Five days later, Victoria, Melanie, Joy and Elka were seated at their favorite booth at Stormi's. They had been together for the last 5 days and it seemed like they'd never been apart. They talked, they cried, they laughed, they joked, they argued, they drank, they ate. Nothing had changed.
Within a few minutes the bar was starting to fill up with New Year's Eve partiers.
"Hey, Hank. Bring us another bottle of Champagne." Victoria yelled over the revelers to the bartender.
The place was getting loud but that didn't stop them from enjoying the night. A new year would dawn in a few hours. And a new year meant a new beginning for each of them. Melanie's new beginning would be in a new place of her own so Jenna could spread her wings. Victoria's new beginning would be embracing New York City and what it could offer her. Joy's new beginning would be a new start in America, legally. And Elka's new beginning would involve new tenants who hopefully made her life as complete as the last 3 did.
Hank brought over the new bottle and refilled their champagne flutes.
Joy lifted her glass and the rest followed suit. "To a new year!"
"To finding peace." Oh Melanie.
"To large residual checks!" Victoria had no shame.
Joy and Melanie shook their heads and looked at Elka.
"To friends. Even the sappy, overly critical, conceited ones."
They clinked glasses just as an older, white haired, distinguished looking gentleman walked up to their table. His piercing green eyes stood out against his neatly cropped white hair. His black suit was obviously tailored and expensive. He gazed at Elka knowingly with a bit of mischief in his eyes.
"Charlie." Elka looked startled to see him.
Joy furrowed her brow at the mention of the man's name but didn't say anything. Elka got up quickly from the booth without saying a word and escorted the man to the bar area and out of earshot from the ladies. Each of the ladies tried to strain their ears to hear what Elka was saying but nothing could be heard over all the celebrating. Eventually Elka came back to the table with another bottle of Champagne and without Charlie.
"Elka, who was that man?" Victoria asked.
Elka brushed her off. "Oh just a friend. Now, more Champagne and I've ordered some hot wings because you three look emaciated again after being gone so long."
So for the next few hours they talked, ate and drank. And soon it was just a few minutes before midnight.
"Wait!" Melanie threw her arms out in front of her. "Are we doing resolutions this year or no?"
Melanie, Joy and Victoria had a tradition of setting New Year's resolution every year since they'd known each other. A few years ago they included Elka. This year seemed different though. In a few days they'd be heading off in their separate directions again to their separate lives. It almost didn't make sense to keep a tradition going under such circumstances.
"I think we should do it. We've been doing it for how many years now?" Victoria loved the resolution tradition even though she was usually one of the first to break hers.
Melanie tipped her head back and let the cool, bubbly liquid flow down her throat before answering. "Well seeing as how we're going our separate ways and all…" She got a little teary eyed. Was it from the emotions or from the alcohol? Both?
Joy's chin dropped slowly to her chest. She tried to hide the tears running down her cheek by rubbing her eyebrows. But Victoria knew right away that something was wrong.
"Joy, darling, what's wrong?" Victoria asked with concern.
Joy shook her head. "It's nothing really. I just…I'm finally back for good and I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have a job or a home." She pointed at Melanie. "You're going back to sunny California and" she gestured towards Victoria, "the big apple is waiting for you." Joy took a deep breath. "I don't want to go back to LA and into a salon again. I'm over that."
Elka interrupted. "What is with this pity party? You can do anything and go anywhere you want to go. It's the land of the free remember?"
"It's not that simple."
"Sure it is. Flip a coin. Throw a dart. Let the wind take you wherever." Elka, the free spirit.
Joy picked at the corner of a napkin. "I liked it the way it was. When we were all together. And now…" Her voice trailed off.
Victoria hated to see Joy in such turmoil. She could feel her own heart breaking just listening to her. And then, from where she didn't know, Victoria offered. "What if it was like it was before?" She startled herself after she said it.
"What do you mean?" Joy looked up from her napkin confused.
Victoria smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, just like I said…like it was before." They all watched her intently. Victoria turned to Melanie. "Mel, do you have anything holding you in LA?"
Melanie thought about it. Her lips twisting. "No. No, I don't. I realized quickly that my kids are grown now. They don't need me. I'm actually a burden to them there." She said reflectively.
Victoria continued. "And The Chatter is almost over for the year. I don't know if the network is going to pick it up for another year yet or not. We won't know until the spring. And…I absolutely hate New York City. I never thought I'd say that but it's true." Victoria was getting excited about the prospect. Her heart was beating in her chest with full abandon.
Joy tilted her head to the right. "Are you saying…move back to Cleveland? All of us?"
Melanie piped up with excitement. "Yeah, why not? Elka, is the house still available?" It wouldn't be the same without that house and without Elka. Like she said the other night; it was their home.
Elka looked at each of them thoughtfully. How could she hide the fact that she'd been hoping and wishing for this moment for almost a year? She made them think she was considering it long and hard. "Well…I guess we could work something out. Of course the rent goes up. I have to include a hooker tax."
Victoria, Joy and Melanie were giddy as small children. After a year of living in a cramped apartment, fighting swamp things, and tracking down a stalker, it looked like life was just about to get back to normal. Victoria went to order yet another bottle of Champagne and hot wings. What a combination! And Melanie stumbled off to the ladies room.
Joy leaned towards Elka, her head nearly on Elka's shoulder. "Back off, stretch. Someone may get the wrong idea about us." Elka said.
Joy smiled but didn't move. "I know it was you."
"Me what?"
"I know it was you who arranged for my being able to live here permanently."
"How could a little old 90 year old lady manage to do that?" Elka took a sip from her glass of water. She couldn't hang with those three all night.
Joy's smile got bigger. "I know you still have connections. And you can thank your friend Charlie for me." She kissed Elka on the cheek.
Melanie and Victoria made their way back to the booth just as the countdown started.
"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1. Happy New Year!" They yelled together with about 100 other people.
They blew their noise makers and threw confetti then threw their arms around each other for a group hug.
Well I thought I was going to cliffhanger into the next story but I'm not sure which one I'm going to write next. (There are several rolling around in my head.) So I think I'll just stop this one here. I know many people like the "Joria" pairing but that just wasn't in the cards for this story. I'm sure I'll have another with that as the central theme so stay tuned.
This story went many different directions that I wasn't intending. So some of the side stories I had to rope back in quickly and finalize before they got out of hand.
So anyway, this has been quite fun for me. I didn't know where I was going when I started. These characters, even on paper, have a mind of their own! Lol I do like to use my own "hidden" homages to other shows and characters.
Charlie – got that from Rose Nylund's husband Charlie on The Golden Girls.
When Victoria goes to see Melanie in LA-this line references the theme song from One Day At A Time: This is it. This is life. It's the one you get so go and have a ball, Melanie."
So thanks for those who stuck with me. And I appreciate all of your insight and reviews.