HUNTER LAKE 15/100 THE GALA DESSERT

HUNTER LAKE 15/100 THE GALA DESSERT

Mabel pushed the door to the Valley View Café open
“Dottie?”

She held a piece of paper in her hand. “Dottie, where did you go?”

She marched into the kitchen, the back door was jammed open with a couple of shims and she could smell the cigarette smoke drifting back in.

The shims dropped out as Dottie opened the door. “Sorry, just taking a break.”

“You really should quit that nasty habit.”

“I know, I know, when I get health insurance.”

“This should help, my Bunko friends are helping me with the Gala this year and we wanted you to cater.”

“Are you kidding? I could set up the whole evening with canapés and a really great salad. Maybe between Franks friend we could.”

Mabel interrupted her with. “No, just the desserts, your cookies, to be exact.”

“Let me show you a sampling of what we could do.”

“I didn’t really ok all of that with my Bunko friends.”

“Think about it, we could do so much more. What’s the theme this year.”

“Same as every year, Fourth of July.”

“How about bringing in a live band this time.”

“Now, Dottie, you’re not on the planning committee.”

“Well, think about it, I have friends.”

“Well, here’s what you’ll make, you think about.”

Dottie looked at the paper, it barely would cover the costs of the ingredients, and she and Mabel knew it. What is really meant was that she was uninvited as a guest, as a caterer she could attend, but not as a guest.

The alley door opened again, “Mom, can I have the keys, got to get ivy back home.”

“That’s too bad, Henry just left, he could’ve brought her home.”

“I saw his pick up  at the Triangle Bar.”

“Ok, we’ll go over there and check it out.”

“Hi, Dottie.” Ivy stood quietly in the alley, her faded jeans with intentional rips, and T shirt and flip flops, corn silk hair floating in the breeze, library bag over her shoulder.

Mark kicked the smouldering cigarette further into the alley and its smoke became darker and glowed with the movement.

“Now Mark, don’t you think your mom should take the contract for the cookies for the gala? You’re the man of the house, convince her.”

Mark’s eyes squinted. He recognized the tone of the voice, dismissive, one he encountered every time he went to school, with everyone’s family except for Ivy’s. His family was “not intact” the words the school counselor used when he got a lecture about the “responsibilities of a citizen of Valley View.” His fists clenched and started to pound the door. Before he could Ivy grabbed the door.

“Let’s go.” She had seen that look before and knew that she was on Mabel’s shit list too, just by being his friend. Mabel’s children, twin girls, popular girls in school, learned their mother’s attitude and made sure the cliques excluded anyone that was not related to their Mom’s bunko gang.

“Listen Mabel, I would love to be part of it.” Dottie swallowed when she talked, “but I’m kind of busy right now, let me bring you some samples tomorrow.”

“Eleven am ok? I don’t want to put you out, we can meet here if that’s ok.”

“Fine.”

“Ok, I’ll tell the Gala Committee, I know they’d love to be here.”