It was Saturday night and my parents pulled up to the Minnesota Club for my dad's dinner.
All the guys wore black and white suits. You can tell who the young and old women were just by how the dressed. The older women wore more conservative clothing and less colorful designs. Such as blacks, browns, whites, greys. The boring colors. Where as the younger woman would wear more colorful pieces such as pink, purple, blue green. When we walked into the dining room I felt almost insecure for not wearing more neutral tones like the rest of the ladies in the room. Although, there were a few ladies wearing pinks and purples. But they were clearly just some middle schoolers.
I followed my family in my silk light green dress with matching heels. We all gathered around our table where the Riley family was already sitting at. At the table, there was Tom Riley, his wife, Estelle, and their two boys Rick and Beau.
Skeeter sat next to Rick and I sat in between Skeets and my mom.
My brother started talking to Rick as the boy shot me a slight glance and smirk. I instantly looked away and towards Mr. and Mrs. Riley.
"Yeah, Beau here has been practicing hockey like hell." Tom put his arm around his son. "Next year he will for sure be playing on the JV team. Maybe even varsity."
The whole table chuckled.
"Varsity as a freshman? Chances of that are slim." Rick intervened jokingly.
"Oh shut up, Rick." Beau Laughed.
The table laughed again.
"So, Skeeter," Mrs. Riley started. "Do you have any plans for college?"
"Well, I was thinking about playing hockey," He started. "But you know, as soon as I get injured I would probably have to start all over again. So, I'm just playing it safe and sticking to Bethany Lutheran and study business and management."
"Lutheran college?" She asked.
"I would like to take my religion with me wherever I go." Skeeter smile.
"Kiss ass." I mutter under my breath. Skeeter is only going there because my mom is a legacy.
"I also didn't wanna be too far from my mom." Skeeter replied.
"Awe, what a mama's boy." Mrs. Riley cooed.
I knew for a fact that Skeeter wouldn't last a week at college. Especially a Christian college.
Eventually, there was someone starting to speak at the front of the dining room with a Microphone. He was the head of the company and he just made a speech, welcoming everyone who was attending and introduced the courses. It was the company's 20 anniversary so we had all come together tonight to celebrate it.
They served the appetizers first which was Deviled eggs, antipasto skewers, and shrimp.
"So, my niece was thinking about getting into figure skating. She's 6 years old." Mrs. Riley starts. "And, we were looking for a instructor. And we were looking looking looking, and that's when we remembered that you use to figure skate, didn't you." She pointed at me and I nodded. "Who was your instructor?"
"Tremblay. Jennifer Tremblay."
"And how do you spell that?" She asked while pulling out a small note bad. "I'm gonna write this down."
"Jennifer. J-E-N-N-I-F-E-R. Tremblay. T-R-E-M-B-L-A-Y."
"Got it. Thanks honey." She said, putting her pen back into her purse. "How was she as an instructor?"
"Amazing!" My mom smiled. "You know, Jennifer's father was my figure skating instructor when I was child. And when we put Bidget into in when she was younger, I asked Jen's father, Authur, and he unfortunately wasn't instructing anymore but he recommended his daughter who was a figure skater for a number of years. She's amazing. And if not, better than Authur Tremblay himself."
"That's just amazing!" Mrs. Riley smiled.
"They really are from southern France."
"No way!" Mrs. Riley gasped. "What city?"
"Marseille."
"Authur Tremblay was born there, then moved in the states to train olympic skaters. Then when his wife got pregnant with Jennifer, he went back to Marseille for her to grow up there and then moved back to the states shortly after."
"Isn't that wild!" Mrs. Riley smiled. "Isn't that just wild, Tom!"
"It's wild, Estelle." Tom said in a monotone voice as he ate his skewer, totally uninterested.
The next courses came out which was the options of steak, salmon, and salad. My mom and I got the salmon as my dad and brother got the steak.
The table continued to talk as I ate. Tom Riley and my dad discussing floor plans of the Riley's new guest house. My mom and Estelle Riley discussed figure skating. And the boys all talked about hockey. I kinda just sat their listening to all of the conversations and chiming into one of them every once in a while but not in an awkward way.
"Beau, they have like all their pictures hung up in the back hallway towards the banquet hall." My brother said to the younger Riley.
"Really? I never seen it."
"Wanna go see it?"
"No one leaves this table till after desert." My dad stopped the boys from leaving. "After dessert then you guys can go and socialize."
"I'll show you later."
Beau nodded.
As the conversations all continued I went to shift my gaze to Skeeter but only to catch Rick already glancing at me. We gave each other slight smiles before we both shifted our gazes to my obnoxious brother who wouldn't shut up about this one game he had in Pennsylvania for his travel team.
Eventually the desert came out. It was tiramisu and white almond cake.
Beau and Skeeter scarfed down their white almond cakes and got up from their seats.
"You coming Rick?"
"Nah, i'll check it out later."
"You know where to find us."
The two rushed out of the dining hall to check out some old hockey pictures.
"Oh John, I want to introduce you to someone." Tom Riley said standing up from the table. "It's an old colleague of mine." He took my parents and his wife with them to another table.
This left Rick and I alone at the table. I continued to eat my tiramisu without thinking much of it. Just then, Rick sat in my brothers chair and pulled mine closer to him by the chair leg.
"Rick!" I whined, avoided his eye contact."What are you doing?"
He took my fork with my tiramisu on it and placed it back on the plate. I finally looked at him. His eyes already gazing into mine.
"Don't you think your parents are just trying to get us together?" He smirked.
I looked over at them then back to Rick.
"I mean, brunch with our parents and just me and you last week, the cotillion thing that our mothers were talking about—"
"They were only asking about the cotillion because they know you. I mean, they rather have me go with a guy that they know they can trust rather than some prick I meet at school."
Every year, Eden Hall would hold a Cotillion for the girls who were nominated as Eden Halls Debutante. Almost 30 girls are nominated by chance from grades 7th to 12th grade. I happen to be one of those nominees for this year.
"Did you not want me to go with you? Cause I already got my suit for it." He chuckled.
"I didn't say that."
"Then what are you trying to say? Is us being together not ideal?"
"I didn't say that either." I whisper.
Rick and my parents have been trying to get Rick and I together for some time now. And because of that, Rick had slowly been falling for their tricks. And I may have too. But I was scared. I have never actually had a guy like me before. I never actually been in an actual relationship. I guess I could admit that I was just afraid of commitment and how the kids at school would think.
"If you want me to stop trying, I will." He said quietly while looking down at my hands that were sitting on my lap.
"I didn't say that either." Rick looked up at me.
Jazz music continued to play in the back. I looked back down at my plate and picked up my fork to continue eating.
Rick watched me take a bite and he then took my fork again from me and placed it back down on the plate.
"Rick!"
"Cmon." He stood up and grabbed my hand to follow him.
We walked down the hallway into the enterance area of the Minnesota Club where there was a piano. He had me sit down and he sat down next to me. He started to play a little bit.
I just looked at him and chuckled slightly.
"How are my piano skills?" He asked.
"Same as they were in middle school." I joked.
He rolled his eyes. "Here, I know you know this one." He started playing What falling in love feels like. It was the first song his mother taught him how to play and she also taught me how to play it too.
I placed my fingers on the keys and started playing the song with him.
Piano was one of Rick's hidden talents. Beside Hockey, he liked the play piano which was actually kinda bizarre. However, I always had a thing for boys who could play something. Piano was by far my favorite and Rick knew it.
I lifted my fingers off the keys and so did Rick. I placed my hands in my lap and looked at Rick.
"Should we go back?" I asked him.
"Sure." He stood up and grabbed my hand to help me up and around the piano bench. As unnecessary as it was, Rick was a gentleman like that.
"You look beautiful, tonight." He whispered in my ear as we walked back. "I wasn't sure if I told you that yet."
"You didn't." I smile and look down.
I could tell he was smile behind me. Rick placed his hand on my lower back to guide me through the crowd of people in the dining hall. We sat back down at our table with my mom and Mrs. Riley.