Page 102 of Is This for Real?
Rory tells them. His arm encircles me, and I nestle into him. Rory is wearing hisCasablanca-inspired robe, and I’m wearing mine. I put pin tucks in mine to shape it and give me a waist. At least it’s easier to remove than my previousCasablanca-inspired costume.
One of Rory’s friends, who works in set design, arrives—with a moving searchlight. It’s expensive, so he’s the only one who is allowed to touch it. He places it up high, attached to the wall, so that it is out of harm’s way. He dims the lights. The searchlight sweeping over the room gives an eerie feeling.
Pat, Rory’s usual Columbia University student bartender, enters, dressed in a French military uniform, and sets up the bar. As guests arrive, Rory is mingling and chatting. A sense of relief fills me. I’m hanging out with Zelda in the corner. Callie is dressed like the woman Rick rejected inCasablanca. This may be a good sign, but I think she just chose the skimpiest outfit in that movie. The shimmery halter top and white harem pants show off her completely flat stomach.
“Callie is glued to him. You’ve got to separate them,” Zelda says.
“Callie has a boyfriend now, but he’s divorced, so she wants to understand him better by hearing about what Rory’s dad is going through.”
“Rory told her about his dad?”
“I was surprised, too,” I say.
“Youneed to be the person Rory confides in about his dad.” Zelda’s brow is furrowed.
“I try, but I sometimes say the wrong thing.”
“Is there a wrong thing to say?” Zelda leans against the wall, sipping herCasablancacocktail, Pat’s special creation for the night. She mmms. Pat added a dash of cardamom spice, so it gives the flavor of Morocco.
“Yes.” I nod decisively. “Because I’ve said it.”
“That just means that Rory feels comfortable to express his frustration and hurt with you.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“I think a divorced guy would be a good prospect; they’d have learned from their mistakes and now be more aware of how to make a relationship work.” Zelda frowns. “But I think she’s still after Rory.”
“Seems a little unlikely given that she’s now dating someone.” Then again, we fake dated to deter her, so all’s fair in love and war. “Her boyfriend is coming tonight, so we’ll meet him.”
Jake puts on the dancing music. The second one is supposed to be “It Had to Be You,” the song we kissed to. We’re going to swing-dance to that, so I leave Zelda to find Rory. Rory has disappeared from the living room and the kitchen. Callie and Rory are sitting on the couch in his bedroom, and she looks like she’s about to cry. Rory has his arm around her.
It will be callous of me to ask him to dance. But that’s what we had planned. I want to stamp my foot, like a five-year-old who is not getting a dog for Christmas.
“Our song is next,” I say, perching on the couch arm next to Rory.
Rory says, “Callie’s boyfriend broke up with her.”
“Oh,” I say. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’ll tell Jake to play it later.” He texts Jake on his phone.
Callie rests her head on his shoulder.
I say, “Well, you’re missing the party moping over this guy. You should get out there and enjoy it. Taylor Swift, shake it off, and all that.”
“I’m not very good at ‘shaking it off’ and hiding my emotions,” she says. There’s an unspoken “unlike you.”
I wince and look sharply at him.Has he been talking about me to Callie?Also, career-girl Callie is usually quite good at not showing vulnerability. Maybe she really likes this guy.
“You’re certainly not begrudging me my time with Rory. I mean, I let him go on his monthly brunch dates with you when we were dating,” she says.
I have to presume our brunches were not during parties they planned. And they involved no physical contact.
Rory looks apologetically at me.
“We’ll be out soon,” he says.
I nod and return to the party.
