Page 279 of Nobody's Girl

My parents go to the end of the table, taking their seats. The boys sit back down, but are forced to stand back up as Eden’s parents come in. Lyle walks up to Kyle and shakes his hand, beginning the lengthy hellos between my friends and Eden’s parents.

They go to take their seats at the other end of the table. Everything is going so well. Terri comes in with a bottle of white wine, pouring everyone a glass. After she leaves, Scotty holds up his glass.

“So, we’re sophisticated again, Dad?” Scotty asks our father.

Dad looks at him. “If it’s in front of you, drink it, boy. No need for comments.”

We all laugh a little and I look at Laura. “It’s not always this formal, but I wanted to give you guys the five-star treatment. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Laura smiles back. “This is really nice of you, Ally. Nice of all of you,” she says as she looks at Eden and then our parents. “Thank you all so much for inviting us.”

Eden looks at her and smiles. “We love having you here.”

Terri arrives again with our salads, placing them in front of us. Laura leans in a bit. “Ally, the clothes are to die for. I can’t thank you enough. I’m so lucky to have you as my best friend.”

“Having a personal shopper is the best.”

“So after dinner, Al, can Kyle and Eden play games?” Scotty asks.

“I’m not their boss, Scotty. They can do whatever they want to,” I answer him.

“So do you want to?” he asks, looking back and forth between Kyle and Eden.

“If Kyle wants to, then, yeah,” Eden answers him.

“Of course I do, Scott,” Kyle tells him, then leans close to him to whisper something in his ear I can’t make out, and then they both laugh.

“I don’t know about that Kyle. I’ve been playing like nonstop since we got here,” Scotty informs him.

Kyle looks over at Eden. “Should I be afraid, Eden? Is he that good?”

“He kicks my ass,” Eden replies.

I look at Eden. “Your mouth, Eden,” I whisper.

“It’s quite all right, Ally,” my father tells me. “Scotty kicks my ass at those games too.”

Everyone laughs and then Terri brings us the main course, which is fried alligator and shrimp with beans, coleslaw, and hushpuppies. I’m surprised by the taste of the alligator. It’s not at all what I expected.

“You know, I was expecting this to taste very different,” I comment.

Then Laura and Kyle look at each other. “It tastes like chicken,” they say at the same time, making us all erupt into laughter again.

Later, Terri brings in the dessert. It’s the most gorgeous pineapple upside down cake I’ve ever seen. I wonder how in the world our chefs can make such a simple cake look like a million dollars. They never cease to amaze me.

“Everything was so delicious,” Laura says as she sets her dessert fork down next to her half-eaten piece of cake. “I’m so full, I can’t even finish this phenomenal piece of cake.”

Scotty clanks his fork down, loudly. “Dad, I’m done. Can I be excused?”

“Okay Scotty, but I don’t want you to stay up all night, playing games,” Dad orders.

“I won’t. Well, you guys coming, or what?” he asks Eden and Kyle.

Eden looks at me and Kyle looks at Laura for approval. “Just go,” I say as I wave my hand at Eden.

He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, then jets out of the room, following Kyle and Scotty. “Looks like it’s just you and me. We should go for a swim. I think I’d love swimming at night,” I tell Laura

“That sounds good to me,” Laura says in agreement.