Joe Del Castillo
Joe Del Castillo lives on Long Island, New York and is a member of the Long Island Writers Guild. He has been published in New Pop Lit, Home Planet News, October Hill and Macrame Literary Journal.
The Anniversary Dinner (Short Fiction)
At my best friend's request, Kendra and I arrived early to get a table in the restaurant’s outdoor garden. Will and Teri were due at any moment. As we waited, Kendra did her best not to make a scene because, knowing she would get upset, I had delayed until now to reveal that Will had begun to see another woman. In a public place, Kendra would have to stay calm.
She leaned into me. “And you waited till now to tell me?”
“I only found out two days ago. I was afraid you might call Teri and ruin this evening.”
“Dave, Teri expects Will to propose to her soon. I thought it was a done deal. What’s going on with your suddenly not-so-smart friend? Who is this girl?”
“It’s one of the sales people he supervises.”
Staring at the salt and pepper shakers, Kendra tapped her fingers on the table. “Is it because Teri is religious and won’t go to bed until she’s married? And this other girl isn’t?”
“No. If that's all he wanted, he wouldn’t have dated Teri for all this time.”
“Isn’t it against the rules to date people in one’s department?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
At an Italian restaurant to celebrate the couple’s one-year anniversary, set in a townhouse built in the late 1800s, we had a corner table in the back garden. Aged brick walls on three sides and a trellis with roses above us created a low-lit, courtyard ambiance. Per my buddy’s request, a bottle of merlot was on the table and the house special pasta was on order.
“Come on, you must know more,” Kendra insisted. “Spit it out.”
“I mentioned the girl to you a month or so ago. She was out walking when, passing a storefront, some workmen lost control of a glass pane they carried, and it toppled on her. She wound up spending two weeks in the hospital. He felt it was his duty to go visit her. He then went back a couple of times.”
“And now he’s seeing her.” Kendra shook her head. “You need to fix this. Will belongs with Teri. Those two are made for each other, like you and me.”
“Hon, how am I supposed to ‘fix’ this? It’s his life, not ours.”
Spotting them enter, I stood and waved. Will, having come directly from work, was dressed in his charcoal gray suit. I was more relaxed in my beige blazer and tan slacks.
“I love this place!” Teri turned around to get a full view. “It’s beautiful. And it’s a lovely night. How perfect.”
Will pulled out a chair for her. “Doesn’t she look great?”
Teri always looked good, but tonight, uncommon for her, she wore a shorter skirt than usual and a ruffled, flowery blouse, with the two top buttons open instead of her standard one. Admittedly, I tried to spot some cleavage, and tonight, for the first time, I saw that the end of her necklace had a crucifix at the end.
Taking their seats, Teri glanced up at the flowers weaving through the latticework and took her boyfriend’s hand. “Will sent me roses today. Everyone in the office wanted to know where they came from. I told them that a very special guy sent them.”
After we toasted the two, the waiter rolled out a cart with a half-wheel of cheese with its middle removed. On the other side of the cart rested a pot of linguini. The man tossed the pasta into the hollowed-out center, and let the sides of the cheese melt onto it. He then served each of us an appetizer size portion.
Kendra placed her hands on her face. “My gosh. How cool is this?”
“This is awesome,” I commented. “I need to tell my mother.”
“Dave, maybe she can teach me to do a home version of this for you. She’s already promised to give me some of your favorite recipes.”
Teri placed her hand on Will’s shoulder. “How do you know about this place?”
My friend hesitated for a moment and then said, “I read about it in the paper.”
“Will is so lucky,” Kendra remarked. “As is my David.”
“So Kendra,” Teri said, holding her glass by the stem. “Not only is Dave lucky. I’d say he’s wrapped around your finger.”
“It’s funny you say that.” For the first time since our friends arrived, Kendra raised her left hand off her lap.
“Oh my God!” Teri almost tipped her chair over as she rushed over to Kendra and kissed her. Taking my girl’s hand in hers, her fingers caressed the sparking, though modest-sized, diamond. “Great choice, Dave. I’m impressed.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kendra softly tap Teri’s bare left ring finger, tilt her head toward Will, and wink. Teri smiled, but Will didn’t see any of that. He had already begun eating.
Teri returned to her seat and tussled Will’s hair. “So hon, how was your day?”
“Crazy actually. Since our clientele is mostly big spenders, some act as if the rules don’t apply to them. Today, some dowager and her terrier are by the elevator when her dog takes a dump. What does the woman do? Nothing! She picks up her pooch and walks away as if it’s a given that someone else will clean it up. The next thing you know, the elevator door opens, and, of all people, my boss comes out and walks right into it.”
“Oh no!” Teri covered her mouth. “What did he do?”
“He went nuts. He’s got a short fuse as it is. Seeing me, he wanted to know what happened. I couldn’t resist. I said, ‘I think you stepped into shit.’ I thought he was going to fire me, but he just hopped away, grumbling. I then blocked the area off and called maintenance.”
Kendra got the giggles, and Teri shook her head.
“Oh man, I would have loved to have seen that,” I said. “I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Also, and not so great,” Will went on, “my best salesgirl resigned. She’s the one who had the accident of the glass falling on her.”
My fiancée stopped laughing.
About to take a sip of wine, Teri halted, her glass in midair. “That’s the one you visited in the hospital several times, right?”
“She’ll be tough to replace,” Will continued. “She had very loyal clients. It’s my job to match her customers with the right replacement to keep them happy.” He turned to Teri. “She helped you pick out a suit for your dad several months ago—do you recall?”
“I think so. She was OK.”
Kendra squeezed my hand, digging her thumbnail into my palm. I made eye contact with Will, hoping he’d read my mind and drop the subject.
“Oh gosh,” my girl said. “It makes me cringe just to imagine all that glass cutting into your skin. She must have been disfigured. I’m sure she looks awful.”
“If she’s not going back to work,” Terri noted, “she probably collected a nice insurance payment.”
“Dave,” Kendra said, “order more wine.”
I raised the empty bottle and the waiter nodded.
“Are there any wedding plans yet?” Teri asked.
“Dave and I have agreed against a long engagement. By the end of next year, my family will open a new store in Suffolk County. Dave loves working with my dad at the Queens store, so when we relocate, he’ll get to assistant manage the new one. Come one day, he’ll be the boss.”
“It’s a great situation,” I added. “It’ll be a big change from city life here, but I think I’m ready for it.”
“And when you buy a house,” Will said, “you’ll get your furniture at a discount.”
“Very nice,” Teri offered. “And my company has stores out there too so you can get any electronics with my discount.”
The waiter returned, opened the bottle and refilled our glasses.
“We make a great foursome,” Kendra said, as we toasted ourselves. “Like the four musketeers.”
Will looked down at his plate. “Of course, when you two move to the boonies, Dave and I won’t get to hang out as much, if at all. I’ll be in Queens and working in Manhattan.”
“Will, don’t be so glum.” Teri ran her hand up and down Will’s arm as if to soothe him. “Working in Manhattan is fun, but I love going home to Long Island. Actually, most islanders started out in Queens and Brooklyn, you know. It’s a good life.”
“I don’t know,” Will said. “I’m a city guy. I like Manhattan and all it has to offer.”
Teri unlatched her pocketbook. “People grow up, get married, and raise families. It can't be bars and ballparks for the rest of your life.” From her bag, she pulled out a zippered pouch. “Look, I got you a present. This is for you.”
Opening it, he withdrew a miniature set of bright gold rosary beads. I know my friend. Tickets to a ballgame would have been preferable.
“It’s called a pocket rosary,” Teri pointed out. “Instead of five sets of ten beads each, like a regular rosary, it’s one set of ten. It’s for your car. It will protect you from stupid drivers and animals bolting across the road.”
Will shrugged. “Not too many animals in the city. Mostly cats, dogs, and squirrels.”
Teri rubbed her forehead. “Well, out on the island there’s rabbits, deer and more.”
“Hey Will,” Kendra said. “It’ll also inspire you to go back to church.”
“More than that,” Teri laughed. “Not only go but actually pay attention. The few times I’ve dragged him along, his eyes glaze as if he’s in space.”
“Dave gets that way sometimes, but he’s improving.”
Will spoke up. “Thank you, Teri.” With his hand, he extended the rosary across the table for us to see better. And then, Teri startled us. Placing her arm around Will’s neck, she pulled him close and kissed him, spreading his lips apart with her tongue. Not the woman we knew. Teri was usually restrained in public. With most couples, it wasn’t a big deal, but I could see that even Will was stunned. He froze, and I focused on his hand, the rosary hanging, looping from finger to finger like a party streamer. Suddenly, I sensed the changes Will referenced and understood that he was right; the likelihood of us getting together regularly would diminish once I was married. For better or worse, our lives would be transformed.
“Teri,” Will said, catching his breath. “Should I drape it around the mirror?”
“Yes, but if it blocks your vision, store it in your glove compartment. It will still work.”
“No,” Kendra stated. “Leave it in the mirror so you always see it. You shouldn’t do anything that will block your vision.” Her hand folded into a fist. “Keep it out so you always see it. It just might stop you from stepping into shit.”