The Hopefuls(47)

Jimmy got dressed at home and then came over, so we could all ride together, and when Ash and I were done putting on our makeup, we found him and Matt sitting on the couch, each holding a beer and looking bleary.

“How are we doing?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” Matt said. “This is like senior week, only now we’re old.”

“You ladies look beautiful,” Jimmy said, standing up and stretching.

“Beth does, at least,” Ash said. “I look like a float in a parade.”

“But the most beautiful float I’ve ever seen,” Jimmy said, and Ash stuck her tongue out at him.

Jimmy went out to flag down a cab, which took about twenty minutes. We didn’t talk much on the ride there, but I was still excited for the night. In 2009, there had been ten balls that Obama attended, but this year there were just two, and they were both in the Convention Center, on different floors. We were attending the “official” ball, but had gotten good tickets, and Jimmy somehow finagled us passes to a VIP area, where we sat on couches and had access to an open bar. We were in a raised loft that overlooked the room, and we watched as different performers took the stage, laughing and cheering when Alicia Keys sang, “Obama’s on Fire.”

The ball itself wasn’t exactly what I had expected. The Convention Center was huge, and we walked for what felt like miles once we were inside and had checked our coats. There was draping everywhere—to separate the different areas mostly, but also I think to try to make the place look nicer. The whole thing felt like a really big wedding in a warehouse that someone tried to disguise as a ballroom. As we walked to the VIP area, we passed tables of vegetables and dip, and long lines of people waiting for a drink from the bar.

I was afraid we’d all be too tired to enjoy it, but we woke up once we were there and had a few drinks. It helped that it felt like they were pumping oxygen into the cold room, like we were in Vegas. As the night went on, Jimmy was able to get more and more of our friends into our section, and soon it felt like we had our own personal area of the ball. Alan kept fidgeting in his tux, and Benji, with his bow tie already undone, looked so young that he really could have passed for someone going to prom. Lissy and Cameron were there, wearing matching dresses, both from Rent the Runway. “We didn’t coordinate before we ordered,” Lissy told me with a strained smile, like she was trying her best to find it amusing. “That was our mistake.”

Cameron shrugged like she couldn’t have cared less. “I’ve already seen three other women wearing this anyway,” she said. I think she was trying to make Lissy feel better, but instead, Lissy’s eyes got wide.

“Well, that’s just great,” she said. “The worst part is, we can’t stand next to each other for the whole night.” And then she turned and walked away in a huff.

At one point, we started a little dance floor, Jimmy spinning Ash around until she laughed and said she was afraid she might tip over.

When the Obamas came out, we all stood at the edge of the balcony and clapped. The President gave a short speech and then they danced as Jennifer Hudson sang Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”

“They are just the best couple,” Ash said, holding her hands to her heart, as if we really were at a wedding of our dear friends who just happened to invite about a million people and some really famous musicians to celebrate with them.

Toward the end of the night, I couldn’t find Matt. At first I was worried and then annoyed as everyone started leaving and my feet started throbbing. He’d been gone for over an hour and wasn’t answering his phone, but I stood with Ash and Jimmy and just kept calling him again and again.

“No one knows where he went,” Jimmy said, but he was sort of slurring and I had the feeling Matt could’ve walked right in front of him and he wouldn’t have noticed.

“We’ll wait with you until you find him,” Ash said.

“No, that’s crazy. You need to get home. I’ll be fine. He couldn’t have left without me, right?” I forced a laugh, but it came out sounding kind of angry. “Really, go,” I said, giving her a hug. “I don’t know how you’re still standing.”

“All right,” she said. “I should get this man home. But text as soon as you find him, okay?”

I promised that I would and, after they left, went to sit on a couch along the wall. Now that Jimmy and Ash (and most of the people we knew) were gone, I felt like an impostor in the VIP section, like someone might come along and kick me out. I sipped my drink, which was mostly melted ice, just to have something to do and sent Matt a string of angry texts: Where are you?! Call me! WTF?

After thirty minutes, I’d just decided that I was going to leave when I saw Matt bounding up the stairs to me. His face was flushed and he was smiling.

“Where have you been?” I asked. I was so mad my hands were shaking. “I’ve been calling and texting you for almost two hours,” I said.

“I know,” he said. “Sorry. But listen, Beth. Something great just happened.”

“You know? Did you hear it ringing? Why didn’t you tell me where you were?”

“Just listen,” he said. “Billy took me to another area downstairs, a different VIP room.”

“Well, great,” I said, sarcastically. “I’m so glad you were having fun.”