He found himself in the kitchen trying to avoid a catastrophe before the party. The disaster on the verge was that the special dish he was making for the party was looking dreadfully like it wasn't going to turn out. He had perspiration beading up on his brow and was feeling like a contestant on a Gordon Ramsey show. He told himself to give it a few more minutes, and if it still weren't working out, he'd always have time to give it another try.
So he then rushed to prepare himself visually for the party he had already showered and shaved, and now he just needed the final touches. He messed with his hair looking to have just the right amount of messed with so it looked good, but also to look like he didn't care. He threw on his cornflower blue oxford button-up with a pair of dark khaki shorts and white leather shoes. Quickly rinses his mouth with mouthwash, and he rushed back to the kitchen to check on his masterpiece.
To his great surprise, the dish was turning out the way he'd hoped, but it still needed time to cook, so he pushed the timer back two more minutes and returned to the bathroom to primp a bit more. As he stood in the mirror, he thought about the list of people he'd invited. It was a mix of people throughout his Rolodex. These were people he worked with, some were acquaintances, others were friends from way back, to girls that he'd just like to show up. There were a few on the list who gave no idea if they intended to come but hoping they would show. It was like as the host, there was always the anxiety that people would not show. Partly because of the past experience or that the current experience would keep them from showing ever again.
He was looking the best he could when the timer went off. He entered the kitchen. The smell was indiscernibly fantastic; this is what he was going for. He turned the oven off and set the dish on the Italian marble countertop to cool down a bit. He looked at his watch; it was 5:37pm. He should be expecting guests soon or within the hour. He reviewed his list of 10 to 15 things to see if they were done. He turned on some music, and with some time to spare, he just breathed.
He had spent time all week just tidying things up so it wouldn't be a whole day thing. He also junked a lot of stuff that just wasn't bringing him joy anymore, which really uncluttered the house. The music he was playing was from his own mix, letting him wind down a little before people began showing up. He thought about one girl he had invited a model he had worked with several times who had gone back to school, wondering if she was still in photoshoot shape. He thought of a metal artist he had been following online and was dying to ask how he created those fantastic pieces. He had another male friend talking about the dish he was going to bring and dying to try.
At about that moment, he reviewed his list once more and seeing everything was taken care of. He found his lighter and a joint from his stash and lit it up and hit it a few times then put it out, clearing the smoke he began to feel the feeling of a job well done. He had made his way back as the guy with the fabulous dinner parties. He smiled to himself as the doorbell rang, and the guest began to arrive with gifts to share and festive moods.
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