Chapter 167: Old Friends Reunited
"Sir, may I see your invitation, please?"
As Frank walked into the venue with Walter and Skyler, he was promptly stopped at the entrance for not having an invitation. A couple of security personnel began approaching.
"He's with us," Walter said quickly. He was in the middle of explaining their gift to Skyler when he noticed Frank being held up.
"I'm sorry, but his name isn't on the guest list," the staff replied politely but firmly.
"Hey, Walter!"
A voice called out from a distance just as the situation was beginning to escalate. Frank turned to look and saw a man walking over.
The man wore a brown sweater. He was tall and lanky, sporting a balding head with a large patch missing at the crown — a classic horseshoe baldness. His face was plain, neither handsome nor ugly, but what stood out were his unusually large ears, almost comically reminiscent of Jerry the mouse from Tom and Jerry. In face-reading folklore, large ears like his were said to signify intelligence.
This man was none other than Elliott, the birthday celebrant and the owner of the grand house.
"Walter, you made it! I was just wondering whether you'd show up." Elliott came forward with a smile.
"Elliott, happy birthday! You're right on time — do you remember Frank?" Walter gave him a friendly hug and gestured to Frank.
"Hey Elliott, long time no see," Frank greeted warmly.
"Frank! Wow, it really has been a long time — nearly twenty years, hasn't it?" Elliott's expression stiffened momentarily when he saw Frank, but he quickly covered it up with a smile.
"I've been living in Chicago all these years. Just got to New Mexico recently and dropped by Walter's place. Heard about your birthday, and well, I showed up without an invite — and even forgot to bring a gift. Hope I'm still welcome!" Frank chuckled.
"Of course you are! Everyone's welcome. And I even wrote on the invitations: No gifts necessary. Come on in, all of you," Elliott said cheerfully, leading them inside.
"Oh, Skyler, you're still as beautiful as ever," Elliott added with a smile after a few pleasantries with Frank.
"Oh, stop it," Skyler said, a little bashful. "I've been showing a lot more lately," she added, glancing down at her baby bump.
"That just means the baby's healthy. Congratulations, that's wonderful news. Gretchen! Come here — look who's here!"
A woman in a flowing white dress walked over. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, though she was actually approaching fifty — clearly very well-preserved.
This was Gretchen, Walter's ex-girlfriend and now Elliott's wife.
"It's been so long! I'm so happy to see you both!" Gretchen embraced Walter and Skyler warmly.
"We're so glad to be here. When's your due date?" she asked, making small talk.
"Gretchen, don't I get a hello too?" Frank interjected with a grin, noticing she hadn't acknowledged him yet.
"You are…" Gretchen studied Frank. His face seemed familiar, yet she couldn't quite place him. After all, it had been decades.
"Wait… You're Frank? Frank Gallagher?!" Her eyes widened as recognition dawned.
"That's right," Frank replied with a smile.
"What are you doing here? I mean — how are you even here? Oh my god, it's been so many years!" Gretchen was visibly surprised and a little emotional.
"I'm just as surprised as you are," Frank said. Elliott placed a comforting hand on Gretchen's back to calm her.
"You've gotten older, Frank," Gretchen said as they hugged briefly.
"But you still look just as beautiful as you did back in school. For a second there, I thought I'd been transported back in time," Frank complimented her.
"I've aged too, but you're still the charmer," Gretchen said, smiling as she touched her cheek.
"It's hard to believe more than twenty years have flown by. Remember how we used to hang out all the time in school?" Gretchen said, clearly reminiscing.
"Yeah… I miss those days," Frank said, his gaze lingering on her with a complicated expression.
Uncertain of his intent, Gretchen's cheeks flushed slightly. She instinctively tucked her hair behind her ear.
"But I never expected you'd end up marrying Elliott," Frank said, his tone tinged with disbelief. "That really shocked me when I heard about it."
Gretchen laughed, covering her mouth. "Well, you used to bully Elliott all the time back then."
"So… do you know yet if it's a boy or a girl? The bump's big enough — must be obvious by now," Elliott said quickly, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"We had it checked — it's a girl," Skyler answered happily.
"Really? That's amazing! Congratulations. We're hoping for a girl too," Gretchen said, clearly envious.
"Ahem." Elliott coughed awkwardly.
"You two don't have kids yet?" Frank asked, surprised.
"No, we've just been so busy with work… kept postponing it. But now we're planning to start trying," Gretchen replied, glancing at Elliott.
"Yeah, now that things are stable, it's finally the right time," Elliott added.
"Well, don't wait too long. I already have six kids," Frank said proudly.
"Six?!" Gretchen exclaimed.
"I've spent the last few years raising them. They're all outstanding — especially my eldest boy, Lip. He's a genius, easily on par with the best of them.
"You have no idea how exhausting it is raising kids. If you're planning to start, make sure you're mentally prepared," Frank warned.
"Yeah… we—" Gretchen began, but Elliott cut in.
"Sweetheart, someone's calling us over there. Sorry, too many guests tonight. We'll have to come back and catch up more later."
"Yes, sorry about that. Hope you enjoy yourselves," Gretchen said, remembering they had a lot of important people to greet. As much as she wanted to chat, she couldn't linger.
Though it was a birthday party, it was also a major social event.
"No worries. You go handle your guests," Frank waved them off.
"Really glad you came," Elliott said before leaving with Gretchen.
After some more polite exchanges, Elliott and Gretchen moved on to greet other attendees.
Frank, Walter, and Skyler each took a glass of wine and wandered around the venue. But none of them really saw anyone familiar.
Frank hadn't been in touch with this circle in almost twenty years, so it made sense. Walter also hadn't kept in touch — it simply wasn't his social scene.
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