Chapter 18 Belle of the Matzah Ball

"It was so romantic," Leah explained as she took a sip of her homemade cocktail – the cheapest vodka available with grapefruit juice. The vodka was so cheap it came in a plastic bottle and tasted like rubbing alcohol, but if she wanted to get a buzz without spending more than she got paid in a day, this was the only solution.

"Sounds like it." Maya concurred and made a face as she sipped her own concoction. "This is disgusting." They were standing in Leah's kitchen, with the open vodka jug and juice next to them, getting ready for that night's New York holiday festivity. So far, the holiday season hadn't let Leah down. Since the Christmas tree lighting, she'd been to three holiday markets, heard at least 10,000 Christmas carols, tasted eggnog (which was disgusting, but an experience, as Gabe had prepared her), and bought more peppermint lattes than she could afford.

This night's event would be a little different. Instead of red and green décor, there'd be blue. There'd be no eggnog or peppermint, but probably lots of oil and songs about the holiday season. They were going to the Matzah Ball, New York's premier Hanukkah party that Maya's mom had bought tickets for and guilted Maya into going since she hadn't been keeping up with her duties of one Jewish event a month. Leah was excited to go. She'd heard about the event and knew it meant dressing up in cocktail attire and pretending like they belonged in high society and heels. Maya told Leah the only way she was going was if she had at least two drinks beforehand, so Leah bought the ingredients for her favorite college pregame drink and invited her friend over.

There was a click at the front door before it barged open and Leah's roommate came in. The two girls had successfully avoided each other over the last few weeks. It hadn't been that hard, Marissa wasn't home much and when she was she rarely left her room. Leah also didn't spend much time in the common areas—where the TV still stood on the floor—but on the rare occasions she did, it was usually during times she didn't think Marissa would be there. Like after work, since Marissa usually came home later.

"Oh, hey," Marissa greeted them as though she found a peacock in her kitchen.

"Want a drink?" Maya offered.

"Um, sure." Marissa startled Leah with the response. It had only been a polite offer, Leah thought, no reason for Marissa to agree and stand there with them pretending like they were friends. They were definitely not friends. Friends didn't leave cryptic messages for each other without explanations, nor did they so rudely judge each other's boyfriends. Which Marissa did. Leah was sure of it by how the stomp of Marissa's footsteps elevated in volume whenever Gabe was around or by the fact that once Gabe left his keys in the kitchen and Leah later found them in the trash. No one spoke about how the keys got there.

Maya made a cocktail for Marissa, who took a sip like it was water. "Disgusting, huh?" Maya commented.

"It's fine."

"We were just talking about Leah's romantic evening at the Christmas tree lighting." Maya filled her in. Leah wished Maya hadn't said anything. Leah had briefed Maya about the tension with her roommate and the apparent history with Gabe. How could she so carelessly mention this?

"Oh yeah?" Marissa took a long sip. "Gabe can be really romantic when he wants to be."

"What does that mean?" Leah jumped, wondering if it was the comment or the alcohol making her cheeks burn.

"Nothing. He's romantic."

Leah had a million questions on the tip of her tongue. Like what happened with Gabe and Marissa's friend? Why did it end? Why was Marissa so weird about Gabe? Weird about everything? But Marissa just grabbed her cocktail and went into her room, closing the door behind her. Leah rolled her eyes and blew out heavily. "What is her problem?" She whispered.

Maya shrugged. "Should we go?" The girls finished up their drinks and took a last look in the mirror. Leah was wearing a blue satin dress that she had bought in college for a formal event. It was short and low cut in the front and back. Her legs looked long, although covered in black tights that ended in her silver shiny high heels. She felt sexy in it and had even snapped a picture of herself while getting ready that she sent to Gabe.

Hope a nice Jewish guy doesn't steal you away! He had replied. She'd sent him a reassuring kissing emoji and continued staring at herself in the mirror. She did look beautiful. Her curls were loose, her lips red, and her eyes were lined with dark makeup that she'd splurged on during a holiday sale.

Maya had also dressed up in a floral dress that her mom could have bought her. She wore dark brown lipstick which made her eyes pop and she had even blown out her hair. Leah thought she looked beautiful and was impressed by how her friend cleaned up.

Their looks called for a taxi, so the girls splurged and arrived at the Matzah ball like all their more entitled counterparts living in their parents' penthouses on the Upper West Side. They handed their tickets at the door and walked into the club where lights flashed and music roared. It was still early and the room was mostly empty except for a few crowds hanging around the bar or booths.

"Drink?" Maya suggested and the girls walked to the blue lit-up bar. They ordered cocktails and stood around one of the high-top bar tables. They scanned the crowd as though looking for something or someone, but neither knew exactly what or who.

"Do you think something is weird about Gabe?" Leah asked, saying the only thing that was on her mind.

Maya shrugged. "Everyone has something weird about them."

"But, what Marissa said, and you know…" Her voice trailed.

Again Maya shrugged. "He's your boyfriend. Neither Marissa nor I can tell you if something is wrong with him."

"Yeah, but—" Leah wanted to keep talking digging deeper, maybe Maya did know something or have some insight she wasn't letting on to. Of course she did! Friends always had opinions whether or not they knew when to keep their mouths shut! But the conversation was cut short when Leah's room scan zeroed in on something. Or rather someone.

The curly hair was undeniable. The way he held his head and his slightly hunched shoulders. What was he doing there? As though he felt the lasers from the scan, his eyes moved to reach Leah's. A smile grew on his face and he lifted one hand to wave and the other to sip a beer. Leah awkwardly waved back, instantly wishing she didn't.

He said something to the people he was standing with and then started walking over. "Oh my God," Leah blurted, her eyes darting to meet Maya's. Maya looked calm and bored as she sipped her cocktail, totally unaware of what was about to happen. "Maya!" She whisper-screamed.

"I really can't tell you, Leah," Maya responded totally nonchalantly. "He seems like a nice guy to me, but I don't know him that well. I mean, his friends were a little weird at the bar that one time—"

"Hey." Asher put his beer down on the table as though he was planning to stay a while. "Funny seeing you here."

"Yeah." Leah looked at Maya hoping she would understand the urgency of what was happening.

"I'm Maya." She held out her hand for a shake.

"Asher." He politely shook her hand in what looked to Leah like a very respectable handshake that Leah didn't recognize and then turned back to Leah.

"How's life in NYC?" He sounded so genuinely interested it was annoying.

"What are you doing here?" She said while ignoring his question. She hadn't seen Asher since she'd graduated. Since they'd broken up after having not really been together for years.

"I'm thinking of moving to the city," he responded. "Kevin and I are getting an apartment."

"You're thinking of moving or you already got an apartment?" Maya quickly asked.

"We got an apartment."

"What about a job?" Leah asked, the voice sounded more like her mom's.

"I'm interning at a real estate investment company. It's a three-month internship that will lead to a job if they like me."

"And if they don't?" Maya asked.

"Then I'll need to find a way to pay for my apartment." Asher didn't at all seem bothered by Maya's questions, even though he immediately looked at Leah after each of his answers. "So, is life in NYC everything it's made out to be? Am I going to be living the dream?"

At that moment, Asher's friend Kevin approached. Leah knew him from high school, although she had never exchanged more than a few words with him, even when hanging out with Asher and his friends. "Leah! Woah! What are you doing here?" Kevin sounded like he had probably had more than just a few drinks already. "This calls for shots!" He pointed to the bar and his body followed.

Asher rolled his eyes. "Hasn't changed since high school. "

Leah chuckled and by then Kevin had come back with eight shots—two for everyone, he'd assured them! All of them raised a glass and the four of them clinked them together in the middle of the table, spilling a few droplets before shooting the drinks. They repeated the action with the second shot and Leah felt her face get warm.

"Maya let's go to the bathroom," she suggested and pulled her friend from the table. She didn't wait to say anything to Asher or see his response.

"Maya! Oh My God!" She exclaimed when they were safely inside the ladies' room.

"What? So what your ex-boyfriend is here! He seems nice."

"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing! Just have fun."

Leah felt the shots flowing through her veins and giving her that slightly elevated feeling of being invincible and drunk at the same time. "Let's go dance."

Maya nodded. Even if she wasn't the most enthusiastic person at events, Maya did like the dance. And not the way most girls at these events danced, as though they were hoping someone was watching. Maya danced like the music moved her and surrendering was bliss.

The girls left the bathroom and headed to the dance floor. The venue had already started filling up with all the young and not-so-young Jews that attended these sorts of events in New York. The girls found a spot on the dance floor and sang aloud as they found their rhythm. Leah liked dancing, especially with Maya. She relaxed. Let loose. Tried to surrender like Maya did.

It wasn't long before she felt someone grab her hand. By then the music had got her and she had to keep dancing, no matter what. She turned to see Asher holding her hand and swaying his shoulders as he smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back. The moment took her back to BBYO formals in high schools, like Beau Ball when he bought her a beautiful pink corsage to match her dress, or when he visited her in college for the Winter Ball and lent her his coat when she refused to bring a jacket even though there was snow on the ground. They'd been there a million times before and it was only natural for them to be there again. So Leah surrendered like Maya inspired her to, and she twirled toward Asher.

Kevin brought them each a beer and he danced with Maya with a familiarity that only exists between two drunk strangers. Leah felt Asher get close to her and sway the way she did. She smelled his cologne, the same one he'd been wearing the day they met. When beads of sweat started to form on both their foreheads, he cupped his hand suggesting they get some water. She nodded and let him pull her via their interlocked fingers to the bar .

He asked for two waters and handed her one. "So I guess New York is everything that it's cut out to be."

"Sometimes." She smirked. "Sometimes it's just a dirty Subway and an awkward roommate."

"That's all just part of the experience," he responded. "I'm looking forward to all of it."

"With Kevin, you probably won't be disappointed."

Asher laughed. "So, you're happy here?"

She looked at him and knew he really wanted to know the answer. "I am," she responded and felt more assured after she said it. "I do really love it." She thought about her data entry job and the passive aggressive encounters in her apartment. But she also remembered her work friends and Maya. Those were all the big parts of her life in New York. Oh, and Gabe.

"I hope you'll show me around. As friends of course."

"Friends?"

"Just friends. I don't have that many friends here. And I don't want to rely on Kevin for my social life."

"Friends." Leah repeated thinking she liked the sound of it. "I could also use more friends."

"Then this is a perfect arrangement." He clinked his water cup with hers and took a sip. "Continue dancing? "

She nodded and they went back to the dancefloor where Maya and Kevin were still going. They danced until her feet hurt and the crowd started to thin. They all agreed it was time to go and they stepped outside to hail cabs. "So where is your apartment?" Asher asked.

"Upper East Side," she responded feeling proud of the way her neighborhood sounded.

"I'm midtown. Too bad we can't share a cab." He said offering the first taxi that arrived to her and Maya. The girls got in and the cab drove them uptown until he dropped off Maya and continued to the upper border of the Upper East Side. When he dropped her off at her apartment, she stood in front of her building and turned left.

It was just a short walk to Gabe's place. When she was outside, she rang the buzzer and waited. She rang again, starting to wonder where he was. Then the door buzzed and she walked inside. His apartment door was slightly open and he stood there in boxers and a t-shirt, his eyes squinting in the hall light. "What are you doing here?" he smiled at her.

"I had to see you." She pushed inside his apartment and took off her coat, which she had learned was necessary, even for formal events.

"Wow," he said. "So beautiful." She twirled around. "I was sleeping. "

"Continue sleeping. I'll just snuggle up to you."

"You think I can go back to sleep with you looking like that?" He pulled her close and the two of them fell onto the bed.