Swiss Pastry Shop?”
“Oh, that was good?” Frida sort of asked.
“I thought it was too sweet,” Barbara grumbled.
“Yes, now that you mention it, maybe a little.”
“That’s the last time I’m going to that restaurant.” Barbara sighed. “I have two standing reservations, but after that I’m through.”
“Good for you,” Frida agreed. Barbara always said she was never going back to The Prime Rib, yet continued to eat there at least once a week. Barbara’s husband, Larry Sustamorn, the dentist, loved it there and insisted on going regularly. He was a timid man, but when he believed in something, like food at The Prime Rib restaurant, Barbara took it to heart.
“Anyway, at least Mom had a good time,” Barbara went on.
“She did. She really seemed to be having a good time.” Fridaperked up. She’d almost forgotten why she had called Barbara in the first place.
“Did she tell you she had a good time?” Barbara inquired.
Frida paused. “Did she tell me she had a good time?” she repeated.
“Yes, you !”
“She did. She said she had a good time, a wonderful time, a stupendous time.” (Frida’s translation: They hadn’t really discussed it yet.)
“Well, she said nothing to me.”
“Nothing?” Frida gasped. “No, that doesn’t sound like Ellie . . . does it?”
“Frida, she said nothing. When I called her this morning she said that the party was just fine and then she screamed some nonsense about a mouse and that was that.”
Frida became alarmed, but didn’t quite know what to say next. Ellie never mentioned anything about a mouse. She must have been seeing things. “Maybe Ellie had a lot of things on her mind today?”
“Like what?” Barbara insisted. “Frida, really, what could possibly have been more important than thanking her caring daughter for the seventy-fifth birthday party she gave her? Do you know how much time and effort I put into planning that party for her? Do you know how many hours it took to get the right flowers, the right guest list, not to mention the seating arrangements, with the way your friends don’t speak to each other. I thought I was going to scream. If I heard one more time, ‘Don’t sit Edie next to Lila because they’re still fighting over that bill from Outback Steakhouse three months ago . . . ’”
“I thought they had gotten over that, and Edie agreed to split the tip fifty-fifty,” Frida interjected.
“No, she won’t budge on forty-sixty,” Barbara corrected her.
“Oh, what a shame.”
“Frida, honestly, women your age act like little girls sometimes.”
“We do, don’t we?” Frida wholly agreed, sighing inside.
Frida fantasized about telling Barbara to stick it you-know-where. What did she know about the controversy over the Outback Steakhouse bill? Barbara knew nothing about a fixed budget. Lila always over-ordered when she split the bill, and all the other ladies were fed up. In Frida’s eyes, it was right for Edie to stand up and fight. Lila had no right to get the soup and the salad and dessert and not pay a little extra.
“Well, all I’m saying is that it took a lot of time and effort, and what does my mother do? She makes up some excuse to get off the phone with me, and a dumb one at that. I even thought we’d have a nice lunch today. I thought she’d want to shower me with thank-yous today, but instead she’s going out to lunch with you. Good for you, Frida. Please give my mother my deepest regards and tell her highness that I’m ready at her beck and call.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. It’s time you stand up to my mother and tell her what’s right.”
“No, Barbara, what I meant to say was”—Frida took a deep breath, dug her fingernails into the arm of the couch, closed her eyes, and prepared for the ensuing drama—“I’m not having lunch with your mother today.”
“WHAT?” Barbara roared. “She told me that you werehaving lunch together, and that’s why she couldn’t see me! She
“Oh, that was good?” Frida sort of asked.
“I thought it was too sweet,” Barbara grumbled.
“Yes, now that you mention it, maybe a little.”
“That’s the last time I’m going to that restaurant.” Barbara sighed. “I have two standing reservations, but after that I’m through.”
“Good for you,” Frida agreed. Barbara always said she was never going back to The Prime Rib, yet continued to eat there at least once a week. Barbara’s husband, Larry Sustamorn, the dentist, loved it there and insisted on going regularly. He was a timid man, but when he believed in something, like food at The Prime Rib restaurant, Barbara took it to heart.
“Anyway, at least Mom had a good time,” Barbara went on.
“She did. She really seemed to be having a good time.” Fridaperked up. She’d almost forgotten why she had called Barbara in the first place.
“Did she tell you she had a good time?” Barbara inquired.
Frida paused. “Did she tell me she had a good time?” she repeated.
“Yes, you !”
“She did. She said she had a good time, a wonderful time, a stupendous time.” (Frida’s translation: They hadn’t really discussed it yet.)
“Well, she said nothing to me.”
“Nothing?” Frida gasped. “No, that doesn’t sound like Ellie . . . does it?”
“Frida, she said nothing. When I called her this morning she said that the party was just fine and then she screamed some nonsense about a mouse and that was that.”
Frida became alarmed, but didn’t quite know what to say next. Ellie never mentioned anything about a mouse. She must have been seeing things. “Maybe Ellie had a lot of things on her mind today?”
“Like what?” Barbara insisted. “Frida, really, what could possibly have been more important than thanking her caring daughter for the seventy-fifth birthday party she gave her? Do you know how much time and effort I put into planning that party for her? Do you know how many hours it took to get the right flowers, the right guest list, not to mention the seating arrangements, with the way your friends don’t speak to each other. I thought I was going to scream. If I heard one more time, ‘Don’t sit Edie next to Lila because they’re still fighting over that bill from Outback Steakhouse three months ago . . . ’”
“I thought they had gotten over that, and Edie agreed to split the tip fifty-fifty,” Frida interjected.
“No, she won’t budge on forty-sixty,” Barbara corrected her.
“Oh, what a shame.”
“Frida, honestly, women your age act like little girls sometimes.”
“We do, don’t we?” Frida wholly agreed, sighing inside.
Frida fantasized about telling Barbara to stick it you-know-where. What did she know about the controversy over the Outback Steakhouse bill? Barbara knew nothing about a fixed budget. Lila always over-ordered when she split the bill, and all the other ladies were fed up. In Frida’s eyes, it was right for Edie to stand up and fight. Lila had no right to get the soup and the salad and dessert and not pay a little extra.
“Well, all I’m saying is that it took a lot of time and effort, and what does my mother do? She makes up some excuse to get off the phone with me, and a dumb one at that. I even thought we’d have a nice lunch today. I thought she’d want to shower me with thank-yous today, but instead she’s going out to lunch with you. Good for you, Frida. Please give my mother my deepest regards and tell her highness that I’m ready at her beck and call.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. It’s time you stand up to my mother and tell her what’s right.”
“No, Barbara, what I meant to say was”—Frida took a deep breath, dug her fingernails into the arm of the couch, closed her eyes, and prepared for the ensuing drama—“I’m not having lunch with your mother today.”
“WHAT?” Barbara roared. “She told me that you werehaving lunch together, and that’s why she couldn’t see me! She
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