“Alright, I’ll go and mingle…” I say, trying to get rid of Lawrence. He smiles.
“That’s my man. I’ll see you soon. Have a drink. Have a dance. Loosen up.”
I stalk away from Lawrence and head into the crowd. At the thought of finding my girl in the crowd, I’m suddenly aroused. When I find her, I’m going to show her what it means to belong to someone. I’m going to make her mine.
Zooey
“This party is freaking awesome.” I nod absent-mindedly as Poppy continues to gush about my father’s party. She’s not yet used to the size of his huge house, the sheer amount of guests and the amount of alcohol he’s provided for free. To me, this feels all too familiar. My Dad never really lost the party boy in him, which I guess is why none of his four wives have stuck by him. Poppy sometimes strikes me as a younger, female version of him. She loves the glitz and glamour of partying in mansions and making the most of this kind of thing. She’s gone all out in a skimpy skirt and a revealing top to be a ‘slutty cat.’ She insisted that we match, which is why I’m standing in this uncomfortable catsuit, wishing I was anywhere else.
“Zooey? You seem kind of distracted...don’t you want to get more involved?”
I sigh. “Not really. To tell you the truth, I wish I was in bed.”
“Don’t be such a spoilsport. You promised me this would be fun.”
“You can go and mingle. Go on, I know you’re desperate to.”
“What about you?”
“Don’t mind me. I’ll just be hiding out, avoiding Dad and his seedy friends.”
Dad keeps insisting that I need to meet his best friend and business partner, but so far, I’ve managed to avoid the ordeal. I don’t even know what this guy looks like, but I’ll be sure to avoid him for as long as possible. Any friend of Dad’s is no friend of mine. I only came here out of a sense of dutiful obligation. He and I have never really been close, especially considering he left my Mom before I was born, now he wants me here at his party, to show me off. It sucks.
“Come on, Zooey. There are some seriously hot guys here. We can talk to a few of them, have a few drinks and see what happens. Don’t be, like, frigid.”
I cross my arms in annoyance. I knew it was a mistake bringing Poppy here. She just doesn’t get it. She’s had a million boyfriends and I haven’t even had one. She kisses anyone with a pulse at parties, but I’m saving myself for someone special. I don’t know how many times I have to tell her that before she will understand, but I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.
“I’ll see you in a bit. You go and have fun…”
Poppy rolls her eyes and sets off into the crowd. Moments later, I see her hooking on to a group of young guys, flirting and flattering each of them within moments of reaching them. I stand awkwardly, not knowing what to do with myself.
And then I look up and see him. The handsome man in the crowd stops when our eyes meet. I saw him earlier and something about him had my heart beating a little faster. Maybe it’s those gorgeous broad shoulders of his. Maybe it’s his height. If we stood next to each other, he’d tower over me sexily, dominating without being intimidating. He’s wearing a mask, but I can tell he’s older than me. Much older, really. But somehow, it doesn’t put me off at all. His attractiveness rules out any possible flaw.
And he’s looking at me. Me of all people. It’s almost like he’s staring into my soul. I almost shudder. It feels good to be stared at. I can see the desire in his eyes. I’ve never had a man look at me so intensely. After watching Poppy with all of those young, immature guys, this man seems so much more mature.
My Dad warned me that these parties are much more than just a social event. He told me that one day, he plans to hand the business over to me, whether I like it or not. He doesn’t really approve of me being a theater student, no matter that I’ve told him that I've just snagged the lead role in our latest show. He says that I need to make an effort to be sociable and get to know the clientele, just in case. Well, I haven’t even been slightly tempted before now. But seeing this handsome man across the room, I think maybe mingling could be a good thing if it means I get to spend time with him.
We are drawn together from across the room. My feet move involuntarily toward him as he approaches. His eyes are intense, hungry for something that I don’t yet understand. I’ve seen that look between couples before, when they passionately make out on the dance floors, dripping with chemistry. But for the first time, that attention is directed toward me. His eyes scan my body and I feel myself blushing.