Chapter 4 - EVERYONE STARTED ASKING THE SAME QUESTION
After Dorothy blurted that I was supposed to use my own money, nobody knew what to say.
Then Aunt Melissa spoke.
Kevin’s aunt was seventy-two and had never developed Dorothy’s fear of awkwardness.
“Your own money?”
Dorothy laughed too loudly.
“Obviously I’m joking.”
Melissa looked at the mashed potatoes.
“I don’t think you are.”
Dorothy turned toward me.
“Angela, bring out the real food.”
“There is no real food.”
Several guests shifted.
Kevin remained holding the cash.
One of Dorothy’s neighbors, Linda, frowned.
“Dorothy, didn’t we contribute for lunch?”
I looked at her.
Dorothy moved too quickly.
“That was for the pavilion expenses.”
Linda’s husband looked confused.
“What pavilion expenses? It’s your backyard.”
Another relative spoke.
“We sent money too.”
My stomach tightened.
“You did?”
Dorothy glared at me.
“Angela, this is inappropriate.”
I ignored her.
“How many people sent money?”
Hands did not literally rise.
But voices started answering.
Melissa had.
Linda had.
Kevin’s cousin Brian had.
Two of Dorothy’s old coworkers had.
Apparently Dorothy had told several guests that the luncheon had become expensive and asked whether they would contribute toward food and hosting costs.
Nobody objected.
It was reasonable.
What was not reasonable was that I had never heard about any of it.
“How much did you collect?” Kevin asked.
Dorothy’s face hardened.
“That is none of anyone’s business.”
“It’s kind of our business if we sent it,” Melissa said.
Dorothy stood.
“Everyone is eating. Can we stop being ridiculous?”
Melissa looked at her plate.
“We’re eating potatoes.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
Kevin turned toward me.
“Did Mom give you any other money?”
“No.”
“How much have you spent on this luncheon in previous years?”
I stared at him.
He should have known.
Maybe not every number.
But enough.
“Do you really want that answer here?”
Dorothy immediately said:
“No.”
That told Kevin more than my answer would have.
The lunch ended early.
Nobody starved.
Several people ordered sandwiches.
Melissa insisted on paying for them.
Dorothy disappeared into the house.
Kevin followed her.
I stayed outside cleaning a table I had not even wanted to set.
Then Linda approached me.
“Angela?”
“Yes?”
“Dorothy told us you volunteered to cover most of these events because your company gives you a hospitality allowance.”
I stopped wiping the table.
“My company gives me what?”
Her face changed.
May you like
That was when I realized Dorothy had not simply accepted my money.
She had invented a reason nobody should question why I was paying.
