“Finding a Voice”: Chapter Eleven

Ziggy road in the limousine, Lana at her side. She hadn’t ever ridden in such a fancy vehicle and knowing that the other woman could just have cars sent for her anytime that she wanted made her wonder what Lana’s parents were going to be like. She suddenly felt a sense of insecurity wash over her as the black vehicle approached a large mansion with several acres of land to spare. She knew that Lana was privileged, but she never thought that the other woman came from such a wealthy background, and Ziggy wondered if she was going to fit in. She looked down at her jeans and blouse, wondering if she should have picked different attire for this occasion. She wasn’t educated in the proper attire for formal dinners, but she knew that what she was wearing wasn’t it.

“We’re here,” the limo driver called, parking in the looped driveway.

“Thank you, Jeffery,” Lana replied, and the two exited the vehicle.

Ziggy followed Lana up the sidewalk to the front door and into the house. If the mansion looked big on the outside, the rooms on the inside definitely did it justice. As soon as they entered the mansion, Ziggy took a good look around. The entry room was circular secured with two large stone pillars, and from where she was standing, she could see a large living space on her right and a gorgeous dining room straight ahead. “Wow, this is nice,” Ziggy commented.

“Thank you,” a male replied, walking up to meet them.

“Hello,” Ziggy said, holding her hand out to shake his. “I’m Ziggy.”

“Nice to make your acquaintance,” the man said, shaking her hand. “I’m Joshua Waverly. Lana’s father.”

Ziggy stood there stunned, watching Lana and her father exchange polite cordialities and looking over the man. Joshua Waverly looked young, barely thirty, and though she was expecting a man with gray hair and slightly wrinkled features, he was just the opposite. Mr. Waverly looked perfectly polished in black suit pants, a fitted shirt, and a seemingly matching suit jacket. His blonde hair was styled appropriately, and the only crease on his face were the ones in his cheeks when he smiled.

“Come into the dining area,” the man said, leading Lana and her through a large doorway. “Chef has prepared a succulent dinner for us tonight.”

Ziggy followed, watching Lana closely in order to copy her mannerisms in the situation. The three of them sat down, and the chef came out of the kitchen with a small tray holding four bowls of soup. “Thank you,” she said as the man placed the bowl in front of her, and she took up the spoon to give it a try. “This is great,” she commented, looking over at Lana and her father, who were staring back at her wide-eyed. She noticed that neither had touched their serving and that there was a bowl placed in front of an empty chair. Ziggy quickly wiped her mouth on the cloth napkin and put her spoon down. She realized at that moment that she had broken some unwritten dinner rule by diving in to the warm, cheesy potato soup, and she waited for the others to move forward with their serving.

“Mrs. Waverly will be joining us soon,” Josh Waverly announced. “She had an engagement that she had to attend.”

“Okay,” Ziggy said, folding her hands in her lap.

“She always has an unexpected engagement,” Lana stated, looking at her father annoyed. “She knew that I was coming. Why did she plan something that would make her late for dinner?”

“You know your mother,” Mr. Waverly said with a small smile. “She’s always the busy body.”

“Well, I wish that she would have enough courtesy to make time for her only daughter,” Lana said.

“She did make time for you,” Mr. Waverly replied. “She’s just late. If you had planned this event ahead of time, then we wouldn’t be running into this issue.”

“I see,” Lana said, dropping the subject, and the two looked at Ziggy as if she would have some contribution to their small disagreement.

Ziggy smiled, not knowing what to say. She didn’t want to get in between the two of them, especially since this was the first time that she was meeting Lana’s father, so she just sat there in silence.

“So, Ziggy,” Mr. Waverly started. “How did you meet Lana?”

“We actually go to school together,” Ziggy said. “We’re roommates.”

“Very good,” Mr. Waverly beamed. “What is your major?”

“Music,” Ziggy said simply.

“Oh,” Mr. Waverly replied, obviously not pleased with her response. “What do your parents think about your career choice?”

“I haven’t talked to them for a while, so I don’t know,” Ziggy told him honestly. “I suppose they would think that it was a frivolous choice for a major.”

“Well, being a parent, I do understand,” Mr. Waverly replied. “No offense to your choice, but being a parent, I know what it is like to worry about your child and want the best for them. There really isn’t too much of a future in music.”

Ziggy felt uncomfortable with his response, but she decided to ignore her emotions, knowing that the two of them were from very different socio-economic situations and that the man probably had high expectations of financial success when it came to choosing careers. “What do you do for a living?” Ziggy asked instead, trying to divert the situation from herself.

“I’m the vice president of Trada,” Mr. Waverly replied proudly.

“Wow, that is impressive,” Ziggy commented, listening as Mr. Waverly listed off his responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of his position, wondering when they were actually going to be allowed to eat. She forced a smile as she listened to him rattle on, but when the door to the mansion opened, everyone’s attention was thankfully diverted.

“Rose,” Mr. Waverly said, standing up to greet his wife as she entered the room. “How was your meeting?”

“Same old, same old,” the woman replied, setting her designer purse down on one of the nearby tables. “The democrats always have to argue about something.”

Ziggy blushed as the woman focused her attention on her upon sitting down at the vacant spot at the table. “Hello, you must be Ziggy,” the woman said, extending a smile.

“Yes,” Ziggy replied politely. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Waverly.”

“Rose…you can call me Rose,” the elegantly dressed woman told her. “Sorry about the drama upon entering, but I have been working closely with a prominent election group, and of course, the democratic opponents have been trying to take us down every chance that they get. You know how democrats can be?” the woman commented, waiting for Ziggy’s acknowledgement.

“Yes,” Ziggy replied. “I am one.”

Mrs. Waverly’s face changed instantly with her response, and she disguised her words behind a fake smile. “Well, then, I suppose you do know how they work then,” she said an instant dislike clear in her change of behavior. “I like your outfit.”

“Thanks,” Ziggy said, not clear if the woman was being honest or just trying to bide time to get through the awkward moment. “I got them at a vintage store.”

“I see,” Mrs. Waverly responded, clearly. “So, how do you know my daughter? Is she helping you out with a fundraiser?”

“No, she’s my girlfriend,” Ziggy said, smiling as she put the final nail on the coffin. She could tell by the way Mrs. Waverly was acting that she didn’t approve of her, and furthermore, the other woman was assuming that she was some kind of charity case, so when Mrs. Waverly’s face grew red with her response, Ziggy did everything that she could not to laugh.

“I see,” Mrs. Waverly said, getting up from the table. “Lana, can I see you in the study for a moment?”

Ziggy watched as Lana stood up an obvious irritation in her expression and the two exited the room. The room grew silent after the two left, leaving Mr. Waverly and her staring at each other, and Ziggy dug through her thoughts, trying to find a subject of conversation to break the awkward silence. “So, you seem like a really important member of your business,” Ziggy said to the man, hoping that they could move on from the moment.

Mr. Waverly was quiet for a moment but from the look on his face, Ziggy saw that he was as eager as she was to move on, and taking the bait, the man continued his conversation on his position, emphasizing his important role.