“I’d like another Shirley Temple please.” I said to the waiter.

There I was wearing my new black velvet dress with white lace trim. It stopped right above my knees. Mom often said “Always show those legs of yours my Sweetheart they are so beau ti ful.”

My feet dangled off the chair and the black patent Mary Jane shoes I wore with the cuffed white socks with eyelet trim looked perfect with my dress! My long dark hair was wavy with a velvet headband holding it back. A cream colored linen napkin sat on my lap as I anxiously waited for another Shirley Temple.

The restaurant was dim with dark wood walls covered with mirrors and photos of celebrities. There were deep red leather booths throughout the restaurant. We sat at a round table in the middle of the restaurant. We being me, Mom, Crissie and Lenny Zoroff who was Mom’s special “friend.” The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air and Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon was playing. Our table was covered with two cream colored linen table clothes and lots of fancy glasses, plates and silverware.

I noticed a matchbook on the floor by the waiter’s foot that said the name of the restaurant we were at “Matteo’s.”

The waiter replied to my request “One Shirley Temple, two martini’s and a water, I’ll get that for you.”

Mom sat next to me. She wore a red dress with sliver heels. Her black hair was perfect, feathered back and falling right above her shoulders. Her smile dazzled just like the diamond necklace she wore. I noticed that her Lee press on nails looked so real and I hoped they would stay on all night. That was for selfish reasons. Finding my Mom’s random fake fingernails show up in various places made me want to puke. Not good. Especially since I had spaghetti and meatballs arriving soon.

Next to Mom was her special “friend” Lenny Zoroff. Okay, it was Lenny Zoroff, Mom’s”Jewish” boyfriend. I didn’t know what the Jewish part meant, but Mom would always say he was shrewd, I didn’t really know what that meant either but then in her next breath she’d say “A Jewish New Yorker Corinne.”

Lenny was 6’4 standing up. His frame was larger just like his personality. I guess he had gray hair, but really he was bald with little grey hairs on each side of his head. He wore glasses and was blind in one eye and a slick film of skin over his cornea provided confirmation. He didn’t wear a patch like a pirate, his eye stayed open and blinked with the other one in unison. I tried to focus on his good eye when we spoke, as the other eye made me queasy to look at similar to Mom’s loose fingrnails. Lenny was sitting, but when he was up and walking he had a slight gait and leaned forward head first walking fast. Lenny wore Black pants and a crisp white business shirt. The left cuff was monogrammed in gold thread with L A Z and below his cuff sat a fancy god watch.

In between me and Lenny sat Crissie. My one and only older sister. Five and a half years to be exact. She was often told she looked like a younger Jaclyn Smith. Dark hair, full lips and a stunning smile. Although there was no smile to be seen that evening. Crissie wore black pants with a black sweater and would have fit in perfectly at a funeral. Her long dark hair stopped right at her arms that were firmly folded across her chest. Her lips were pressed tightly together and her nostrils flared. Her beautiful brown eyes stared straight ahead into nothing.

If we were playing “One of these things don’t belong,” it would have been Crissie.

While Lenny was talking with someone he knew that stopped by our table to say hello, I noticed Mom furiously snapping her fingers under the table trying to get Criss’s attention. Criss was having none of it and I was grateful Mom’s nails stayed on with all her snaps. Mom then gave Criss the look and silently mouthed to her “you stop this now Christine.”

Criss didn’t budge she didn’t even blink her eyes.

It was a stand off between Mom and Crissie. A staring contest. Criss was definitely winning, which was a first.

Now we weren’t allowed to tell Dad anything about Lenny, and if he asked who we were with we had to say Beverly Bigelow. Mom’s other Jewish friend who Mom referred to as “A real pain in the ass Corinne.” But Beverly introduced Mom to Lenny and was Mom’s alibi. This was crucial especially since Mom had told me ” your Father does not need to know about Lenny and if he does we will be out on our asses Corinne barking for biscuits.” Dad never asked when we got home and I was relieved.

Anyways, back to Crissie. I was thinking “Have a cow Criss, this is fun! Matteo’s and then Annie the musical. our first musical!’ Lenny is nice. He even bought me roller skates and a salami when we went to his desert house that weekend we had to say we were at Grandma’s.

Lenny got up to talk to the maitre D. and Mom looked at Criss and said in low threatening tone.”Don’t do this to me Christine, don’t you do this.”

Criss then did something she hadn’t done the entire evening, she spoke. In a monotone frozen exacting voice she said “Oh, Sorry, I’m having a hard time being on a date with you and your boyfriend.”

At that moment Lenny returned to the table and Mom flashed her beautiful smile and fake laughed.

Criss resumed being a statue.

Me, I was in heaven and was waiting for my dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. After dinner and desert we were then off to the Shubert Theatre. Lenny had bought us tickets. Third row center and I couldn’t wait! Annie here we come!