A Baumgartner reunion

“So do I have to guess who’s coming to dinner?” I lifted the glass to my nose, wrinkling it at the smell.

TJ waited, watching me sip it, surprised as I took my first taste. “It’s good, isn’t it? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not Sidney Poitier.”

“Then who is it?” I took another sip. “This isn’t bad. Fruitier than most of the wine you’ve made me drink.” I winked at him. “But it still tastes like alcohol.”

I sat at the kitchen table, kicking off my heels. As often as I complained about them, I still wore them. TJ liked them, and I liked TJ imagining me standing in front of a classroom of kindergarteners in those heels. I looked up at him, waiting.

TJ took a gulp of his wine. “Gretchen.”

“Who?” I set my glass on the table and stared at him. I knew. Of course I knew, after our conversation last week, what I’d told him about my week in Key West with the Baumgartners and the year that followed. Still, I acted surprised. I was surprised, really. How had he found her?

TJ began talking fast. “It wasn’t hard at all, Ronnie. You could have kept in touch yourself if you wanted to. The Baumgartners still live in the same house, and Gretchen is still their nanny. Well, I imagine it’s more like cook and housekeeper and stuff like that, now that the kids are teenagers. I just called the number in the phone book and asked for Gretchen. It was easy.” Easy. So the Baumgartners lived about twenty miles away from us, in the same house? I tried to imagine them, Doc and Mrs. B. And Janie and Henry, all grown up! My mind refused to wrap around the idea.

TJ took another gulp of wine. “Well, it’s kind of funny how it all fell into place. Mrs. Baumgartner was thrilled to hear from me, and wanted to know all about how you were doing. Apparently, they’re going on their annual trip to Key West over the holidays next week. I think that must be same the trip they took when-”

“You talked to Gretchen?” I stood, taking my glass to the sink.

TJ continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “-when you went with them, the one you told me about? Yeah, I talked to Gretchen. She insisted on seeing you, wanted to call you, talk to you, but I thought… well, I thought it would be better to meet face to face.”

I poured the rest of my wine down the sink, rinsing the glass and setting it on the counter next to the hamster cage. “You thought I’d chicken out and not meet her at all, didn’t you?’”

“Maybe.” He poured himself another glass of wine.

I turned to him, crossing my arms over my chest. “So you just decided to invite her to dinner without talking to me?”

“Honey, she practically invited herself,” he replied, avoiding my eyes and taking another gulp from his glass. “There wasn’t a lot I could do to stop it.”

“TJ…” I sighed. “What did you think? She’d come over and we’d have a threesome on the kitchen table?”

“No.” He laughed, standing up and putting his arms around my waist. “I just thought it would be nice for you to see an old friend.” I rested my head on his chest, putting my arms around him. “I just wish you’d… consulted me?” I lifted my head, suddenly aware of the quiet. “Where’s Beth?”

TJ looked sheepish. “At your mother’s.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on! I haven’t seen a setup this obvious since Sidney Poitier showed up for dinner with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey.”

“I don’t think they had a threesome… did they?”

I pinched his waist, making him yelp and jump. “You know what I mean.”

“I’m not up to anything. I swear it.” TJ hugged me, kissing the top of my head. “I just thought you two would like to be able to talk about… well, whatever came up. Without having to worry about Miss Big Ears hanging around.”

“Still, you didn’t have to hide it from me,” I said with a sniff. “It feels… icky.”

“I-” I could tell he was about to deny it and he stopped. “I’m sorry. I can call her and cancel. I will if you want me to.”

I raised my eyes to meet his. He was up to something, even if he was pretending he wasn’t. Still, the thought of seeing Gretchen again made my skin tingle and my face feel warm. Did I want to cancel? The truth was, I wanted to see her again. The truth was, now that he’d opened the door, I wanted to see all of them again-Doc, Mrs. B, Janie, Henry. It was like some irresistible Pandora’s Box.

“Let’s just…take things slow,” I said, my voice and eyes soft. “See what happens-” I pressed my cheek against his chest again, shaking my head.

“Okay,” he agreed, hugging my shoulders.

“So, when is she coming?” I pulled away from him and went to retrieve my purse from the chair. “How much time do I have to get ready?”

“Only about half an hour,” he admitted, looking at his watch. “She’s supposed to be here by six.”

“Well, then, I better hustle!” I flashed him a smile as I passed, heading for the stairs, already wondering what I was going to change into.

“Ronnie,” he called, pouring himself another glass of wine. I stopped, watching as he poured another, too, leaving it on the table. “There’s one more thing.”

“What?” I asked as he lifted his glass to the hamster cage.