Lilacs Forever

Chapter 22: Bella

The place looked fancier than Delilah expected. In elegant script above the awning of the building read Etoile. She had come with Anita and her kids, Mr. West allowed her to bring them because nobody else would watch them. Anita told Delilah that it would be the perfect time for him to meet "his future kids". They were in their own pink frilly dresses, which honestly looked adorable on them. They wanted to wear their princess crowns but their mother told them not to, this was a fancy party, not a tea party. And everyone will be dressed up nice and serious. As the doorman escorted Delilah, passing through the white clothed tables she could see the crystal chandelier above them shining over the dimly lit hall. There she could find people in cocktail dresses and suits and wine glasses talking over expensive meals.

"Do you know what Etoile means, beautiful lady?" the doorman asked her, his accent thick but smooth like butter.

"No, what does it mean?"

"It means star." his eyes shone like a meteor shower. He showed her to her seat. "Enjoy, Bella."

"Delilah? Anita?" Alyce called.

"Yes?" Anita said flamboyantly. "Don't we look gorgeous?"

"I mean, yeah. Of course!" Alyce herself was wearing a silvery gown that went all the way down to her feet that made it look like a fish's tail.

"Excuse me miss, are you a mermaid?" Hazel asked.

"Awww who's this? Anita are these your kids?"

"Yup, my pride and joy." she beamed.

"They're absolutely adorable, I could eat them up! And Delilah, you look so elegant, I could only imagine how good you'd look in a wedding dress."

"O-oh really? T-thanks, you look wonderful too," Delilah laughed nervously, she still wasn't used to compliments.

"H-hi Delilah..." she heard someone from behind her speak. It was Dan, still in his polo shirt but with a suit jacket on. His belly protruded from it, so he had to keep the jacket open. He smelled like body spray. "Y-you look like an angel, why don't you come sit next to me?" He hovered his arm around her waist. Delilah shivered.

"Um, no. She's sitting with us." Anita got Delilah by the arm and led her to the far end. Dan stepped back and went back to his seat. "That's right, buddy."

"Anita, you don't have to be so mean!" Delilah didn't want to hurt his feelings, Dan was a very nice man and didn't mean any harm to her.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, "He was getting a bit touchy so I felt I had to step right in."

"Well, I appreciate it anyway. Thanks, Anita." It was true, although Dan was a very nice man she would rather sit with Alyce and Anita and the kids.

"Where is Alexander?" Anita looked around the room to find that he wasn't anywhere. "What could possibly make him late to his own party?"

By then the waiters came and everybody took their orders.

"It's okay, Anita, I got a message from him. He ran into a traffic jam, he said we can go on ahead as it will be a while."

"Oh well," she smiled.

Delilah looked at the menu, looking at the names of the foods she can hardly pronounce. What was a filet mignon? What was a flambe? "I don't know what to order, what do you recommend?" she asked the waiter.

"I recommend you start with a soup and a salad. Our soup du jour is a lobster bisque with fresh herbs and buttered bread. It would go well with a salade nicoise."

"O-okay, then  I'll have that."

She tasted the wine being offered. It was tart but deep and velvety. The taste lingered on her tongue long after swallowing it. It felt very grown up. She never drank at college parties or even had a bit of alcohol with her parents, this was the first time she was at a sophisticated dinner, drinking sophisticated beverages. It wasn't unpleasant but she couldn't imagine herself regularly drinking wine.

"Delilah, you gotta try the cheese puffs," she heard Anita say. Her kids nodded in agreement. Anita took another bite, "it goes so well with the wine."

"I wanna try the wine!"

"No, Hazel, kids aren't supposed to drink wine. That's for grown ups."

Hazel huffed and went back to eating the hors 'd'oeuvres.

Delilah took a bite and was amazed at the flavors and creaminess a little ball could hold. The butteriness was heavenly with the little kick the cheese added.

Before she could eat too much the waiter came with the soup and salad. She decided to try the salad first, letting the crispness of the lettuce and dressing fill her mouth. While the cheese puffs added depth to her taste buds, the salad was refreshing.

She then decided to try the soup, the lobster bisque. When the flavors reached her mouth she couldn't contain herself. It just felt so... luxurious. She couldn't imagine eating this everyday, it was a little too fancy. It felt wrong that she was eating these decadent delights. She could only imagine what dessert would taste like.

But she didn't have to think about dessert yet, because that was when Mr. West came in, his usually smooth and slicked back hair a little disheveled. "Sorry for being late, I was caught in a traffic jam."

Delilah could see his stormy gray eyes look deep into her as his eyes slightly widened.

"Ms. Sanchez, you look beautiful."

Delilah blushed.