by Nikki Chase
If we get there early, we might even be able to help Piper and Rafe with the party preparations.
The Holts throw a Christmas party every year. We used to take Penny with us, and we always had a good time there, so I feel like it’s time to give back in some small way.
“I wanted to get there half an hour early,” I say, sighing. I'm tempted to blame Ethan, but truth be told, I could’ve stopped him, and I didn’t. I hold out my hand. “All right, let’s get going. Give me back my panties.”
“Who said anything about you wearing panties?” Ethan asks, grinning, mischief dancing in his icy-blue eyes.
“Ethan, please. We’re going to be late. We don’t have time for this.”
“Kitten, nobody takes a Christmas party this seriously,” Ethan says. “Try to relax.”
“It would be easier to relax if I were wearing panties.”
Ethan chuckles and pulls my black lace panties out of his pocket. “Okay. But I’m telling you, I’ll bet plenty of people would rather be home, having sex, too. Even Raphael and Piper.”
I put on my underwear in the most dignified way I know how, ignoring Ethan’s remark. I’m pretty sure the other guests at the party aren’t acting like horny teenagers, which is what we’re like, most of the time.
“Hey! You guys are early.” Piper finally cracks the door open and sticks her head out. The bit of her shoulder that I can see through the gap is moving like she’s hurriedly pulling on something with her hands.
I give her a smile and check my watch. I’m pretty sure my watch is accurate . . . unless Ethan changed all the clocks and watches in the apartment just so we’d have the time to fool around and still get to the party early.
That doesn’t sound like something he’d do, though.
“Isn’t it seven now?” I ask.
“Uh . . .” Piper twists so all I can see is the back of her blonde head. “Yeah, you’re right.”
I turn to look at Ethan, who’s holding a bottle of red wine in his hand. He shrugs.
“Sorry,” Piper says, giggling. “Looks like we’re running a little late. We didn’t expect people to get here on time.”
“Yeah. Now that Penny’s a teenager, we take less time getting ready,” I say, grinning back at Piper.
“Right. Right.” Piper takes another look behind her before she finally swings the door all the way open. She’s wearing a black sheath dress and a pair of black stilettos. She's the picture of understated elegance.
“Hi, guys,” Rafe says with a big grin stretching from ear to ear. “Welcome to the most happening place in the building.”
When I first moved into Ethan’s apartment, I was completely star-struck by the sight of Raphael Holt, the heir to a prestigious private bank for high-net-worth individuals.
Now, I know him as my funny, goofy neighbor. How times have changed.
“Thanks,” I say.
“Here’s a little something for you,” Ethan says as he hands Piper the bottle of wine.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Piper says as she takes a quick look at Rafe.
Is she nervous? She’s acting kind of weird. She’s usually so friendly and personable, but tonight, she seems distracted.
Rafe nonchalantly slings his arm around Piper’s shoulders and rubs her upper arm, which seems to take away some of her tension.
“Come in,” Rafe says. He’s wearing a pair of khakis and a button-down shirt. With the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he looks smart but relaxed.
“Thank you." I step inside their gorgeous apartment. “If you’re not done preparing for the party, is there anything we can help with?”
“Oh, no, there’s no need for that,” Piper says. She matches my steps and leads me inside. “We have caterers, waiters, cleaners . . . There’s really nothing to do. Rafe and I haven’t had to lift a finger. We even have a bunch of babysitters to man the kids’ room.”
Just like it did the previous Christmases, Piper and Rafe’s apartment looks festive. The muted neutrals on the walls and floor tiles provide the perfect backdrop for string lights, giant red bows, and leafy wreaths.
The layout of this apartment is similar to ours, with glass walls all around the outer perimeter of the unit. The city lights outside only help make this place appear more like a party scene.
A tall Christmas tree stands in the middle of the living room, which is devoid of furniture tonight, presumably to make space for party guests. A big, golden star rests at the top of the tree while tiny lightbulbs make it shine with a warm glow.
“Make yourselves at home. We have food on this table and the one over there,” Piper explains. “I’m sorry, but I have to check on Olivia in the children’s room.”
“Of course,” Ethan says. “Don’t worry about us. We’re pretty good at keeping ourselves entertained, aren’t we, Megs? We were having plenty of fun at home while we were getting ready.”
My face grows warm as I recognize Ethan’s double meaning. I’m pretty sure he’s referring to what we just did in the walk-in wardrobe.
But there’s no need to get embarrassed. There’s no way Piper or Rafe gets it.
“Yeah,” I say, making myself smile although I want to swat my husband in the arm as hard as I can.
“Awesome,” Rafe says before both he and his wife disappear down the hallway.
Ethan chuckles as soon as they’re out of earshot.
“Oh, you think your little joke was funny, huh?” I ask in a hushed voice.
“That’s not it,” Ethan says. “But I’m sure they would’ve found it funny, had they understood what it was about.”
“You don’t know that.” I take a few steps away from Ethan to inspect the Christmas tree. There are pretty ornaments hanging off the branches—colorful globes and a few cute little figurines.
“Oh, but I do.” Ethan chuckles again. In a lower voice, he adds, “They were obviously being naughty, too, just before we got here.”
I let out a tired sigh. “Again, you don’t know that.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice,” Ethan says. “Sometimes, I can’t believe you used to be a gossip reporter.”
“Okay, I’ll bite.” I rest my hands on my hips. “How can you possibly tell?”
“When Piper opened the door, she looked a little . . . disconcerted, wouldn’t you agree?” he asks.
“Yeah . . .”
“That’s because, behind her, Rafe was still busy trying to put on his pants.” Ethan pauses while I stare at him in disbelief.
"You couldn't have seen—"
“His shirt was unevenly tucked, and—”
“That could’ve been deliberate,” I say, cutting him off again.
“Sure, but he couldn’t have deliberately folded the bottom of just one leg of his pants and left his fly unzipped,” Ethan says.
“Are you serious?” I ask in a whisper. Maybe he’s right.
“Of course. They probably forgot the time. They have a toddler and a room full of kid minders. Do the math,” he says, grinning smugly. “Oh, and also, her face was red and they were both out of breath.”
I stop to consider Ethan’s theory. The more I think about it, the more plausible it seems. “Penny would’ve been proud of your powers of deduction.”
Ethan chuckles. “Yeah. Too bad I can’t bring up the neighbors’ bedroom habits with her, so I’ll just have to make do with you as my sole audience. Are you impressed?”
“If you don’t lower your volume, soon the new guests will get to admire your conclusion, too,” I say as I hear footsteps getting closer.
Ethan
When Raphael and Piper re-enter the living room, another couple's with them. I’ve seen them at previous Christmas parties, but I don’t recall their names.
“Hi, Alice, it’s been so long since we last met,” Megan says. She’s already throwing her arms wide open to pull the woman who’s just arrived into a hug.
Unlike me, Megan’s practically a human address book.
“Yeah,
” Alice says. She seems to be in her early to mid-thirties, and she carries herself with careful grace. She seems a little guarded. “I remember having a girls’ lunch earlier this year, but that was probably the last time we’ve seen each other, right?”
“Yeah,” Megan says. “We should get together more often.”
I really hope she doesn’t. As much as I miss having Penny hang out with us all the time, I’m not liking the fact that Megan seems to be trying to fill the hole Penny’s left with new friends.
I have no issues with Megan having friends of her own, but I inevitably get dragged into these social functions, when I’d rather sprawl out on my couch, watching a re-run of some old sitcom.
Besides, I want to have her all to myself.
“Yeah. Seth and I have been busy with our work and . . . other stuff.” Alice gives her husband a look that makes me wonder if even they have just had sex, too.
Maybe I’m just seeing things because I’ve just had sex—kind of. Projecting, I think, is what they call it.
“Ethan, you remember Seth,” Megan says, gesturing to a man who looks so solemn and serious he seems out of place among the string lights and the wreaths. His dark business suit is so crisp I can’t spot a single wrinkle.
“Of course.” I give Seth a polite smile, which he returns.
As far as I can remember, the man spends his time fighting human trafficking. It’s probably hard not to let the weight of his work turn him into a sober person.
I admire Seth for his work; I don’t think I could do what he does. I keep myself busy enough taking care of the two most important women in my life to concern myself with other people.
“This is the nice thing about throwing a Christmas party every year. At some point, there’s no need for introductions anymore,” Raphael says. He rests his arm on Seth’s shoulders, despite the death glare that Seth gives him.
“So, Seth, you’re still busy saving the world, I take it?” I ask with a friendly smile. As soon as the words slide out of my mouth, I realize how flippant it sounds. I hope he doesn’t think I’m making light of his life’s work.
“Of course,” Raphael answers for Seth. “Have you told everyone about your partnership with the NGOs? That’s a pretty huge thing, right?”
“I just got here, Rafe. I haven’t had the chance to tell anyone anything,” Seth says.
“Oh. Right.” Raphael grins.
It’s hard to understand why these two are best friends, but they seem thick as thieves.
“That sounds interesting. I’d love to hear more about it,” I say, glancing at Megan, who’s chirping happily with Alice and Piper.
“It is a big move forward, but there’s not much to say about it, really,” Seth says. “Basically, we’ve partnered up with a few NGOs doing similar work as we do. We'll be sharing information and resources, so we’ll be able to help more people.”
I nod.
“Currently, we can reach a few hundred trafficked illegal workers every year,” Seth continues. “With the new system in place—as soon as we get everything set up, we should be able to help twice, maybe even three times the number of people.”
I nod again. Apparently, Seth’s only quiet until he starts talking about his work. It seems like he really cares about the people he’s trying to help.
As Seth continues to tell me facts and figures I don’t completely understand or care about, the doorbell rings again.
“Oh! That must be Ali and Zeke,” Piper says excitedly as she rushes down the hallway to open the door. “I haven’t seen them in forever.”
“Ali was busy with her son,” Seth says, halting the impromptu lecture about human trafficking to make a comment about the new guest. “Now that Samuel’s started to go to school, she should have much more free time.”
It’s Raphael’s turn to nod, and I wonder why he makes no comment. It seems out of character.
When the new couple, Ali and Zeke, walks in with their son, Raphael gives them a polite welcome that makes me think he’s trying to maintain some kind of a distance with them.
Weird, especially for someone who’s usually so gregarious.
“Hey, Samuel, you haven’t seen Olivia in months, right?” Piper crouches down to ask Ali and Zeke’s son in a high-pitched, cutesy voice adults often use to address kids.
The kid, who seems about three or four, nods shyly.
“Okay,” Piper says as she gets up to her feet. She takes little Samuel’s hand in hers. “Let me show you the playroom.”
I can’t help but grow curious about Raphael’s relationship with the new couple. In contrast to Raphael’s cool reception, Piper treats them warmly, like she does the other guests. Maybe this Ali woman is an ex or something.
Despite my initial apprehension about this party, it’s turning out to be a pretty interesting study in human character.
I don’t know why I never noticed the dynamics between these people before, even though I saw them in previous years’ Christmas parties, as well. Probably because Penny was always here before, keeping both Megan and me occupied.
I step away to fill my glass with soda. I want to stay sober for this. It’s turning out to be an interesting way to spend my weekend, after all.
Megan
As Piper and Rafe’s living room fills up with people, the atmosphere changes.
It was cozy and intimate before, but now, about an hour after we got here, the party’s in full swing. Speakers play jolly Christmas songs, but it’s the sounds of glasses clinking and people conversing that really make it come alive.
Piper and Raphael Holt really know how to throw a party. He wasn’t kidding when he said this was the most happening place in the building.
Food and drinks pretty much cover the two long tables set up along the edges of the living room, and waiters in crisp white uniforms keep coming to offer tiny finger foods on perfectly balanced trays.
I let the champagnes and eggnogs pass me by and take a mug of hot chocolate instead. It makes me feel old, even though I’m only twenty-five.
I just don’t want to risk making a fool of myself in front of all these beautiful people. I swear I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve seen more famous people at the Holts’ parties than I ever did in my (admittedly short) career as a gossip journalist.
Seriously, if my old editor from The Goss could see the guest list, she’d do anything to get someone in here, or even sneak in herself.
Unfortunately for the gossip tabloids, these high-profile, successful people know exactly how to keep riffraff like my former editor out. If I were still working at The Goss, maybe I wouldn’t even get an invite even though I live in the building.
Even though I don’t love my current job, I’ve never regretted quitting The Goss.
As I sip my hot chocolate, I wave back to Paul the doorman. He's got a perpetual grin on his face—not surprising since people keep saying hi to him.
Paul slowly makes his way through the crowd, bumping into party-goers in the process. He moves with zero grace, but his friendliness and quick apologies eventually get him close to where I’m standing without offending anybody.
“Great party, huh, Mrs. Hunter?” Paul asks.
“Yeah. I’m glad you could take the night off. You work really hard and you deserve the break,” I say, giving him a smile.
“Oh, thank you. I’m not off tonight, though,” he says, pulling the front of his sports jacket open to show me the uniform he’s wearing underneath. “I’m taking turns with Bobby so we can both enjoy the party.”
“Oh, Bobby the new part-timer?”
“Yeah. Good kid. He’s going to college full time and working part time at night,” Paul says.
He lifts his glass of what looks like soda and grins at a middle-aged couple who lives in the building. I don’t know them, but I recognize them by sight.
“Have you seen Ethan, Paul?” I ask before he takes off to say hi to someone else. I haven’t been able to find my husband for a while now, but P
aul’s tall enough to have a better view of this place.
“Yes, I did, actually.” Paul cranes his neck to look behind him. “I saw Mr. Hunter in the children’s playroom earlier, but I have no idea if he’s still there.”
“The children’s playroom?” I ask, more out of surprise than disbelief.
“Yes. Do you know where that is, Mrs. Hunter? I can show you if you’d like.” Paul goes back into work mode, which kind of makes me feel bad.
“Yeah, I do,” I say quickly. “I’ll go and find him there. Don’t worry about me. This is a big apartment, but it's not like I'll get lost on my way there.”
Paul smiles. “If you say so, Mrs. Hunter.”
“Enjoy the party, Paul. And Merry Christmas.” I stand on my tippy toes and give the big man a hug.
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Hunter.”
When I open the door, the sounds only grow louder.
Piper and Rafe have set up what’s practically a kids’ wonderland in this spacious room. No wonder none of the little ones have strayed outside. The adults’ party must seem completely boring to these kids.
In contrast with the subdued party decoration outside, things look crazy in here. It’s like a unicorn has flown by and pooped rainbows all over the place.
The plastic fort-and-slide set in the middle of the room is coated with bright, primary colors. A boy is riding an orange dinosaur, while a woman, who's probably one of the people the Holts’ have hired to look after the kids tonight, is watching him.
Giant teddy bears, tiny beanbags, and bright toy cars litter the floor.
There’s a neon-green boat a little off to the side. Olivia, the Holts’ little girl, is standing at the little yellow wheel, turning it around and around like she’s actually sailing somewhere. She looks adorable in her festive red dress and red ribbons on her blonde pigtails.
This room probably has enough toys to put a small, mom-and-pop store (like the one my parents used to run) to shame.
Being in this room makes me feel tall, and it takes me no time at all to spot Ethan in the midst of all the kids. He’s sitting down, cross-legged, with two other guys. Two boys and a girl, who appear to be between four and six years of age, clamber all over them.
