“Iʼm going home. No one is coming today, old sport!” He said, pacing around the room. “I canʼt wait all day.”

“Just wait a couple more minutes, she will be here. Perhaps the rain is delaying her,” said Nick. No sooner did Nick say those words that they heard Daisyʼs car turning into Nickʼs house.

The sound of the car engine startled the two. Before Nick had a chance to say anything more, Daisy was already at the door.

I donʼt like rain. The stagnant hot, humid summer is broken by a cold breeze; not a good time for tea without the comforting sun. Nickʼs invitation was unexpected, but I obliged.

While I waited at Nickʼs door, I observed his home. His cottage was… compact, to say the least. Soon, Nick greeted me at the door. “Is this absolutely where you live, my dearest one?” I asked. I couldnʼt help my curiosity, for I must ask, no harm intended of course — “Are you in love with me, or why did I have to come alone?”

“I would suggest you not open Pandoraʼs Box,” said Nick. “Tell your chauffeur to go away and be back in an hour.”

“Come back in an hour, Ferdie.”

We walked into the house and Nick seemed to be surprised when he looked over to the living room.

“Well thatʼs funny,” he exclaimed.

“Whatʼs funny?”

Suddenly we heard a light, dignified knocking at the front door. Nick walked over to the door and I could hear the increasing rain as the door opened. A figure emerged into the living room. A familiar face from the past. A face that I knew too well. A part of me wanted to scream, run, and dash out the door, but my body was petrified.

Jay Gatsby. A face that Iʼd dreamed about way too many times. Memories from what seemed like years ago came flooding back. The joy, the long, dreadful wait, the heartbreak, the letter burning in flames…

Five years ago, I would be screaming in joy. But now, I felt horrified by the implications of his presence. A million questions circled in my head, like a mess of tangled spider webs. It must have been at least half a minute before I managed to muster up a sound.

“Hello.” My murmur choked while encompassed with a partly nervous laugh.

“Hello,” murmured Jay.

“I certainly am awfully glad to see you again,” I said. There was a layer of bittersweet and shakiness to my usual artificially cheerful tone, and it did not help that I was well aware that Jay could hear it too.

Nick came back into the living room.

“Weʼve met before,” muttered Jay.

I paid little attention to what was being said after, only focusing on what was occurring in the room. It seemed like some words were exchanged between Jay and Nick, but I was too deep into my own thoughts to hear anything.

“We havenʼt met for many years,” I said.

“Exactly five years next November.” The automatic quality of Jayʼs answer flabbergasted me, and at least another minute of silence ensued.

After a failed attempt to help make tea and awkward converse with Nick, the uncomfortable calmness was broken by Nickʼs attempt to leave with Jay immediately following him. I have no idea what they talked about in the kitchen, but soon Jay returned to the room, alone.

It was just the two of us now.

It was just the two of us now.

“I… live right next door,” said Jay. It looked like he had something else to say, but forced himself to cut it off.

“Oh.”

It seemed like mentioning his house was nothing more than trivia, as we mindlessly talked about the weather and the news for the next ten minutes.

“Daisy, Iʼve been longing to see you for the past five years,” Jay blurted out.

“Me too,” I said. It was only half a lie.

It felt good to hear him say my name again. The box of love that I had repressed in my heart was opened. But those emotions belonged to Daisy Fay, not Daisy Buchanan, and right now Iʼm a Buchanan. The request to come to the party without Tom, the unexpected visit from Jay, and the fact that he lived next door to Nick was an all too obvious scheme. This whole tea party was his clear attempt at reconciliation. Somehow, whatever he was doing the past five years doesnʼt seem to matter anymore.

After all, why should it? He was here now and so was I.

I had all the time in the world and would not mind a little entertainment in life by spending some of it with him.

We continued to chat about the old times and our afflictions today, stirring up emotions from long ago and now.

We heard a lot of noises in the kitchen and a minute or so later Nick arrived back into the room. “I saw your chauffeur returning,” he said.

“Has it already been an hour?” I was surprised.

“Time flies by when you enjoy it the most,” said Jay.

“Well I better ought to leave then.” The words lingered on my tongue. It was the right thing to say but I couldnʼt bring myself to say it. Perhaps Jay sensed my hesitation because as he rose up from his seat he said, “I want you and Daisy to come over to my house.” A statement directed at Nick, but intended for both of us to hear.

“Youʼre sure you want me to come?”

“Absolutely, old sport.”

Nick looked like he wanted to say something but then decided against it.

Jay then looked at me eagerly, waiting for my approval. I knew too well what accepting the invitation meant — the young, foolish Daisy, bedazzled in love was long gone. If I had said no, todayʼs misfortune would have been nothing more than two old friends who coincidentally met each other again after several years.

I donʼt know what it was, perhaps it was his devotion, his obsession, the way that he treated me like a tender, brittle glass object decorated with the most precious gemstone in the world that coerced me to say yes. It was the sort of attention that Tom could no longer truly give me. This would be a fine line to tread. But I had my disguise — Tom thinks Iʼm a fool, and so does Jay. And they think they are in control.

And so I nodded.

The sun was setting by the time we finished our long, belated reunion. It was time to leave.

As we approached the door, Gatsby pulled me aside and whispered, “You know, you can come and drop by my house anytime you want.”

I thought of how I wanted to respond; it was already too late to say no.

“I'd love to,” I said. “How about this Friday afternoon,” I added after a brief pause. Tom is leaving New York for business that day.

“That would be great!” Jay said delightedly and breathed a sigh of relief, as if his tea party plan had just succeeded.

I nodded and left without saying another word. The smile on my face seemed to reassure him of my next visit.