Know how, as a girl, sometimes it’s fun to get dressed up and go out with the girls? You know, get out of the sweats or pajama jeans (who invented those, by the way? And if one has the desire to go out in public in pajamas, does that person care if said pajamas look like “real” jeans? Just a hypothetical question…) Anyway, get out of the pajama jeans and put on a dress? Fancy dinner at a restaurant that requires reservations, followed by some relatively ladylike activity?
Well, a couple of weeks ago, that’s what we did. My dear friend Tas has introduced me to her close circle of friends, and recently I’ve spent time getting to know these classy ladies. I’ve been invited to book club meetings, happy hours, and, most recently, dinner and the symphony.
The venue where our local Philharmonic group performs is an historic building downtown (commissioned by Warner Brothers as a movie theatre in 1929)with an Art-Deco decor and an all-around formal aura. The only other two times I’ve ever been in the building, I was wearing jeans. Real jeans, not pajama jeans. At that, it felt like a sacrilege. So when one of the ladies suggested that we dress up for our night out, not one of us disagreed. Of course, we looked so good that we scheduled to meet prior to our dinner reservation for some photos, courtesy Tas’ little sister (a fabulous blogger and photographer, in addition to just being a sweet and fun person to know!). Here, I thought I’d share…
Left to Right: Me, Tas, Faith, Bela, Jen, and Katherine
Fake laughing. But it's not obvious. Is it?
- …and I was probably talking as Tajreen took this shot. Naturally.
We had such a good time taking these photos. In fact, we had so much fun that when we left Tas’ condo, we didn’t realize until we were getting into her car that she had locked her house key and her car key in the house. Unfortunately, Tas’ boyfriend and my husband were two hours away racing their RC cars. Fortunately, there were still enough drivers to get us from Point A to Point B.
It was a lovely evening, and so much fun to get out and do things I know Ryan would do with me if I asked. It’s not really a guy thing though, and sharing the experience with others who share the appreciation is truly priceless.
As the night drew to a close, after a delicious and filling dinner, a breathtaking show, followed by some drinks at a local trattoria, (clearly, WordPress is less cultured than I am, as it’s trying to correct my spelling of “trattoria.” And now I’m just spelling it for spite), we parted ways in front of Tas’ house…which we could still not get into as the boys were still racing. Since the guys traveled together in Ryan’s car, I told Tas and Tajreen to come home with me so they weren’t stuck out in the cold, dark, scary city. The alternative was me sitting in the parking lot with them in the car. My conscience would not have ever let me leave two gorgeous young women locked outside the house.
Tas and Reen are from New York City. They’re pretty independent, self-sufficient women who make their own decisions and take care of themselves. Asking me to stay was not in their realm of comprehension, except that Reen was freezing and Tas was determined. So she walked around the complex until she found access to a window someone could crawl through. Keep in mind, all three of us ladies are still in dresses and heels on a 45-degree evening. We were cold and tired. Fortunately, I had remembered to pack a pair of flat shoes and a real coat, which aided in our covert op. We managed to “push” Reen through the window, she unlocked the door, and all was well with the world. However, as I was leaving, Tas grabbed my arm and implored that I keep the detail where the girls managed to get back inside, to myself. “When B asks,” she said, “you’re going to tell him that we didn’t want to impose by coming home with you; we’re sitting on the patio waiting for him.” When I hesitated, she reassured me with, “for the sake of our friendship, please do this for me.” And so, in exchange for exclusive blogging rights to this story, I agreed.
I am such a selfish creature.
From the parking lot, I sent Ryan a text message saying that I was on my way home and the girls were outside waiting for the key. I’m still surprised that he never questioned me, knowing that I’m not the kind of girl to ever leave a friend out in the cold, either figuratively or literally. His response was, “I know Tas can be pretty persuasive when she sets her mind to something.” Ah, a fellow Ares. We fire signs stick together!
In the end, despite the “lockout,” we survived, all of us looking just as fabulous at the end of the night as we did at the beginning.
Class. If you don’t have it, fake it.
Cheers!
xoxo,
~d
Today and To-Merrow 