good thing with being the
youngest of four children; her parents had seen and heard it all,
and they didn’t ask too many questions.
Taking the glass of wine along, she stepped
through the French doors and onto the balcony. For a couple of
seconds as she took in the view, she forgot to breathe. A symphony
of gold, red and orange played through the sky, lighting the
horizon on fire. As far as she could see, the ocean glittered under
the slowly setting sun. A few white sails were catching the wind in
the distance. She took a sip of wine. She envied those people who
would greet the New Year on a small boat, with only a spouse or
lover at their side, or maybe their children. She loved her
friends, she really did, but this was not her idea of a good time.
She tipped the glass and finished it in one long gulp. Not her
idea, and yet, there she was, ready to play hostess.
A few more minutes passed before the first of
them arrived. The clear chime of the doorbell startled her. She
glanced at her watch as she stepped back inside and went to open
the door. Five minutes to seven: just a little early.
She set her empty glass aside and smoothed
her hands down her dress nervously. She had opted for a blue cotton
dress she had been told matched her eyes. A quick glance in the
mirror by the door reassured her that what little make-up she had
on was still perfect. Her short hair looked windswept, but she
didn’t mind. She swallowed hard as she reached for the door handle,
wondering who she would find standing behind the door. She hoped it
wasn’t Woods; the last thing she wanted, she told herself, was to
be alone with him, even for a few minutes. Still, her relief was
tinted with a twinge of disappointment when she opened the door to
greet a beaming Alicia.
“Hi,” Daisy said, warmth filling her voice.
“Glad you could come.”
Alicia was almost bouncing as she entered,
her curly hair dancing like red flames on her shoulders. Her wide,
excited eyes made her look like she was fifteen, and not almost
twice that. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything! Is he here
yet?” She craned her neck to peer around the living room and the
attached dining room.
“Not yet,” Daisy said with a short chuckle.
“You’re the first.”
She showed Alicia to the guest bedroom so
that she could put down her jacket and purse.
“I’m so excited!” She clutched Daisy’s arm.
“He said he’d do it for all of us, right?”
Responding to the hint of anxiety in her
friend’s voice, Daisy tapped her hand gently before freeing
herself. “He said he’d do up to ten people. Ben has a shift at the
hospital, so that’s nine of you. You’ll get your turn.”
A shadow passed over Alicia’s face at the
mention of Ben’s absence. She paused with one arm out of her
jacket, then shrugged out of it. “Nine of us?” Alicia asked as she
sat on the bed next to her jacket. She leaned back, her hands
resting on either side of her. “Does that mean you won’t do
it?”
Daisy’s eyes flittered for an instant to the
charm bracelet on Alicia’s left wrist. Was it a trick of the light,
or were the bite marks hiding beneath the charms redder than usual?
She looked back at Alicia’s face. Maybe later, Daisy would try to
talk to Alicia about it. Right now, Alicia was too excited to
listen to her.
“I said I’d get him here. Not that I’d
play.”
Alicia jumped back to her feet, grinning.
“You say that now…”
“No, I’ve been saying that since the start. I
like a bit of mystery in my life, thank you very much.”
Alicia laughed. They returned to the living
room; already, another guest was knocking on the door. Daisy let
Jack and Lydia in, and as she greeted them, she could see a car
coming up the alley. She left the door open as she invited her
friends inside.
“So, what made you decide to come?” she asked
Jack, her voice teasing.
Of all her friends, he was the only one who
had seemed to think like she did that the whole thing
youngest of four children; her parents had seen and heard it all,
and they didn’t ask too many questions.
Taking the glass of wine along, she stepped
through the French doors and onto the balcony. For a couple of
seconds as she took in the view, she forgot to breathe. A symphony
of gold, red and orange played through the sky, lighting the
horizon on fire. As far as she could see, the ocean glittered under
the slowly setting sun. A few white sails were catching the wind in
the distance. She took a sip of wine. She envied those people who
would greet the New Year on a small boat, with only a spouse or
lover at their side, or maybe their children. She loved her
friends, she really did, but this was not her idea of a good time.
She tipped the glass and finished it in one long gulp. Not her
idea, and yet, there she was, ready to play hostess.
A few more minutes passed before the first of
them arrived. The clear chime of the doorbell startled her. She
glanced at her watch as she stepped back inside and went to open
the door. Five minutes to seven: just a little early.
She set her empty glass aside and smoothed
her hands down her dress nervously. She had opted for a blue cotton
dress she had been told matched her eyes. A quick glance in the
mirror by the door reassured her that what little make-up she had
on was still perfect. Her short hair looked windswept, but she
didn’t mind. She swallowed hard as she reached for the door handle,
wondering who she would find standing behind the door. She hoped it
wasn’t Woods; the last thing she wanted, she told herself, was to
be alone with him, even for a few minutes. Still, her relief was
tinted with a twinge of disappointment when she opened the door to
greet a beaming Alicia.
“Hi,” Daisy said, warmth filling her voice.
“Glad you could come.”
Alicia was almost bouncing as she entered,
her curly hair dancing like red flames on her shoulders. Her wide,
excited eyes made her look like she was fifteen, and not almost
twice that. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything! Is he here
yet?” She craned her neck to peer around the living room and the
attached dining room.
“Not yet,” Daisy said with a short chuckle.
“You’re the first.”
She showed Alicia to the guest bedroom so
that she could put down her jacket and purse.
“I’m so excited!” She clutched Daisy’s arm.
“He said he’d do it for all of us, right?”
Responding to the hint of anxiety in her
friend’s voice, Daisy tapped her hand gently before freeing
herself. “He said he’d do up to ten people. Ben has a shift at the
hospital, so that’s nine of you. You’ll get your turn.”
A shadow passed over Alicia’s face at the
mention of Ben’s absence. She paused with one arm out of her
jacket, then shrugged out of it. “Nine of us?” Alicia asked as she
sat on the bed next to her jacket. She leaned back, her hands
resting on either side of her. “Does that mean you won’t do
it?”
Daisy’s eyes flittered for an instant to the
charm bracelet on Alicia’s left wrist. Was it a trick of the light,
or were the bite marks hiding beneath the charms redder than usual?
She looked back at Alicia’s face. Maybe later, Daisy would try to
talk to Alicia about it. Right now, Alicia was too excited to
listen to her.
“I said I’d get him here. Not that I’d
play.”
Alicia jumped back to her feet, grinning.
“You say that now…”
“No, I’ve been saying that since the start. I
like a bit of mystery in my life, thank you very much.”
Alicia laughed. They returned to the living
room; already, another guest was knocking on the door. Daisy let
Jack and Lydia in, and as she greeted them, she could see a car
coming up the alley. She left the door open as she invited her
friends inside.
“So, what made you decide to come?” she asked
Jack, her voice teasing.
Of all her friends, he was the only one who
had seemed to think like she did that the whole thing
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