"A dinner party?" Melanie squirmed for a second. Melanie knew how to get what she wanted. Right now, she wanted Caleb Harland, and sharing him with a bunch of Jena's friends was not high on her agenda. The man was a sporting legend. No doubt Jena's friends would want their fifteen minutes of fame with him. That in itself would render the dinner party a wash out as far as she was concerned.
Jena nodded and banked her amusement. "Traditions, kind of. It is my turn to host our month-dinner. Nothing major or fussy, just another four people." She watched Melanie's expression and knew she was not happy with this suggestion.
"You and your friends." Melanie's mind scrabbled for a reason why she could ignore this invitation.
Jena smiled, albeit it was a forced smile. At least now, she thought she had some control over this situation. "Yes. And my friends are lovely. We always have a great time. Conversations are..."
Jena banked her snort when she realised she and Melanie were good at forced smiles! Melanie's lips curved and shrugged, "Well, I don't want to interrupt your ..."
"You wouldn't." Jena interjected. "I knew you would be here for dinner on Friday, when Tony asked if you could stay with me. We often have others, you know, if we have guests staying, we bring them along to the dinner. So had counted you into the dinner on Friday, so adding just Mr Harland, is not a burden. And we always cook too much, so no doubt, as per normal, there will be dog-bags." She banked her smile of triumph.
"But..."
"No problem at all, don't worry, Melanie. No problem at all." Jena said. Melanie squirmed. In her mind, Jena was dancing, as she continued, "Ask Mr Harland. Or I can ask him, if you prefer, I can explain the situation. You and he can join the group and have dinner here. That would sort out the double-booking issue." Jena banked her laugh as she watched Melanie's reaction. Jena said candidly, "I know my friends would love it, if he joined us for dinner. You know, we rarely have a celebrity in our midst. Assuming you don't mind sharing your new friend, Caleb! He sounds lovely. A clearly a gentleman, given he offered to show you the tourist attractions in the town. He is obviously kind." Her smiled grew. At this rate, Jena thought, she could challenged pinnochio, given she was lying through her teeth. That man was anything but a gentleman!
Melanie wanted to scream. There was absolutely no way on this planet that she was going to bring Caleb here for dinner. The man moved in sophistication circles. The last thing he'd want to do is spend his time in this odd cube of a house. "Of course not, but it might not be his scene." Melanie hedged and wondered what she could do to scupper Jena's suggestion.
"True." Jena said. Of course this was not his scene. "But he might enjoy something different. A very different social milieu! Meeting new people from diverse social stratum."
Melanie was pretty certain that Jena was baiting her, just to see how she'd react to her suggestion.
Jena hoped her statement would register as a insult, but she was not sure that Melanie would see the barb, "He might enjoy meeting other average people like you. You said he enjoyed your company!"
"It is very kind of you. But that would make it an odd number at dinner." She pointed out, hoping to deter Jena without causing the woman to dig her heels in. Melanie was starting to realize that Jena was stubborn! Melanie was here, because Tony suggested she might like to spend the time with his family in Wellington while he is away on a business trip.
"Right." Jena decided she should force the issue. Or at least, give the impression that she wanted Caleb to come to dinner. "May I have his phone number? I can phone him right now and ask him to come for dinner on Friday."
Melanie vetoed that suggestion. "Thanks Jena, but, er, he was about to leave, he had a flight to catch. And I should do something, not leave everything to you. That is unfair." Melanie added, "Leave it with me. I can phone him later."
Jena banked her smile. Nevertheless Jena tacked on, "Ok. Ask him, if you have a problem, let me know, we could try his office."
"It's ok, I try and let you know."
"Ok, thanks. And if it's not his scene, let me know, either way." Jena shrugged sensing that pushing the idea would be far from productive.
Melanie nodded. Smiling to herself she turned and walked away, she had no intention of asking Caleb if he wanted to come to the dinner party. She fully intended to be wined and dined by Caleb at some swanky restaurant in Wellington, at a table for two. Then perhaps they'd kick onto a nightclub. Dance the night away, and maybe she'd return to his place at dawn. The last thing she wanted was to spend hours with Jena and her no doubt boring friends.
Two hours later, Melanie casually informed Jena that she and Caleb would not be joining them for dinner on Friday. Melanie lied, when she told Jena that Caleb had already made plans for Friday.
Jena kept her thoughts to herself. She was starting to reassess Melanie and coming to the conclusion that her cousin could do better. Tony's future fiancée was a piranha in a goldfish skin.