Page 24 of Like It's 1999

Part Three

December, 1994

“Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”

Johnny Castle,Dirty Dancing

ALICE

At six p.m. as we watch the ball drop on the television screen, Kate lifts her glass to shout, “Happy New Year!” Half the room groans; the other half of the room yells along with her. I’m just framing a shot when the front door opens and Steve Lowell steps in. Will greets him and explains that they’re celebrating early because of the kids. Steve laughs.

I lower my camera since I can’t seem to focus on anyone or anything else.

He looks good. Fit. Happy. Good for him.

I can’t believe I haven’t seen the guy for five years. After I moved to Atlanta and he moved out to San Francisco, our paths obviously didn’t easily cross.

Not sure I’m up for comparing lives, I duck down the back hall. Kate catches me by the back stairs, Mini-Will perched on her hip. “Are you having fun? I’m so glad you came.”

I’m glad too—glad she talked me into coming up for this party and glad my husband wouldn’t take time off to join me. Yeah, I said it. I’m glad he’s not here.

I clink my glass with hers. “Even if this is the lamest New Year’s Eve party ever, it’s really good to see you.”

Neither Kate nor I are drinking champagne. She’s nursing little Billy, so she’s drinking seltzer water. I went for my old stand-by: a G&T, heavy on the G tonight.

“With two kids under the age of two, I can’t stay up past nine o’clock.” She leans in to whisper, “Hopefully most of these people will head off to other parties soon, and then you and I can hang out and catch up. Unless you have other plans?”

“Nope, I’m all yours.”

“Yay!” She bounces the baby. “Okay, I’m going to say hi and bye to a couple more people and then put this guy to bed.” Yawning, she adds, “Maybe I can stay up long enough to watch the real ball drop.”

I kiss Billy’s fat cheek and whisper, “Good night, cutie.” He pats my face and gurgles before Kate whisks him away. Turning away so I can wipe my stupid tears in private, I run smack into a broad chest.

“Whoops,” Steve grasps my upper arms to steady me. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.” He studies my face. “You okay?”

I wipe my eyes with my cocktail napkin and nod my head in Kate’s direction. “Oh, you know. Baby allergy.”

He nods, one brow cocked. “Uh-huh.”

I study my empty glass. “Time for another round.” I move toward the kitchen, and he follows me. Since it seems like he’s not going anywhere, I mix a cocktail for each of us.

When we settle in a cozy nook surrounded by kid crap, he’s still giving me a concerned look, so I paste a housewifely smile on my face and launch into the realm of polite queries. “So, you moved to San Fran, when? In ’91?”

“Actually, it was the end of ’90.”

“Right after I moved to Atlanta?”

He gives me that old salesman smile. “Yeah, once you were gone, Boston lost its shine.”

I give him a smirk. “Uh-huh. And you’d dated every female in the Greater Boston area already, so you needed some fresh territory.”

“You know me so well.”

“For real, what took you out there?” I sit back, surprised to find that I’m truly interested in his story.

“I had an opportunity.” He shrugs. “A friend was at a VC firm that was hiring??—?”

“VC?”

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