Combing back my hair, I went downstairs with it still wet. I’d been hoping to make it out the door without being spotted by my housemates.
Unfortunately, all six of them were in the central living area, lounging in various spots around the great room, still hard at work and all at the same time—for once. What were the odds?
Hap looked up from his laptop, and a huge grin split his face. “Whoa ho ho… and where are we off to tonight… Mr. Bond?”
He said the last two words with an overdone exotic accent, clearly amused with himself.
“Yeah, what’s with the penguin suit?” Reid frowned in obvious disapproval.
“What penguin suit? He’s wearing a tux,” said Josh. He wore the clueless expression I’d seen on his face a million times. Though he was a literal genius, he could be a real airhead sometimes.
If wewerethe Seven Dwarves, as Jack had nicknamed us, Josh woulddefinitely be Dopey. Reid, obviously, would be Grumpy.
He was also brilliant and a hard worker, but he was tough to get close to and had been in a permanent bad mood since being ditched by his high school sweetheart.
Tucker’s mouth stretched in a wide, loud yawn as he leaned back in his chair and raised his arms overhead in a shuddering stretch.
“You’re going outnow? Isn’t this kind of late for you, Early Bird?”
And Tuck would be Sleepy. He usually worked through the night when the rest of us had called it a day and crashed.
I was normally up before the rest of the household, getting in an early run then coming back to make everyone breakfast so they wouldn’t start work on a belly-full of coffee and sugar.
We really did need to hire a chef. I’d learned to cook for myself and my dad as a teenager, but seven men ate alotof food. It could turn into a full-time job if I let it—and I already had one of those.
“There’s a fundraiser at Bellevue Manor,” I explained. “Jack and Bonnie wanted me to stop by. I won’t be long. I’ll be back to help out soon.”
Hap swished his hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it. Go. Have fun. You deserve it.”
“You’re going to just walk into the party by yourself?” Aidan asked.
“Unless you want to throw on a penguin suit and join me.”
My bashful friend held his hands up in front of him like he was fending off an attack. “No fucking way. I’d be lost in that swarm of aristocrats. I’d have no idea what to say. I’ll stay right here and get some more work done. I give you credit, though.”
“Whatdamn penguin suit?” Josh demanded, looking around at us all like we were crazy. “I don’t get it.”
Everyone laughed.
“The tuxedo, imbecile.” Paul sneezed over in his corner spot. “How have you never heard of that? Tuxedo? Penguin suit? They’re both black and white—get it?”
He sniffled then sneezed again before blowing his nose.
“Okay, well, I’ve got to get over there before I miss the whole thing. See you later.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Hap called out as I left the house.
“Thereisnothing you wouldn’t do,” I shouted back over my shoulder and shut the door behind me.
It was only a short stroll down Oceanview Avenue’s wide, tree-shadowed sidewalks to the party venue. The closer I got, the more my nerves vibrated.
What if she really was there? We hadn’t seen each other in twelve years. Would she even remember me?
Maybe it would be better if she didn’t. A completely fresh start could be a good thing.
I reached Bellevue Manor and stopped just inside its high wrought iron gates, looking up at the home’s French-inspired façade, the enormous white marble columns, bays, and pilasters inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles.
Rocking back and forth in my shiny shoes with my hands stuffed in my pants pockets, I battled a vicious swarm of guerilla butterflies.
