I whirled around the terracotta floors of my great room in Ed’s arms and enjoyed my evening of bliss. Mike doesn’t dance, so when Esther asked me for a Christmas party with waltzing and formal wear, Ed was the first person I invited. He looked dashing in his tuxedo, bow tie, cummerbund, knickerbockers, and knee-high socks. I knew he could dance because many years ago he showed me a clipping of him and his sister, “The Johnson Kids” performing a dancing and singing routine nearly sixty years ago. He was a wonderful dancer. There’s nothing better than dancing with a partner who has a firm lead and a cheerful countenance.
Esther and John Ben waltzed past me smiling at each other. Esther had proposed this dance in her first trimester. She was now six months pregnant and more fatigued than she had expected, but everyone enjoyed the slow pace she set for the evening. John Ben looked smart in his new sports jacket, and Esther was adorable in her black maternity dress which showcased her baby bump before tapering down to her knees.
“Married Life,” from the movie UP ended, and everyone moved over to the appetizer table which had the goat cheese-date-bacon appetizers baked in phyllo shells. I hadn’t been able to find plain goat cheese, so it was made with cranberry and cinnamon goat cheese giving them an unexpected but delightful twist. The second appetizer was my famous dill weed spanakopita baked in bite-sized puff pastries.
We talked and ate and headed back to the dance floor for a waltz to some classical music. We kept our partners again because Esther had told me, “The longer I’m married and the longer I’m pregnant, I’m clingier to my husband. I want to spend time with him, and I don’t want to spend time with anyone else.” It was a party for her after all. My friend Tammy and her fiancé Jack gazed lovingly into each other’s eyes as they floated past Ed and me. Tammy and I used to hang out when I lived in Albuquerque before the move. She had told me about Jack, and I could tell he made her happy. This was my first time meeting him, and Jack did not disappoint. He and Ed were the best conversationalists at the party.
Esther ended the song at around four minutes, and we went back to the table to wait for the kitchen staff to serve the soup course. Sophia wore black slacks, a white blouse, and a black vest. Xenia matched her, and Justin wore his suit from Esther’s wedding. He and Xenia were both barefoot, but Justin looked especially dashing with sunglasses and a white towel draped over his arm. The adults at the party all chose my homemade cream of mushroom soup, while the twenty and under guests had Sophia’s chicken tortellini soup. Mike and Sophia came out of the kitchen to join us.
The third waltz was to, “Le Festin” from the movie, Ratatouille. I insisted that we switch partners, and I danced with John Ben. The adults switched amongst themselves as did the young crowd. Our young dancers consisted of Basil, his best friend Yelisei, Yulia, who is Yelisei’s sister, and our friend Abbi from church. It was so hard to find couples for my dance. I was reprimanded on more than one occasion for inappropriately and obsessively asking people to come to my party. Kelly recommended Yulia and though she didn’t know how to waltz, she was thrilled to have the chance to dress up and dance. Kelly and Yulia’s mom Christa had fun shopping for dresses and dolling her up. She looked gorgeous in her lacy, peach-colored, floor-length dress. Both she and Yelisei came to my house and learned to dance with Basil and me over the course of three weeks. I can’t tell you how happy and thrilled I was when I found Abbi. Ed and I were talking at coffee hour one Sunday after service about the party. When I mentioned my failed attempts to find more dancers, the cute UNM college student to my left spoke up and said she would love to come. Abbi had taken PE dance lessons in school and watched a YouTube video to refresh her skills. She appreciated having the chance to dress up and wear heels and after the party said, “I felt both feminine and confident, which was cool.”
We went back to our seats and were served the main course of Mike’s sous vide duck with a red wine cherry reduction and my mushroom risotto. I had intended on there being green beans but forgot them in all the excitement. It was as delicious as it sounds. There were even a few extra duck breasts for seconds.
Our last dance was “The Last Waltz” by Engelbert Humperdinck. I loved being back with Ed, my charming partner. Knowing it was the last dance, we filled it with smiles and friendly conversation. Mike and Sophia watched us and took pictures. Everyone had smiles on their faces and general happiness filled the room.
The dessert course came next, which was laid out on the long thin table set along the windows in the back of the room, close to the dining table. My baklava was served in silver cupcake cups alongside Sophia’s pastry chef masterpieces. Two rows of glass dessert dishes held lemon meringue and Biscoff cheesecake, and homemade chocolate ice cream with raspberries filled small, white ramekins.
Mike and I thanked everyone for coming. They in turn thanked us for putting the night together. Everyone cheered the kitchen team, especially Mike whose duck was a huge success. Esther was exhausted and went to bed. Basil, Yelisei, Yulia, and Abbi went to the pool room to shoot pool and play board games. Tammy and I took our shoes off, sat on a sofa pushed against the side of the empty great room, and talked late into the evening. The gentlemen joined Mike on the benches outside under the heat lamp for cigars, cognac, and conversation.
It was a party success. Jake said that he enjoyed the food, dancing, and conversations with interesting and vibrant people. He found a connection with Ed through a pianist whom Ed knows well and who played accompaniment to Jack’s French horn at his childhood church. Abbi said she enjoyed getting to know a lot about everybody. Basil said, “I’m down to do it again.” I think everyone felt the same.
I follow in Mom’s footsteps. She was a lover of fun and always ready for the next adventure. It’s hard to repeat an event like this one, but if Mike and Esther are up for up for another go at a dance party this summer, I too am down for it, especially if Ed will be my date.
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