join them.
There were others Sean introduced her to only briefly. People who were almost too drunk to stand. “It’s what they like,” he said apologetically, after one tried to kiss her, fell over his own feet, and miraculously landed in a lounge chair where he immediately passed out. “There’s plenty of room to sleep it off here, anyway, so it’s not as if I’m putting drunks on the road.” He chuckled. “The servants are all trained in picking pockets. Anyone too drunk to drive won’t find his keys until he’s sober.”
“Wow!” she said, impressed. “That’s—”
“It’s smart,” he interrupted. “If I didn’t take care of my guests, these parties would stop. Money doesn’t shield you from everything, you know. And it’s not as if there’s much to do in Silence for some of them besides drink.” He shrugged.
She looked at the food, at the pool, at the house… then again, if this was what you were used to, maybe you could get bored with it.
Well, she wasn’t used to it. And aside from not knowing anyone, and so, often not knowing what people were talking about, this was probably the best party she had been to, ever. But after a while something made her look at her watch, and she realized with a sense of shock that it was after midnight. And once again, Sean seemed to somehow intuit what she was thinking.
“I bet it’s getting late for you,” he said. “And it’s a long way back to town. Let me get you home.”
He led her back around to the front of the mansion again, and that portico. She thought about being all alone with him in that car…wondered if he was going to try something… She had never had trouble putting off unwanted advances before, but everything about tonight seemed like it was from a completely different world.
But to her mingled relief and disappointment, he left her with the—was it a butler? a footman?—waiting at the front of the house. “Get Padrick to take Miss Staci home, would you, Harris?” he said, once again gently detaching her hand from his arm. “I’m the host, and at this stage in the party, it would not only be rude to leave, it might be stupid,” he said with a rueful smile. “I’d find a television or all of the lounges in the pool, or something equally awkward. The chauffeur will take care of you. Just tell him where you need to go.”
“Sean, thank you for everything. Tonight was…well, it was just great. I haven’t seen or been to anything like this since I’ve come to Silence. But…well, I had one question.”
“I just might have one answer. Shoot, Staci.” He grinned, flashing those dazzling white teeth at her. Damn if he isn’t smooth.
“Why me? I mean…” She let her voice fade, unable to articulate what she wanted to say. That she wasn’t all that special. That she wasn’t gorgeous—she’d seen gorgeous, there were models going to her old high school. She wasn’t able to make conversation of the kind that had guys hanging off her words. She wasn’t special, not in any way. She’d always considered herself good, but not special, because in New York, you could go see special walking around in Soho, or Dumbo, or the Village, any time you wanted to.
“It’s not every day that we get anyone new coming to Silence. Especially cute girls.” He paused for a moment, still smiling before shrugging. “I like to know everyone that I can. You never can tell when it’ll be helpful, down the road. So, I figured I’d get to know you a little better tonight. Satisfied with my answer?”
She nodded, unsure whether she wanted to feel flattered or obscurely disappointed. And she never got a chance to sort things out further, because that was when a huge, blood-red limousine, complete with a uniformed chauffeur, pulled up.
“Here’s your ride,” he said brightly, and reached into a pocket, pulling out a little rectangular gold case. “And here’s my number,” he said, taking a card from it, and pressing it into her
There were others Sean introduced her to only briefly. People who were almost too drunk to stand. “It’s what they like,” he said apologetically, after one tried to kiss her, fell over his own feet, and miraculously landed in a lounge chair where he immediately passed out. “There’s plenty of room to sleep it off here, anyway, so it’s not as if I’m putting drunks on the road.” He chuckled. “The servants are all trained in picking pockets. Anyone too drunk to drive won’t find his keys until he’s sober.”
“Wow!” she said, impressed. “That’s—”
“It’s smart,” he interrupted. “If I didn’t take care of my guests, these parties would stop. Money doesn’t shield you from everything, you know. And it’s not as if there’s much to do in Silence for some of them besides drink.” He shrugged.
She looked at the food, at the pool, at the house… then again, if this was what you were used to, maybe you could get bored with it.
Well, she wasn’t used to it. And aside from not knowing anyone, and so, often not knowing what people were talking about, this was probably the best party she had been to, ever. But after a while something made her look at her watch, and she realized with a sense of shock that it was after midnight. And once again, Sean seemed to somehow intuit what she was thinking.
“I bet it’s getting late for you,” he said. “And it’s a long way back to town. Let me get you home.”
He led her back around to the front of the mansion again, and that portico. She thought about being all alone with him in that car…wondered if he was going to try something… She had never had trouble putting off unwanted advances before, but everything about tonight seemed like it was from a completely different world.
But to her mingled relief and disappointment, he left her with the—was it a butler? a footman?—waiting at the front of the house. “Get Padrick to take Miss Staci home, would you, Harris?” he said, once again gently detaching her hand from his arm. “I’m the host, and at this stage in the party, it would not only be rude to leave, it might be stupid,” he said with a rueful smile. “I’d find a television or all of the lounges in the pool, or something equally awkward. The chauffeur will take care of you. Just tell him where you need to go.”
“Sean, thank you for everything. Tonight was…well, it was just great. I haven’t seen or been to anything like this since I’ve come to Silence. But…well, I had one question.”
“I just might have one answer. Shoot, Staci.” He grinned, flashing those dazzling white teeth at her. Damn if he isn’t smooth.
“Why me? I mean…” She let her voice fade, unable to articulate what she wanted to say. That she wasn’t all that special. That she wasn’t gorgeous—she’d seen gorgeous, there were models going to her old high school. She wasn’t able to make conversation of the kind that had guys hanging off her words. She wasn’t special, not in any way. She’d always considered herself good, but not special, because in New York, you could go see special walking around in Soho, or Dumbo, or the Village, any time you wanted to.
“It’s not every day that we get anyone new coming to Silence. Especially cute girls.” He paused for a moment, still smiling before shrugging. “I like to know everyone that I can. You never can tell when it’ll be helpful, down the road. So, I figured I’d get to know you a little better tonight. Satisfied with my answer?”
She nodded, unsure whether she wanted to feel flattered or obscurely disappointed. And she never got a chance to sort things out further, because that was when a huge, blood-red limousine, complete with a uniformed chauffeur, pulled up.
“Here’s your ride,” he said brightly, and reached into a pocket, pulling out a little rectangular gold case. “And here’s my number,” he said, taking a card from it, and pressing it into her
Similar Books
