Lost and found...

Part 1

Part 2

While Janine was in the kitchen getting the bottle of wine she heard Lori's phone ring. Since they hadn't really gotten going on the drinking she decided to let her answer it instead of confiscating it as she had promised her friend earlier. She came back in to the living room and caught Lori's eye as she mouthed OH MY GOD at her and then IT'S ZACH.  Well this is going to be interesting.

Janine wandered back in to the kitchen so she wouldn't be tempted to try and eaves drop on Lori's conversation. No need to eaves drop on the half she could hear when she knew Lori would spill all of the details as soon as she hung up anyway. Which didn't take long.

"OH MY GOD! You aren't going to believe this!" Came the shout from the living room.

Janine came back out with the bottle again and refilled their glasses, "Can't wait to hear what was so important he called so soon!"

"So, it seems like our visit bothered him a little."

"He told you he was stressed out over your meeting?"

"Not in so many words. You know he stress cleans right? When he is really thinking hard about something he just tears the house apart cleaning everything. I used to say I didn't Spring Clean I just picked a fight with Zach and let him handle it. Anyway...seems like after we met he went home and started cleaning. And when he took the cushions off of the couch to vacuum guess what he found?"

"The picture from the cruise?"

"No, though that would have been a good one as well. He found my invitation to his parent's party. It had been tucked up under the cushion."

"Oh so it didn't get lost, it just fell out while he was working on them?"

"That's what I said, and he said it couldn't have happened that way. That he was responsible for mailing them and had them all at the house to put stamps on them, which he did, at the kitchen table, then he left them on the key table by the front door to take them in to mail them. They were never near the couch. The only way it could have gotten under the cushion is if someone put it there."

"Cassie..."

"Yep, that's what he thinks. He thinks Cassie saw it in the box, or went looking for it, and when she found it she stashed it thinking she would go back for it later and either forgot it was there or she hasn't had a chance to sneak it back out yet."

"Oh my god..."

"I know right?"

"I'm kind of surprised he told you about it."

"Me too. I think he just meant to tell me he found the invitation and then all of the rest just sort of spilled out. So he dropped it in the mail and it's on its way. Now I have to decide what to do about it when it comes."

"Does this change your mind? What do you think?"

"Well, I had pretty much decided that I wouldn't go, but how dare she take the choice away from me? And from Trish and Al? And even from Zach? So I am sort of thinking now that I will go. Maybe just for a little bit anyway. What do you think?"

"It could be tense. It could be really awkward. But I guess I just need to know one thing."

"What?"

"Can I be your plus one?"