried. Tommy shook his head. "Oh, right, I'm an idiot. But you're getting married that's good."

"Yeah," he smiled. "You know she told me that if she dies she's OK with us getting back together."

"Aw, that's sweet of her," Angela laughed.

"So her ghost wouldn't like haunt you or anything." He shrugged.

"What makes you so confident you could get me back?" She asked.

"Oh I could get you back, Angie," he smiled. She laughed again. "My wife will have just died, that's a really good card to play." She smiled. "Did you see that Nick's here?"

"Mm hm," she nodded.

"Are you going to talk to him?" He asked.

"Are you going to punch him in the face?" She asked.

"Touché," he nodded. "It's good to see you."

"You too," she smiled. "So guess what I did?"

"What?" He asked.

"I went to South America last month with a crew to film the first episode of my TV show." She said proudly.

"Look at you," he said. She laughed. "I still live with my parents."

"Well, we can't all be spectacular," she shrugged. He nodded. "I think it's really brave of you to marry Diane. That can't be easy."

"I love her," he said quietly. "More than anything. I didn't know that I would ever feel this way about anyone, except you." She smiled.

"Hey," Brad walked over. "Angie,"

"Brad," she smiled and hugged him. "Oh it's good to see you. How's Yale?"

"It's good," he said. "Your brother stole my fiancé for the evening."

"Hey, it's not my fault the two of them get nostalgic at these things," Tommy shrugged. Brad laughed. "I should call Di before she falls asleep. See you later Angie."

"Bye," she waved as he kissed her on the cheek. "So Bradley, what have you been up to?"

"I haven't trekked through the Amazonian wilderness like you or anything," he laughed. "But I am dealing with my mother and Lena planning a wedding, so that's close." She smiled. "When are you going to settle down already, Hardy?"

"Well, you and Tommy kind of spoiled me," she said. "I'm used to being completely adored by men." He laughed. "Nick is here."

"I know," Brad nodded. "Lena and I had to make sure Tommy didn't kill him." Angela laughed. "We're proud of you Angie."

"Thank you," she said.

Tammy giggled with her arms wrapped around Steve's neck, making out with him in the parking lot.

"What?" He looked at her. "What's funny here?"

"I just feel like we're going to get caught," she shrugged.

"By whom?" He asked.

"Some freshmen who are sneaking out here to makeout," she shrugged. He laughed and kissed her again. "What does this mean for us?"

"Does it have to mean anything?" He asked. She looked at him. "Can't it just mean that we're making out in a parking lot, having some fun again?"

"I kind of like it if that's what it means," she admitted. "We haven't had fun in a while." She kissed him.

"I know," he said. "That's what the night after your Bryant Park show was supposed to be for." She nodded. "I'm sorry Tammy."

"I know," she said. "I am too." He smiled and they kissed again.

"I got us another bottle," Elena said sitting down with Jimmy and putting a bottle of champagne down.

"Thank God," he laughed. He popped the cork and poured them each a glass. "So," he said. "How are the wedding plans?"

"Good," she said. "We're getting married at the Vanderbilt mansion you know."

"I'd heard," he nodded. "You know you get very snooty when you get drunk now."

"It's all the Connecticut blue bloods," she shrugged, "they infect you." He laughed. "I brought Eddie back a baby Yale shirt. I wanted by nephew to be proud of his Ivy League aunt."

"What did his father say about that?" Jimmy laughed.

"I'll be damned if my son is brainwashed into your sissy New England school," she imitated and took a sip of champagne.

"Hell yeah," he nodded. "Real men don't need the Ivy League."

"You and my brother have a strange bond James," she shook her head.

"It's not that strange," he laughed. "USC and Michigan both hate Notre Dame. Common enemy is uniting."

"You go to an Ivy League school now," she frowned.

"For Med school," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"How are the kids?" She asked. He shook his head. "No?"

"I don't feel right talking about them," he said. "Mikey basically hates me, and Steph is so tied into this we're a family thing, I hate reminding her that we aren't really."

"That whole thing," she whispered. "With Julie's parents, it made feel really grateful."

"For what?" He asked.

"For my mom," she said. "I mean, as screwed up as she is, at least she was around, when she could be." Jimmy nodded. "And my dad, he's not around, but he's around, you know." He hugged her. "I'm getting married in a few months Jimmy, to an amazing man, who adores me."

"How do you feel about him though?" Jimmy asked. She smiled.

"I love him," he looked at her. "I do, I love him so much."

"Are you happy, Ellie?" He whispered.

"I am," she said. "It's not what I thought my life was going to be, but I'm happy." He nodded. "What about you?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I am. I love her, I want to take care of her. She's stubborn though."

"The best ones are," she smiled.

"What, like you?" He kicked her under the table. She laughed.

"Yes, like me." She smiled. "Wasn't I worth it?"

"You are a headache," he said. "And you always have been, and it was pretty easy to get you in bed."

"You know, for all of the Ellie Cole is a slut stuff," she shook her head. "I've been with three guys." Jimmy looked at her. "Three! That's one less than your blessed Julie. And I was in love with all of them."

"You weren't in love with me," he shook his head.

"Yes I was!" She frowned.

"Not while we were having sex," he pointed out. She sighed.

"Fair enough," she said. "But still!"

"Alright," he laughed. "You were easy though. You did the put out on the first date thing."

"Shut up," she threw a piece of foil at him. He laughed.

"Do you ever miss him?" He asked. The him in question didn't need further modifications.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But that doesn't mean anything. Tommy misses Angie, that doesn't mean he doesn't love Diane right?" He nodded. "Can we not talk about it?"

"You've got it," he said. "So I hear Tommy's going to be your maid of honor?"

"Do you have some kind of problem with that?" She asked, her nose in the air.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You didn't ask me." She nodded. "What?"

"I wanted to ask you something else," she whispered.

"OK," he nodded.

"Do you want to give me away?" She asked. He looked at her. "I already ran it by my dad and Biff, and they both think it's a good idea."

"I'd be honored," he smiled.

"Good," she took another swig of her champagne. "It's an extremely honored position. It's at the Vanderbilt mansion, you know."

"I've heard," he said. "How does Kat Vanderbilt feel about you having your male straight best friend the maid of honor and your ex boyfriend giving you away?"

"Claire and Kelly set the bar very low," she shrugged. "The wedding's not in a barn I can do whatever the hell I want." He laughed.

"Kelly's wedding isn't in a barn," he frowned. "It was in the Minnesota Club, which is an extremely respected society. My mother was a debutante there, as were you."

"Is it in a state that borders the Atlantic Ocean?" She asked. He shook his head. "Might as well be a barn."

"Bonnie felt that way," he mumbled. Ellie looked at him. "She really hated that I was from the Midwest and that I went to school in California. I mean she never said so, but she did."

"Julie's from the east coast." Ellie said.

"Yeah," he nodded. "But Julie's father was a high school hockey coach and sold paint. Her mother worked her ass off from a mail room to owning her own conglomerate and then Julie got lucky with hockey and got to come here and then worked her ass off here and got a scholarship to USC. Bonnie's grandfather was a Kennedy lawyer so she got to go to Chote, and then Vassar because her mom went there. It's a little different." Ellie smiled. "What?"

"The way you rush to her defense like that," Ellie smiled. He nodded. "That's how I know you really love her. When we all called Bonnie a bitch all you did was say, 'Guys, come on!'" He laughed.

"You're a good egg Cole," he said.

"You're damn right I am," she said and they clinked glasses.

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