hostess gift?
Gemma gave Jane a little push into the house. Everyone seemed to have a glass of wine or a bottle of something in their hands. It was definitely a drinking kind of party, and, as she looked around the room, she found that she didn’t know anyone at all.
Jane wandered over to the snack table and piled a plate with stuffed mushrooms, crackers topped with pimento cheese, and some kind of dinner roll thing stuffed with something that smelled good. She grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler on the floor and slunk back to a wall to eat and be miserable.
Gemma bounced from group to group. She hugged a redhead with dark brown lipstick and then held her at arm’s length, complimenting her dress. She introduced herself to a tall man with grey hair and black glasses, handsome, if you were into older men. Then she wandered into another room without a backwards glance at Jane.
Jane heard Gemma explode into laughter from the other room, even though the general buzz of conversation was pretty loud. She crunched a cracker and considered the scene. She’d bet that somewhere in the crowd, someone had a bad secret. As a potential future missionary, it was good to be able to determine which person in a group had a need that Christ could meet. As a detective in training, the ability to tell who was hiding something was invaluable.
She stopped.
Isaac wasn’t anywhere in the room. She didn’t need to lean against the wall justifying her two passions to him.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen to see what else was happening at the random party Gemma had found out about through Twitter.
For the millionth time since Christmas day, a tall man with short brown hair made her catch her breath.
She slowly exhaled. Someday she’d stop thinking she saw him in every crowd.
Then he laughed.
Jane stepped back through the door.
What was Isaac doing here?
Before she could decide to run outside and catch a bus home, the hostess weaved her way through the kitchen. “Everyone gather, gather around! It’s time for traditional solstice games!”
Jane followed the hostess out and hoped Isaac wouldn’t notice her.
Most of the guests gathered in the front room. The hostess grinned, her cherry-red lips a bright spot in a room that had grown oppressive to Jane. “This is my traditional English winter solstice after-party! We’re going to play a couple of traditional games, then have crackers, and maybe, if everyone is good, Father Christmas will come!” She giggled, just a little. She was tipsy, but not totally wasted. “First game: sardines. Does everyone know how to play?”
Laughter spilled across the crowd. The grey-haired man Gemma had introduced herself to groaned. The girl next to Jane, also wearing rain boots, snickered.
“This is a big house. I’m going to turn out all the lights. You all stay here, with your eyes closed. Count to thirty while I hide. You all have to find me. When you find me, though, you have to hide with me! Got it? Last person to hide with us loses.”
Jane tried to stare at her hostess’s cherry-red lips, but it was impossible because Isaac Daniels was standing right behind her, to the left, staring at her with his big hazel eyes. And he looked sad.
Then the lights went out.
All of them.
The room was crowded and dark. It smelled like cinnamon candles, Christmas trees, vanilla incense, and Jake.
“Hang in there, kiddo. You can make it through this.” Jake’s voice was a whisper in her ear.
She reached behind her and found his hand.
He gripped it. “I don’t know who invited him, but don’t go thinking it’s fate just because you are both here.” His words were quiet, and he was very close.
She nodded, and felt his lips moving against her ear. “I invited Gemma. I’m sorry. I knew if I did, she’d bring you. But I wouldn’t have done it if I had known that weird Daniels kid would be here.”
Jake led her by the hand into the kitchen. It was also completely
Gemma gave Jane a little push into the house. Everyone seemed to have a glass of wine or a bottle of something in their hands. It was definitely a drinking kind of party, and, as she looked around the room, she found that she didn’t know anyone at all.
Jane wandered over to the snack table and piled a plate with stuffed mushrooms, crackers topped with pimento cheese, and some kind of dinner roll thing stuffed with something that smelled good. She grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler on the floor and slunk back to a wall to eat and be miserable.
Gemma bounced from group to group. She hugged a redhead with dark brown lipstick and then held her at arm’s length, complimenting her dress. She introduced herself to a tall man with grey hair and black glasses, handsome, if you were into older men. Then she wandered into another room without a backwards glance at Jane.
Jane heard Gemma explode into laughter from the other room, even though the general buzz of conversation was pretty loud. She crunched a cracker and considered the scene. She’d bet that somewhere in the crowd, someone had a bad secret. As a potential future missionary, it was good to be able to determine which person in a group had a need that Christ could meet. As a detective in training, the ability to tell who was hiding something was invaluable.
She stopped.
Isaac wasn’t anywhere in the room. She didn’t need to lean against the wall justifying her two passions to him.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen to see what else was happening at the random party Gemma had found out about through Twitter.
For the millionth time since Christmas day, a tall man with short brown hair made her catch her breath.
She slowly exhaled. Someday she’d stop thinking she saw him in every crowd.
Then he laughed.
Jane stepped back through the door.
What was Isaac doing here?
Before she could decide to run outside and catch a bus home, the hostess weaved her way through the kitchen. “Everyone gather, gather around! It’s time for traditional solstice games!”
Jane followed the hostess out and hoped Isaac wouldn’t notice her.
Most of the guests gathered in the front room. The hostess grinned, her cherry-red lips a bright spot in a room that had grown oppressive to Jane. “This is my traditional English winter solstice after-party! We’re going to play a couple of traditional games, then have crackers, and maybe, if everyone is good, Father Christmas will come!” She giggled, just a little. She was tipsy, but not totally wasted. “First game: sardines. Does everyone know how to play?”
Laughter spilled across the crowd. The grey-haired man Gemma had introduced herself to groaned. The girl next to Jane, also wearing rain boots, snickered.
“This is a big house. I’m going to turn out all the lights. You all stay here, with your eyes closed. Count to thirty while I hide. You all have to find me. When you find me, though, you have to hide with me! Got it? Last person to hide with us loses.”
Jane tried to stare at her hostess’s cherry-red lips, but it was impossible because Isaac Daniels was standing right behind her, to the left, staring at her with his big hazel eyes. And he looked sad.
Then the lights went out.
All of them.
The room was crowded and dark. It smelled like cinnamon candles, Christmas trees, vanilla incense, and Jake.
“Hang in there, kiddo. You can make it through this.” Jake’s voice was a whisper in her ear.
She reached behind her and found his hand.
He gripped it. “I don’t know who invited him, but don’t go thinking it’s fate just because you are both here.” His words were quiet, and he was very close.
She nodded, and felt his lips moving against her ear. “I invited Gemma. I’m sorry. I knew if I did, she’d bring you. But I wouldn’t have done it if I had known that weird Daniels kid would be here.”
Jake led her by the hand into the kitchen. It was also completely
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