This past Saturday night we hit Casey and Marty's Christmas extravaganza...and the food and drinks and the cheery holiday decor were all top-notch, of course. The place was littered with Wall Streeters of every sort, Marty's co-workers and buddies, all along for the ride with their prim
wives...and I saw familiar faces throughout the crowd, giving extra love and hugs to Big Tom and Dirty Diana, Casey's mom and dad. And so...I entered the room anticipating the fun....so what if I was the very first to make the scene out of all my friends. I have to admit...I was as sober as a judge when I got there, and maybe a little nervous to be missing a partner with whom to case the joint, so I texted Allison and Stacey furiously as I stood at the bar awaiting my Nicolas Feuillatte Rose champagne...and I chit chatted with a lovely couple who noticed me cutting the line after the first glass to help myself to more...they had come in from the Island along with Marita and the Garden City posse...but just as we began the game of "Who Do You Know...," Bridget and Brian finally hit the scene and I turned on my heels and embraced them as though we had been parted for years...and, make no mistake, Bridget and I had shared a champagne lunch on Stacey's barstools a mere 24 hours prior...still, I ran to them...And so, commenced the night....
Soon Allison and Kevin arrived, as did my own
husband who had begun his night catching up with friends elsewhere...and last but not least, Stacey arrived, her husband off on a hunting trip with buddies...or getting lap dances at some bar in the City, Stacey wasn't totally clear on which, but she cool with it either way. The girls all looked amazing as always...and let me tell you, I have been BFFs with Allison for 30 years...and I have known the other three since we were 14 years old...and they are still some of the loveliest faces I have ever seen...but forget looks, this crowd could not be more fun-loving...Stacey alone makes me look like a boring hausfrau, and when she is with Bridget, forget it...just pull up a seat and watch the show. Good thing Allison and Casey -- no shrinking violets, mind you -- are there to bring the ruckus down to a shout. So anyway, Casey looked amazing as always in a fun little cocktail dress with some peek-a-boo yellow tulle underneath (I rocked "the shoes" again...what else is new?). Bridget was wearing her Mom's 70's era hip-length black mink that was so Mary Tyler Moore I wanted to tear it off of her and run away...and Allison was kind of channeling an updated Chrissy Snow with her bare-shouldered disco jumpsuit...and Stacey was sporting some serious black patent leather holiday shoes, though Bridget felt that the fuschia bow on my shoes rendered them slightly less porno than Stacey's...hmmm... good or bad? Not 
sure either of us was going for porno, but I am pretty certain I could have found a few fans of that particular look scattered about the party....you know, the ones with the prim wives...
little group (husbands? I don't see any husbands...) and quickly became our own special little ego-booster and BFF...and my friends made certain that I was the butt of the jokes in response to Al's fun flirtiness, cluing him in that I am the easiest touch for dudes with AARP cards and silvery sideburns...those b*tches have me totally figured out. So we became fast friends with Al...and we girls were all giggly, batting our eyelashes at his sweet compliments and funny comments...and in our reveling it quickly became clear that Al was the party's 55-plus version of we ladies...wicked as all get-out! At one point Bridget and Al went out for a surreptitious smoke while Stacey and I chatted up Al's 23 year old son/wingman... and when they came back we learned that he took her for a spin in his new Benz or vintage Mustang or whatever it was (when I asked Bridget via text the make and model while writing this all down she texted back: "I haven't the foggiest!"...she didn't even recall the ride...just like an Angel...). So we're all laughing and enjoying the Rose champagne and the little brie and cranberry puffs and whatever else...when either Stacey or Bridget or both, not sure, touched Al's bicep and all I hear over the party buzz is this loud declaration:"Oh my god, Uncle Al, you are totally ripped!"
And as I busted out laughing, I thought....There we go, making a spectacle yet again...
The other party-goers around us stopped mid-conversation to focus on the action as Stacey and Bridget inspect Al's arms and then shoulders...and I don't know, maybe the glutes too, those saucy little minxes...(ok, I am kidding about the glutes...). And they are saying back and forth to one another things like: "I can't believe how muscular he is..." and "Did you feel his shoulders yet...?" And then they are nodding appreciatively: "Very impressive, Al..." And as I stand to the side taking in the scene, I just find this whole thing beyond hysterical because my girls completely do not care who sees or hears or what they think...and I love that quality in them because it is totally genuine...and beyond entertaining.
And let's be honest, I am thinking a large percentage of the guys in the room were just a teeny bit jealous of all the attention now directed at Al in his Christmasy vest and gaggle of groupies in cool fur coats and sexy holiday shoes, all laughing like a bunch of drunk bikers or mental patients. Oh, and you could not miss the ice cold look some of those prim traders' wives eyes were shooting at their wistful husbands as they laughed along with us...priceless!
Ok...so maybe it's time to call it a night, round up the husbands and give Uncle Al back to his girlfriend (!!), whom we learned quite late in the evening, had been at the party all along...!!!! (she was a doll by the way and in good natured fashion she simply rolled her eyes at our collective shenanigans...). So as Allison and Kevin and Rob and, later, Bridget and Brian, gathered their belongings and said their goodbyes, Stacey and I sat in front of the fire and recapped the night, taking in Casey and Marty's beautiful home and lovely guests and incredible graciousness... And we pondered how much silly fun we always have when we are together...and how great it is to be brought back to 18 again...and to enjoy the night surrounded by old friends...and to be making new friends on top of that. So we wondered when we would see each other again...when we would enjoy those familiar fun and games and good spirit and love of the friends who knew you before you were a grown-up, a mom, a wife, a professional...a responsible being (debatable, I know...)...the friends who can make you laugh in one word or less. And we decided we should not wait too long....
So....
Dinner tonight with Sally and Stacey at Spice Market....three naughty little Christmas Angels making the scene among the Meatpacking District's tragic wannabe hipsters and displaced stock brokers....And you know, we got our fix of one another as we lit up the night over there on Little West 12th...perfection. And you know, I think the only thing that could have made the night better is if there was an Uncle Al who happened to be enjoying an Elderberry infused martini among the throngs pressed up against the bar....waiting for us...
1 comment:
Picture # 6 is actually Uncle Al!
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