by Zoe May
Gabe bursts into laughter and I can’t help joining in, until a snooty-looking sales assistant gives us a stern look and we pipe down.
‘So, what about Olly then? Is he not too God-like for you?’ Gabe says as he reaches for a flimsy black dress.
I think of Olly the last time I saw him, in that terrible baseball shirt, his eyes swimming with depth. ‘No. Olly’s different. Olly’s definitely tappable.’
‘I’d second that,’ Gabe says. ‘How about this?’ He holds up the flimsy black dress. It’s a tiny bum-skimming length with spaghetti straps and dark gold glittery fringing. It’s very Twenties flapper. It’s not something I’d ever have chosen, and yet I can totally see why Gabe went for it. It has the slightly theatrical dress-up vibe that he loves.
‘Umm…’ I take it from him and hold it up against my body. ‘It’s a bit short,’ I say, observing the hem which rests on my upper thighs.
‘Yeah, and you’re going to a party!’ Gabe reminds me. ‘Look babe, I know you like to live in jeans and slouchy shirts and stuff and to be fair, you do kind of rock that laid-back grungy look, but why don’t you just dress up a bit? Buy a fabulous dress to go with your fabulous hair?’ Gabe suggests.
‘Umm…’ I hold the dress out and take it in. ‘It’s a bit glitzy.’
‘Yeah, no shit!’ Gabe cries. ‘That’s the point. It’s a party.’
‘Alright. I’ll try it on, but no promises.’
‘Cool,’ Gabe relents.
I find a couple more dresses – the kind that actually cover your body parts – and then we head to the changing room. I try on a couple of the skater dresses I chose, but surprisingly, they don’t actually look that great. I never thought my hairstyle would shape the kind of clothes I wear, but with the short hair, the less feminine dresses look kind of butch. I put on the flapper dress Gabe chose and the moment it settles into place around my body, I just know, it’s the dress for me. It goes perfectly with my new haircut, providing a soft girlish counterbalance. I check myself out in the mirror, admiring my reflection from all angles. I really do look like a different person to the woman I was this morning. I stand on my tiptoes, imagining a pair of strappy sandals on my feet and I have to admit, I love the look. If I was excited about the party before, I’m even more excited now. I can’t wait to rock my new look, even though there isn’t really anyone I’m trying to impress.
I pull open the changing room curtain to show off the dress to Gabe. I do a little twirl, making that fringed edges of the dress swish and flutter.
‘You look sensational!’ Gabe says, his eyes lighting up. ‘Oh, Polly… that dress!’
‘I know! I love it!’ I do another little swish. ‘I never thought I’d be so excited about wearing a flapper dress to a singles party, but I absolutely cannot wait!’
‘It’s going to be brilliant!’ Gabe insists and even though the closest thing I have to a date is Derek, I have to admit, I think he’s right, it’s going to be brilliant.
Chapter 21
Come Friday, everything’s ready for the party. Bryant Park is bustling with its usual hubbub of people, but the restaurant is an oasis of calm and sophistication. Golden light oozes from the old cast iron street lights outside, complimented by fairy lights strung up in the railings surrounding the restaurant and enveloping the branches of the trees nearby. The lights illuminate the ivy enveloping the venue, making it glow an emerald shade. It looks even more enticing than normal and I feel excitement bubbling inside as I linger outside and look across at New York Public Library, drinking in its grand pillars, tall stone steps, bathed in soft golden light. The restaurant is still quiet. The party isn’t due to start for another few hours and only Derek and I are set to arrive early, but I can already tell it’s going to be an incredible night.
I knew Derek was putting a lot of effort into this party. After all, he said it was going to be the ‘Valentine’s Day party to end all Valentine’s Day parties’ but I didn’t realise quite how serious he was. The venue looks incredible. There are silver and red heart-shaped balloons everywhere, in clusters over the glass conservatory ceiling and tied to the corners of the bar. There are a few tables dotted throughout, where people can enjoy the buffet, and each is adorned with a grand flower display bursting with roses in pink, red, yellow and white shades. There’s an entire table devoted to cupcakes, arranged prettily on a tall tiered display. Even the wooden floor is covered with tiny pieces of heart-shaped confetti. It couldn’t be any more romantic, it’s stunning.
I head over to Derek, who is standing by the bar, sipping a glass of champagne and looking slightly smug and amused at my awe-struck, dazed state as I take it all in. Even Derek’s looking good, having swapped his usual lurid shirts for a smart well-fitted tuxedo with a pink bow tie.
‘Impressive, Derek,’ I comment, appraising the room once more. ‘When you said you were going to throw the most romantic party in the city, you really meant it, didn’t you?’
Derek smiles. ‘I don’t say things I don’t mean, Polly,’ he says with a wink, handing me a glass of champagne from an arrangement of bubbling glasses laid out on the bar. ‘But it’s not all down to me. You chose the venue. And it’s thanks to you that several of our star clients are coming here tonight with dates. That’s what it’s all about.’
He clinks his glass against mine. ‘To teamwork then,’ I suggest.
‘To teamwork,’ Derek concurs.
I look at him over the rim of my glass as I sip my champagne, and I don’t know if it’s the incredible dream-come-true party, the delicious bubbles spreading across my tongue or what, but I feel a warm rush of affection for Derek. I may have joked about his diabolical fashion sense, his shady past or his love of Oreos. I may have poked fun at him being a cuddly Cupid, but he’s also been a bit of an angel too, coming into my life and giving me a job when I really needed it. And not just giving me a job, but giving me encouragement and kindness too. He’s treated me well. I’m about to say something sentimental when a guy who looks distinctly like Andy Graham walks in.
‘Andy!’ Derek calls out. He grabs a glass of champagne and strides towards him, beckoning for me to follow.
Andy looks exactly like his pictures. Derek introduces me as his matchmaker and Andy blushes, as though a little embarrassed by the whole thing. He reaches hungrily for the glass of champagne Derek offers and practically necks it.
‘So, are you excited to meet Heather?’ I ask, since the last message I exchanged with him involved me telling him how brilliant Heather is, filling him in on the conversation we’d had so far and giving him his Match.com account login details so he could pick up the conversation where I left off and arrange a date. Conversation between Heather and I had descended into niche museum trivia and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off convincingly. It felt like time Andy stepped in.
‘Oh yeah…’ Andy pulls a face. ‘No, that didn’t work out.’
‘Oh no, what happened?’ I ask, feeling a prickle of irritation. How could it not work out with Heather? I searched high and low for her. She was a great fit for Andy.
‘I got talking to someone else,’ Andy says, taking a sip of his drink.
‘What? Who?’ I blurt out, with a little too much incredulity. Derek shoots me a look.
‘Another woman from Match. Katarina,’ Andy says.
‘Katarina?’ I gawp, recalling the stunning model/actress from Midtown who seemed completely out of Andy’s league.
‘We just got chatting one Friday night and we couldn’t stop. We were up all night messaging. It was crazy!’ Andy enthuses with a far-away look in his eyes at the memory.
‘Oh… right,’ I reply flatly. So, there’s absolutely no chance with Heather then?’
‘No! Sorry, she’s just not my type.’
Not his type!? Urghh. Heather was lovely. She was so ideal for Andy.
‘That’s a shame, I thought you’d get on.’
‘She was perfectly pleasant,’ Andy says, holding out his glass to a passing w
aiter who refills it. ‘But we just didn’t click. Not like I did with Katarina, anyway.’ Andy thanks the waiter and takes a sip of his drink. He nods thanks.
‘Okay… Well, congratulations!’ I say, clinking my glass against his, although I’m completely taken aback. How could Andy have hit it off with Katarina? How could he possibly have got along better with her than Heather, who had all the same interests. It makes no sense.
‘She’s brilliant. She’s an absolutely fascinating woman,’ Andy gushes.
A few more men in suits arrive and Derek waves at them over Andy’s shoulder. Both Andy and I look over with a complete lack of recognition. Derek excuses himself and goes over to greet the new guests, leaving me and Andy alone.
‘So, are you and Katarina going to meet?’ I ask a little hesitantly. I can’t help worrying that Katarina might have wound up chatting to Andy one night to pass the time, not realising he’d end up falling for her.
‘Oh yeah.’ Andy nods. ‘She’s coming along tonight.’
‘Tonight?’ I echo. ‘Wow, great!’
Andy grins. ‘I can’t wait.’
‘That’s fantastic!’ I beam back at him, trying to get my head around it. Katarina and Andy. Andy and Katarina. They seem like such an odd match. I’d never have imagined them getting on in a million years and yet she’s coming to the party. Maybe I still have a few things to learn about the matchmaking game.
Andy and I make small talk as the venue suddenly fills up in the way that always seems to happen at parties, with everyone arriving at once. After dropping their things off at the cloakroom, the guests take glasses of champagne from the bar and stand around chatting and mingling, while admiring the incredible venue. Everyone seems to be in high spirits. It’s hard not to be in such a beautiful place. Andy starts talking to another of the agency’s clients and I wander off to gather my thoughts and get another drink. I get a refill of my champagne and take a sip. I look across the throng of people until I spot Derek chatting with a couple I vaguely recognise as one of the success stories profiled on the website – a couple who met at another of Derek’s singles mixers. I’m wondering whether I should introduce myself when I’m suddenly distracted by a fashionably late arrival: Brandon. Dressed in an exquisite designer tux walking hand-in-hand into the party with an absolutely stunning blonde. None other than Eve. I thought she was beautiful before from simply swiping through her pictures. but she looks like she belongs on the red carpet. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen someone so glamourous in real life before. Tall and slender, with the body of a Victoria’s Secret model and long sweeping golden hair that falls over her plunging red silk gown. A hush spreads through the venue as everyone turns to look. I’ve never seen a couple look so good together. Eve’s stunning – truly stunning – but Brandon looks incredible too.
Derek catches my eye and raises his glass of champagne. He’s clearly really impressed that I managed to find Brandon someone so utterly gorgeous. I smile back, before returning my attention to Eve and Brandon. They’re captivating. They move effortlessly through the room, dipping into conversations, greeting people, engaging them, whilst still maintaining a sense of intimacy and closeness with one another. Eve will touch Brandon’s arm, or he’ll let his hand graze her back. They’re outgoing and extroverted while also being intimate and insular. It’s hard to believe that they only met a couple of weeks ago because they look like they’ve been together for years. They’re the ideal couple. I glance over at Andy, who’s standing chatting to another guy who I vaguely recognise as an agency client, someone Derek’s been looking after. Andy keeps glancing anxiously over towards the entrance, obviously wondering when Katarina’s going to arrive. I feel nervous for him. What if she stands him up? It would be awful. Katarina may be a bit out of his league, but she should at least show up if she’s said she’s going to be here. Andy could really do with a date. It’s not fair that people like Brandon – high-flying entrepreneurial lawyers blessed with good looks and natural charm – should get all the luck. Nice, unassuming, hardworking, hopeful guys like Andy deserve a break too.
I sigh and take another sip of my champagne, before heading over to say hi to Brandon and Eve.
‘Polly!’ Brandon’s eyes light up the moment I approach them. ‘You look absolutely fantastic,’ he enthuses, taking in my hair and dress.
‘Oh, thank you! I thought I’d get a new look,’ I comment, glancing shyly at Eve. She smiles back. She’s even more gorgeous up close. Her skin is absolutely flawless and her eyes sparkle, even though she’s looking at me with a blank curiosity. She glances at Brandon, clearly expecting an introduction. It’s weird to think that I already know her. I already know about her thoughts and feelings, her life philosophies, the tough times she’s been through, her hopes and dreams and yet here she is, regarding me like a total stranger. I feel a twinge of guilt. Brandon and I exchange a look, which doesn’t last more than a second, but it’s clear we’re both feeling a little awkward.
‘Polly, this is Eve,’ he says, introducing us. ‘Eve, Polly.’
Eve and I shake hands. ‘Lovely to meet you,’ she says. Even her voice is nice: gentle, smooth and lilting.
‘Polly’s a friend of mine. She works at the agency,’ Brandon explains.
I nod weakly, trying to suppress the awkwardness.
‘Oh, great!’ Eve says, with a big friendly smile.
‘And what do you do?’ I ask, even though of course, I already know.
‘I work in the city,’ Eve says. ‘As a fund manager. It’s great.’
‘Oh, impressive,’ I reply moronically. Brandon and I exchange another guilty look.
‘Thanks!’ Eve says.
A silence passes between us. I take a sip of my drink.
‘So, have you two been dating long?’ I ask, avoiding Brandon’s gaze.
‘Oh no, not long, just a few weeks,’ Eve tells me, giving Brandon a sweet affectionate smile.
‘Oh, lovely. You two seem like a good match.’
‘Thanks. Yes, it’s been great,’ Eve says, giving Brandon an affectionate look. He gazes back at her with a look of total adoration.
‘I’m so happy for you!’ I enthuse. ‘It’s lovely to see two people really falling for each other.’
‘Yes, Brandon’s a great guy,’ Eve says.
I nod. She really seems to love the word ‘great’.
‘You old romantic, Polly,’ Brandon says, nudging me. ‘Fabulous party by the way. When you said it would be unmissable, I thought you were just trying to hype it up, but it really is. You and Derek really went to town.’
‘Yeah, it’s a great party,’ Eve adds.
‘Thanks, we did our best!’ I enthuse, trying not to wince at Eve’s use of the word ‘great’ yet again. Is it like a nervous twitch or something? To just describe everything as great? She doesn’t look nervous though. She regards me with a calm smiling expression; she seems totally relaxed. If anything, a little vacant. She’s not at all how I imagined her to be. I thought she’d be sparky and interesting and edgy, and yet here she is, echoing everything Brandon says and describing everything as ‘great’.
‘What do you think of the venue, amazing isn’t it?’ I ask her.
‘Oh, it’s great,’ she says.
I laugh awkwardly. Great? Again!? Does Eve have any other words in her vocabulary? I glance at Brandon, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He looks completely content. He smiles affectionately at Eve. I try to think of something else to say, when suddenly a whispery hush sweeps through the room and everyone turns once more to look at the entrance. I glace over my shoulder to see a six-foot-tall familiar-looking striking beauty in a floor length shimmering sequined gown walk into the party. She pauses on the steps, almost like a model striking a pose at the end of the runway. She slowly surveys the room, and as her head turns towards me, Brandon and Eve, I suddenly realise why she looks so familiar.
‘No way,’ I utter, thinking out loud. It’s Katarina. It’s actually Katarina. I recognise her lo
ng flowing blonde hair, her large blue eyes, and striking looks.
‘Katarina!’ A male voice cries out and everyone in the room turns to look at Andy, who’s waving maniacally, flashing his sweaty underarm.
‘Katarina! Over here!’ he shouts, a massive delighted grin plastered over his face. He has absolutely no chill whatsoever and I can’t help cringing a little, except when I look back to Katarina, she’s also grinning widely and waving back, suddenly appearing to have tunnel vision only for Andy as she walks down the stairs, before weaving through the guests towards him. I’m glad I’m wearing high heels as I can just about see across the room as she and Andy embrace. And when I say embrace, I mean embrace. They literally clutch each other hungrily like they’ve been waiting for days. Katarina can’t stop smiling.
‘Who are they?’ Brandon asks, looking over.
‘He’s a client,’ I tell him, still feeling a bit bemused.
‘Did you set him up with his date?’ Brandon asks. ‘They look so happy to see each other.’
‘Umm… yes, I guess I did set them up. Inadvertently,’ I add. Brandon gives me a puzzled look, but I don’t elaborate.
‘They look great together,’ Eve observes.
‘They do,’ I agree, even though I feel like I might need to start a drinking game soon, knocking back a shot every time Eve says ‘great’.
Derek suddenly interrupts. He greets Brandon with a big hug and gets introduced to Eve. While Brandon compliments Derek on the party, a waiter comes over with a plate of canapes – tiny blinis piled with smoked salmon, caviar and a sprig of thyme. They look mouth-watering and we all take one.
I pop mine in my mouth and watch Eve as she does the same. I’m bracing myself for her to describe them as ‘great’.
‘Delicious,’ she opts for instead.
‘Really delicious,’ I echo, meaning it. Not only has Derek gone all out with the décor, but he’s gone all out with the canapes too. They’re so tasty and I can’t help looking through the crowd to see where the waiter has got to, in the hope of having another.
