But instead of running away, she just stood there, like she was frozen to the ground.
“Emmy?” Daniel said.
Emmy felt like someone just woke her up from her slumber. “Dan.” She said, her voice shaking.
“Are you okay?” Daniel asked.
The woman beside Daniel was looking at her like she was this funny kind of person; like she’s a person from the circus, or someone who didn’t really know what she was doing. “You look pale.” The woman said. “Are you okay?” Emmy actually thought that her voice was sweet but she did not want to make her feel great or happy. She didn’t want this woman to think that Emmy is this weak creature but somehow, Emmy thought that it is already exactly what the woman’s thinking.
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Emmy said. “I’m just overwhelmed…” She laughed nervously. “I mean, that’s a great engagement party right there.” She smiled.
“Oh!” The woman said. “It is!” She smiled. “Dan and I have been friends with Rosie and Carlo for years. I mean, since college. They’ve been together ever since then and we’re just so thrilled that they’re finally together now! Dan and I helped orchestrate this, you know. I mean, it’s mostly Dan coz he knows this place more than I do but it’s fun coz wow, they’re finally engaged. I wonder when I’d be next.” She laughed.
Emmy smiled. “Who knows?” She said, looking at Dan. “Maybe soon.”
“Oh I don’t know about that.” The woman smiled as she looked at Daniel, as well. “You and Dan are friends?”
“Yeah, sure,” Emmy said. “Just friends.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Anyway, I have to get going. I’ll see you guys around.”
Emmy turned her back before any of them could say anything but she was surprised when she realized that Daniel actually caught up with her.
“Emmy, wait!” Daniel said.
Emmy turned to look at him and noticed that the woman was just standing far behind with a look of confusion on her face.
“Why are you in a rush?”
“I don’t want to hinder you from having a blast with your girlfriend.”
“What?!” Daniel asked. “Wait…” he said and went on, “You think there’s something going on between Cailie and I?”
“Well, that’s really none of my business—“
“She’s my friend.” Daniel said. “We were classmates back in college and she’s best friends with Rosie, you know, the woman who just got engaged.”
“She was clinging to your arm.”
“She’s touchy. That’s always been how she is.”
“Right.” Emmy took a deep breath. “You really didn’t have to explain. I mean, we’re no longer together and…I’m sorry.” She said. “I really should be going home.”
Daniel took a deep breath. “I can take you home. I can just go back to the party later.”
“No, Dan, it’s okay.” She said. “I mean…we have different lives now and—“
“Don’t be silly.” He said. “Any new leads about that letter?”
She shook her head. “It’s like McMahon doesn’t want anything to do with it and her cohorts are basically just her cohorts so they refuse to do anything, too. Grace isn’t even picking up my calls and that’s making me crazy.”
“Hey,” He said and touched her arm in a comforting manner. “It’s going to be okay.”
“The last time you said that—“
“Emmy?”
Emmy turned around and noticed a man whom she never saw before saying her name. He was this light brown haired tall guy who was wearing a gray shirt, ripped jeans, and looked every inch like a model for a male clothing catalog.
“Who’s this?” Daniel asked.
“This,” the man said as he held out his hand for a handshake, “is Frank Albert Holt. I own that new place at Cobbler Lane and Emmy’s actually invited to my party. I was walking around when I noticed her. Great, huh?”
Emmy was confused. Was this man following her? And why is he acting like he actually knew her? But at the same time, she felt like this was the perfect opportunity for her to get out of this situation with Daniel.
“Oh, right.” Emmy said. “Frank’s my new friend.”
“Really.” Daniel said, the doubt evident in his face. “Are you sure you don’t want me to bring you home? You can take a ride with us, you know.”
“I’ll be okay. You have a party to attend to. And apparently…I’ve a friend with me now.” She smiled at Frank who also smiled at her.
“Okay.” Daniel said. “Call me if anything.”
“I’ll be okay, Dan.”
Daniel took a deep breath and made his way back to Cailie. They were soon joined by Rosie and Carlo and soon enough, Emmy watched them get inside Daniel’s car and go away.
“Protective bloke, that one.” Frank said.
Emmy turned to face him. “Just so you know,” she said. “We’re not really friends yet. I only did that so he could go away. So now, tell me,” she went on. “Who are you, really?”
CHAPTER 4
SEE YOU AT THE MANSION
“Chill.” Frank said. “You already know who I am, Emmy.”
“And you think I’m buying that story that you were just walking around and you saw me and you wanted to say hello and all that?” She said. “I don’t. I don’t even know how you know me. I don’t even know why you would invite me to your party when we haven’t had any social interactions before.”
“First of all, I’m Frank,” he repeated. “And secondly, you know that this is a small town, Emmy. I can definitely walk around even if it’s not in my plans and there’s always that chance that you’ll see someone you know. And, people will always talk about the popular ones and apparently, you are one of those.”
“I’m clearly not.”
“Well, maybe not for the right reasons but at least, people are still talking about you. And you know what I’ve learned? It’s always good when people talk about you because it means that you’re substantial. That you’re doing something that people find it hard not to talk about. It means you’re relevant, Emmy, and that’s why I invited you to the party. And more importantly, I really just want to be friends with you. I heard about you living in Paris for so long and that’s great because I’ve been working in Paris for a while, too.”
“That doesn’t mean that we should be friends.”
“You’re right,” he said, “but wouldn’t it be cool to actually talk to someone who knows how great macarons are without you having to explain how good they are? And, you know, I’ve always wished that I could talk to someone about the Arc D Triomphe, and taking the Metro without looking like a fool. Maybe, I miss Paris and maybe I just want to make a friend. It’s as simple as that.”
Despite of herself, Emmy found herself laughing. “You got me at macarons.” She said. “Damn, sometimes, I wish people here would realize how awesome they are. I mean, I have made some of them but nothing beats Parisian Macarons.”
“I know!” He said. “I always try to explain that they’re different from the usual kind of pastry but people do not seem to listen to me.”
“I know,” Emmy laughed. “Some of them also think that macarons and macaroons are the same!”
Emmy felt a little better talking to this guy. Somehow, she felt like she was in Paris again and that it’s okay to not think about anything crazy and just focus on what she has right now. She has never felt that way in a long while.
“Sorry for acting crazy earlier.” She said. “I didn’t really mean it. It’s just…things have been pretty hard recently.”
“You don’t have to explain.” He smiled. “Although, that Daniel guy still seems to have a thing for you.”
“It’s complicated between us.”
“Ah!” Frank said. “You know, complicated is a vile word.”
She smiled lightly. “I can’t say I don’t agree.”
“Maybe, you’ve been too caught up in your world with him a little too much and you need to explore s
ome more. You know, get out there, just forget about things that are dragging you down…Remember how Paris is like, this world of its own? It made me feel like I am capable of anything and I’m sure you know what I mean.”
She nodded her head. Paris has always made her feel like there are a lot of great things in the world and that she could achieve what she wants to achieve. It made her feel like she’s capable of being the woman she always dreamed of becoming. She loved Sky Valley, yes, but recently, it had proven to be quite the opposite of what she remembered it to be. It drove her crazy and it made her just want to go back to Paris but it’s not as simple as that anymore. It’ll never really be simple anymore.
And maybe, this Frank guy is right. Maybe, she has to start thinking like she’s back in Paris again so she could feel great about herself again.
“I couldn’t agree more.” She smiled.
“So…does this mean that you’re coming to the party?”
She took a deep breath. “I guess so.”
“Perfect!” He exclaimed and gave her a hug. “Oh and…can you give me a favor?”
“What?”
“Can you bake some pastries for the event? Maybe, some macarons and all those? I know you could do it.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure about that. I mean, my baking life has not exactly been rosy recently and I’m sure people are going to talk—“
“Nonsense.” He said. “It’s my party and I’ll be there. Plus, why would you let them get to you? You can start again. You can show them that you can do this.”
“The last time I tried doing that, I failed and someone died.”
“Just because it happened before doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.” He answered. “You have to trust yourself again, Emmy. I’m here. I’ll be here for you. I know we still don’t know each other a lot but we’ll get to that and…and I believe in you. You can do this.”
Emmy took a deep breath. She thought about how she let the opinions of other people rule her life in the past couple of months and how it affected her and she really didn’t want to live the rest of her life that way. She knew that she was bigger than all those things and even if there were still a lot of problems, she couldn’t really let those put her life on hold.
“You know what?” She said. “Maybe, you’re right. Maybe, I really should try again.”
He smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”
She smiled back. It was nice to have a new friend, after all.
“So…” he said, “See you at the mansion?”
She smiled. “Sure.” She said. “See you.”
CHAPTER 5
SHE’S COOKING AGAIN
Emmy didn’t waste any time. She went to the grocery after that conversation with Frank and bought some ingredients that she could use to make some pastries and sweets. She filled her shopping bags with sugar, flour, fresh fruits, flavorings, and everything else that could help her. She even bought some new boxes and ribbons that she could use for packaging and even some utensils that would make baking easy for her. She never felt this excited in so long.
As she made her way to the front door of the house, she noticed that some of the neighbors were looking at her. They were looking at her many shopping bags, noticing that what she bought was meant for cooking.
“Oh look!” One of the neighbors, Mara, a 50-something lady with red curls who loved to wear maxi dresses said. “She’s cooking again!”
“If I were her, I would continue to lock myself inside that house. People might die, you know!” They laughed.
Emmy took a deep breath. She knew that she had to say something but she could no longer tolerate this. These people were just too much.
“Hey.” She said. “You know what? If I were me, I would punch the hell out of you.”
Mara and her friend were dumbstruck and they walked back a bit.
Emmy went on. “You don’t know what happened at that coffee shop or at the resort. No one really knows. But sooner or later, the truth will come out and all of you will be dead to me. All you’re good at is spreading rumors and I am so much more than that. So back off. Oh and just so you know? Yeah, I’m cooking again. Scared now?”
Mara bit her lip and rolled her eyes. She then went back inside of her house with her friend which made Emmy smile. She instantly went to the kitchen and prepared the things and ingredients that she needed to make some Mango Macarons.
She beat the egg whites until they were foamy, then added cream of tartar, salt, and sugar. Then, she stirred in the mangoes and the food coloring and she folded them in until everything was well-blended. She also added mango juice and buttercream and mixed some more. Then she placed the filling in a piping bag and piped perfect circles on a baking tray.
She placed the tray inside the oven and waited for the macarons to be baked. Then, when they were done, she took them out and looked at them. The smell of mangoes enveloped the room and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy with herself.
“That smells great!” Troy’s voice boomed into the room.
“Hi Daddy!” Emmy said as she greeted her dad who just came inside the room.
“Wow, you made macarons?” Troy said. “You’re baking again!” He exclaimed. “That’s amazing.”
She laughed. “Thanks, dad.” She said. “I actually saw Frank at the park earlier today…”
“Frank? Frank who?”
“You know, that guy who sent that invitation.”
"Oh! That Frank. So, how was that?"
"It was good, actually. He was nice and apparently, he also lived in Paris for a while. And, well, he asked me to make pastries for the party."
"Wow! That's great, honey!"
She grinned. "I know!" She said. “Well, at least I kind of feel like I can now start over again.”
“Don’t worry too much.” Troy said. “It’s going to be fine.”
“I do hope so.” Emmy said. “Oh, I really hope so.”
CHAPTER 6
PARTY AT THE MANSION
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Audrina!
I really wish you were here. I feel pretty crazy right now. I mean, I haven’t been to any parties in a while and I’m making the desserts for this one so you know…Gaaaaah! I seriously have no idea what to feel. I’m kind of freaking out.
Xx
Em
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Emmy, Emmy, Emmy.
You still haven’t changed!
I know life has been full of stumbles and crashes recently but you got this, love. Kill them with those pastries.
I mean, well, you know what I mean.
Audrina
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Everyone thinks I’m already going to kill them, you know. Lol
Come back soon! Or are you thoroughly enjoying Guatemala?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Well, Guatemala’s lovely but yeah well, I miss Sky Valley some days. Anyway, you haven’t told me much about this Frank guy. Is he cute?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Now that’s the Audrina I know! Lol
Yeah, well, he looks great. He seems cocky at first but he’s actually nice. He even lived in Paris for a while so that’s something we have in common. It’s nice to make friends again.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Really? Just friends?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Just friends, Audrina.
And oh! I really should get going now. Don’t want to be late. I’ll tell you what happened later, okay? Hopefully everything will be okay.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Re: the party
Just relax. You got this.
Emmy made her way to the party. She entered the back door of Frank’s house so she could make her way to the kitchen and line up the pastries that will be served. Luckily, Frank had a couple of maids who willingly helped her.
Finally, everything was set up on the dining table. There were French Mango Macarons, Pistachio Peanut Butter Cups, Apple Pecan Pies, Strawberry Macarons, Layered Lava Cake, and even Spicy Chocolate cake. Emmy was happy seeing them like that and so she decided to change clothes at one of the many bathrooms in Frank’s house. He toured her earlier in the day.
Then, once she finished dressing up, she looked at herself in the mirror and saw how great the velvety red dress that she was wearing fit her. She thought she did her make-up well. She looked poised and elegant—like she was perfect for this occasion.
“Hello beautiful.” Frank said as he saw Emmy coming out of the bathroom. “Look at you. You look great.”
Emmy couldn’t help but smile. “You look great yourself!” She said. “I mean, look at you. And look at this place!” She stood at the foot of the stairs and realized that she hasn’t exactly allowed herself to be in awe of how lovely the place was. She felt like she was in her own castle and that she was a princess. She loved how the stairs were carpeted, how there were big shining balls above, how the chandeliers were all grand and festive and how beautiful everything was. In fact, she did not feel like she was in Sky Valley.
“Thank you.” Frank said. “And your pastries are amazing!” He said. “I won’t deny that I tasted some before everybody else.” He laughed.
Emmy found herself laughing as well. “And did you like them?”
“Did I like them? No!” He said which made Emmy confused. “Actually,” he said, “I loved them. Are you kidding me by asking me that question? I mean, those macarons were on point.”
William Jarvis - Sky Valley 03 - Mayhem at the Mansion Page 2
