Audrey Hepburn's Pearls: Part I

Chapter 19.1: 1967, Georgina

Chapter 19.1: 1967, Georgina

 

"Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli," Paulie whispered, singing and wiggling his eyebrows to his "date". He wiggled his eyebrows to me, too, as I danced with my "date" next to him. 

"Don't sing," his sour faced date scolded. 

"Come on baby, lighten up," Paulie laughed. I laughed with him and my date gave me a funny look. I couldn't even remember her name.

"Do you want a drink or something," I asked her. The song by the Chordettes was ending and my feet hurt in these silly oxford dress shoes. 

"Bourbon, straight up," she said, rolling her eyes and parting from me.

"My kind of lady," I chuckled.

"Get this woman some wine, maybe it will make her face sweeter," Paulie rudely called after me. I rolled my eyes and let out a breath, chuckling afterwards at the distinct sounds of his date telling him off. He hated that woman. He wanted to be here at this wedding reception with Avi, but Avi had a girl date, too. Paulie resented both of the women with unbridled hate that he did not attempt to hide.

At the open bar just outside of the reception hall, I asked the bored looking bartender for two red wines and two bourbons, straight up. 

"Gonna drink that all yourself?" he asked casually, lifting the bourbon bottle high up as the spout poured at a dribble. The song "Stupid Cupid" by Connie Francis started in the room behind me and cheers went up. 

"What are you, a wiseguy? This is for four people," I spat at him. He shrugged.

After a few minutes, he handed me all of the drinks and I balanced them in my hands and against my body. Ungraceful, but what was I supposed to do?

As I made my way back into the room, people were doing the Twist and generally acting like fools. My eyes flicked to the head table in the room, a long white clothed one in front of the unused stage. Seated in two fancy lattice-like chairs were the bride and groom, looking like royalty. Eddie was looking at his new bride in the same way the bartender had looked at me. Seated beside him was Frankie, the best man, staring at me. He brightened, seeing me, and I winked at him. I swear if I had been close enough I could have seen his familiar pink blush form on his cheeks at that.

The thought made me smile to myself. I made my way over to my table, where Paulie was seated. 

"Where did my date go?" I asked, looking around. Before I had finished my sentence, I saw her on the dance floor doing the Twist with some guy who was taller than me. Figures.

As I sat down, putting the drinks down on the table, a man with a heavy Italian accent approached Paulie's date and asked her for a dance. Her eyes went to Paulie angrily. Paulie lifted his hand as if to shove her away. 

"Wonderful, now I have two drinks," Paulie beamed, gathering the two wines all for himself eagerly. 

"Maybe three," I smiled similarly, snapping my fingers and pointing at our table to a waiter ferrying champagne around the room. He started to approach us.

"Now if only Avi would come over here. Look at him with that woman. What's her name. I don't care. Why is he still sitting with her?" Paulie looked over at them jealously. They were sitting with four other Jewish people, all couples. "I have half a mind to go over there and drag him away myself."

"Don't you dare," I shushed at him. 

"Champagne, gentleman?" the waiter asked, showing us the various types on his tray. The flutes sparkled beautifully under the romantic lighting.