Free Camp Confidential 06 - RSVP by Melissa J. Morgan Page A

the girls was bumper-to-bumper with cars blaring their horns. The sidewalk was almost as crowded, with New Yorkers in their winter coats and caps.
    Half-yelling to be heard, Natalie said, “Okay. I’ll take you to Teff. Maybe we can meet my mom there.” She handed the large sack to Alyssa so she could get her cell phone out of her purse.
    “Hey, no offense, but that restaurant sounds weird,” Grace said, stopping Natalie by putting her hand on her wrist.
    “Yeah, and we’re not very dressed up,” Jenna put in. “I’d feel funny eating someplace an ambassador eats wearing jeans and a sweater.”
    Natalie looked to Alyssa. Her best friend moved her shoulders, as if to say, Hey, whatever you want to do, I’m fine with it.
    “Well...” Natalie was stuck.
    “Did you already have a plan for lunch?” Alyssa asked her.
    “Yes. I have a list of about four places,” Natalie began. She opened her purse and rummaged around for the correct pieces of black paper. “Hold on. We got out a little later than I expected, but . . . let’s see, where’s the list—”
    “Hey, look!” Grace interrupted, pointing. “Hot dogs!”
    Sure enough, there was a hot dog cart on the corner of their block. A short, wiry man in a black cloth jacket stood behind a large aluminum box on wheels. A colorful red-and-white-striped umbrella shielded him from the sun.
    “My mouth is so watering,” Grace announced. “Let’s snag some hot dogs, okay, Nat?”
    Jenna bounced on the balls of her toes. “Please, please, please?”
    “Alyssa’s a vegetarian,” Natalie argued. Eating Hebrew Nationals from a cart was definitely not part of the plan! She had three really swanky, famous restaurants on her lunch list, plus the cool new retro place that served egg creams.
    “Actually, it says on his sign that he also has tofu hot dogs. I love them,” Alyssa said.
    “Oh, come on, Natalie,” Grace pleaded. “I’m so hungry, I’m about to faint. By the time we go somewhere else and sit down and order, it’ll be time to get ready for the reunion.”
    Jenna nodded hard, clasping her hands and placing them beneath her chin, begging like a sad-eyed kitty cat.
    “Grace has a point,” Alyssa said, taking their side.
    Natalie thought of the hours she had spent on the Internet, Googling restaurant names and studying their menus. How she’d made sure they were open on Saturdays and if they required reservations.
    “Fine,” she grumbled. “We’ll have hot dogs.”
    She reached for the large sack filled with goody bags. Alyssa said, “It’s okay. I’ll carry it for a while.”
    Natalie tried to maintain her composure as she led the way to the vendor. He had a droopy face and a dark moustache. He was wearing a New York Giants baseball cap. Natalie thought of Sarah, who often wore a Boston Red Sox cap. It hit her that she was having troubling entertaining just three of her bunkmates. Tonight she would have ten of them!
    “What’ll it be, ladies?” the vendor asked pleasantly.
    “Get whatever you want,” Natalie said curtly. “My mom gave me plenty of money to pay for lunch.”
    “You don’t have to pay for everything all the time,” Grace said. “We’re not poor, you know.”
    Natalie’s mouth dropped open. Was Grace dissing her? She couldn’t believe it!
    “It’s really nice of you to offer to pay for everything,” Alyssa said. “But why don’t we pay for you? As a thank-you for being such a great hostess.”
    “Yeah!” Grace cried. She turned to the man. “Give her a double extra venti hot dog with nonfat ketchup!”
    “Hey, kid, these are hot dogs, not lattes,” the man shot back, grinning at Grace. “But I got a foot-long dog that’d feed all four of youse!”
    “Only three of us are eating hot dogs,” Alyssa said. “I’d like a tofu dog.”
    “You must be from California,” he teased her.
    Alyssa smiled. “South Jersey, born and raised.”
    “Well, something went wrong there.” He gave her a wink. “One tofu