But, even though my group isn't the best (and I really am trying to be OK with this, trying not to feel competitive about this, trying to not boil over about it), so even though they aren't the best, they have done some great work, they have come leaps and bounds, and I do believe that I will be bursting with pride by the curtain call this evening. I'm already very proud of what they've done.
I still kinda wish we were the best. knock-your-socks-off good, you know? whatevs.
K, so: you've seen it one way (in two parts), and you've seen it another, now here's a look at that infamous party from our very own Mr. Jonah Delaney-- young and starry eyed and in the right\wrong place at the right\wrong time.
Also you get kinda introduced to some other characters- ooooh, exciting!
Now i know I've said this before but for some reason with this one I really must reiterate that all the cedar falls shorts (as D calls them, making them sound very art-house and legit! lol), are far from perfect. I like so much of this one but recognize that it needs some serious revision. HOWEVER! I've been sitting on it for like weeks and weeks and really just want to get it out there already!!
I hope you like the parts i like and just brush over the rough stuff.
Oh, and wish me "break a leg"!!
PS- there was a big mistake in the one i posted a minute ago, so if you still have that in an email or whatever, disregard and read the one /i'm posting now. just a continuity mistake, but it would have fucked me in the asshole for one of the next things I'm going to post so.... yeah.
************************
There were so many people, so many attendees, Jonah wondered why they hadn’t held the reception at the pavillion instead of at the house. Looking around he guessed the legendary Vaughan Grey had wanted to showcase his designer home, wanted his guests to see the many awards and magazine covers and trophies and framed photographs, wanted them to marvel at his expensive furnishings and rare collectibles and exotic memorabilia. Jonah decided the man who lived here must be one arrogant, conceited, egotistical, ass.
With a shrug he accepted a glass of wine from a pretty young cater-waitress carrying a tray of sparkling wines. He recognized the logo on her shirt. “Hey, Hi, Nolan working?” He asked her with a warm smile. She returned the smile in a way that told Jonah this girl had a crush on his brother.
“Yeah, he’s here…” She glanced around hopelessly. She was too short to see much in the crush of guests. “Somewhere!” She said with a laugh.
He laughed with her. He was much taller than she was so he scanned the crowd, able to see above most people’s heads. “Thanks—I’m sure I’ll find him sooner or later.” He said.
“Yeah, He’s got Reds I think.” She said helpfully. “If you find him, tell him I said ‘Hi’!” and then with a sweet smile moved away, offering her drinks to other guests.
Jonah chuckled. He’d be sure and do that. She seemed sweet. Scanning the crowd his eyes fell upon a familiar pair of faces at the far end of the room, just by the open French doors that led to the back patio. Her face looked pleasant, if a bit strained, and his? His face was a glowering, irritable grimace. Jonah laughed to himself and tossed back some of his wine before navigating his way politely through the throng toward his parents.
He saw several co-workers and nodded warmly, sometimes stopped to exchange a few words, he saw the superintendant but couldn’t get close enough to do more than smile and wave, and finally he made his way to his mother’s side. She was in the middle of a conversation about a charity auction that was being planned for the fall at the historic society. When she saw him her eyes crinkled at the corners in acknowledgement, but she didn’t interrupt her dialogue with Mrs. Eisen.
He would wait. Instead he turned to his father and smiled winningly at the man’s obvious discomfort. “Hi Pops.” He said, patting his father soundly on the back.
“Jonah.” Nodded his father in a grim greeting.
“You look like you’re having a blast.” Jonah tried not to smile quite so largely but he wasn’t managing too well. It was always thoroughly entertaining to see his normally mild-mannered father so uptight and surly. The man hated crowds and social events, but his wife, well, his wife was a social creature by nature and he endured these events to please her.
“I met the groom.” He said, looking for all the world as thought caused a sour taste in his mouth.
Jonah glanced around. He’d not had the pleasure of meeting his host or the young Calder bride yet. He’d seen them both around town, knew who they were, but hadn’t met them today. “Nice fellow?” Jonah asked wryly, catching sight of a life-sized framed poster of the man in full swing on the green. He rolled his eyes. He didn’t need to meet the man to know he wouldn’t care for him.
“A prince.” Said his father dourly. “More bourbon in his veins than blood I think.” He confided in a low voice.
Jonah chuckled. His mother was kissing Mrs. Eisen on the cheek and promising to call with ‘that information’ sometime tomorrow. Jonah nodded politely to Mrs. Eisen as she departed and then turned to his mother. She cocked her head and smiled at him. “What in hell are you doing at a thing like this?” she asked with a laugh.
He grinned and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You look lovely Ma.” He said affectionately.
She shook her head. “No, no, no, flattery will get you nowhere.” She placed one hand gracefully on her hip and with the other she took a sip of dark wine. “What made you decide to come?”
He looked around at the crowd. He didn’t want to tell her the real reason. “Nolan’s here.” He offered.
She raised a skeptical brow and opened her mouth to retort but her husband cut her off “Oh leave the boy alone Evelyn, he’s here for the same reason all the rest of these fools are here.” He lifted a highball glass to his lips and took a mouthful of whatever mixed drink he’d procured.
She sent her husband a rather chilly look before fixing her gaze back on her son. “Is that why you’re here?” She asked archly, “To see and be seen?”
He chuckled. “Maybe.” He said evasively. Really he was in attendance in the hopes of meeting someone. He hadn’t been on a date in months and Nolan had been urging him to get back in the saddle, to play the field again.
“Nobody can see anybody in this crush.” Said his father grumpily.
“We’re not staying too much longer.” His mother sighed. “I just want to see Mrs. Calder before we go, thank her for the invite.”
“Sebastian Calder must be spinning in his grave.” Jonah’s father commented dourly.
Jonah laughed, but his mother looked stern. “Ethan Delaney, don’t pretend for a second that Sebastian Calder was some kind of upright saint.” She hissed. “He gave that woman years of nothing but infidelity and in the end he died in the arms of a whore, so I don’t think he’d have a leg to stand on here.”
Jonah was surprised by his mother’s sudden vehemence. Outwardly she remained composed and graceful but the heat that sizzled under her fierce whisper took him aback.
“The man’s sins aside, Evelyn, no father wants to see his teenage daughter married off to some middle-aged lothario.”
She tisked. “I think he’d rather see her married than become an unwed teen mother, don’t you?”
Jonah groaned. “Mr. and Mrs. Delaney, please!” He smiled at them. They bickered; it’s what they did. Jonah knew they loved eachother very much but knew they weren’t happy unless they were arguing about something or other. Usually one of them would play the devil’s advocate on some issue just to drum up conflict. It was their peculiar little hobby and it was mostly harmless, but with so many ears around…
“I’m just glad I don’t have daughters, with that jackal prowling around town.” Groused his father.
“Ethan! Don’t stand there drinking the man’s liquor and backbiting, for God’s sake, he’s our host!”
Jonah smiled an over-large smile. “Have a good time you two.” He enthused. “If I don’t see you before I leave, I’ll be over for Sunday dinner as usual.” He delivered another peck to his mother’s cheek, clasped his father’s hand in a brief shake and set off toward the less-cramped but very hot and sunny back yard.
He didn’t see Nolan anywhere. He met up with the Bennett brothers for a short time, Sam had his eye on some pretty young thing and Marty was enjoying the mingling. Then he chatted with their sister Grace for a while—they’d dated in high school and were still able to chat like old friends. She was married to Holden Sinclair now, who she said was in attendance but who the hell knew where? She looked contented and radiant; and almost ready to pop—her due date was less than a month away.
He was a little in awe of how many important Cedar Falls families and politicians and business people were in attendance. But, he supposed the sole heiress to the Calder fortune was a bit of a celebrity around these parts, and so, he supposed, was the play-boy golf pro she had married.
After a while he decided he’d probably burn terribly if he stayed out in the sun too long and with some reservations he headed back toward the cool of the house. He mingled with old friends from school, chatted with bigwigs from the central schools office, and flirted with one or two nice-looking girls, but he wasn’t having a terribly great time. And he still hadn’t found Nolan. Where the hell was his brother? He’d seen about a dozen other cater-waiters, from various vendors, even a few from the winery, but he’d yet to spot Nolan among the crowd.
He decided to make one complete sweep of the house before giving up and getting the hell out of there. He hadn’t met anyone that he’d been overly attracted to, and while he realized he might have a shot with one or two ladies here, he didn’t feel all that inclined to put out the effort. He was trying, but he didn’t think he was all that ready to be playing the field again.
He settled on a trickle-down plan of attack. He’d start on the top floor, where he’d heard there was a sundeck, and work his way back down.
Jonah kept his eyes peeled on his way up, but by the time he was mounting the stairs to the third floor he still hadn’t seen any sign of his brother. He’d seen Nolan’s good friend Len across a large, crowded room and waved enthusiastically, but he didn’t bother trying to cross the sea of mingling guests to get to him. Maybe he’d catch him on the way down.
The minute he stepped onto the third floor landing Jonah got an uneasy feeling across the back of his neck. The atmosphere up here was different, somehow, and his gut reacted to it instinctively. The tone in people’s voices was different. There seemed to be more couples kissing and groping and fondling up here. He felt forcibly reminded of a college frat house party, but something felt more slick, even, more deliberate and sinister about the air up here.
This was supposed to be a wedding reception—what the hell was going on up here? It was the middle of the day, for God's sake.
He almost turned around. He hoped he wouldn’t find Nolan up here, hoped he didn’t stumble upon his brother embroiled in some steamy orgy. Not that he’d begrudge his brother the action, he just didn’t need to see it.
He moved quietly, almost crept, through a very large and impressive master bedroom suite, toward the sound of voices and laughter and the light of the sundeck. He wouldn’t stay long, he didn’t feel comfortable up here, he’d just take a look and see if Nolan had been stationed up here. He felt as if he were trespassing in the penthouse or something, like he’d sneaked onto the bunny ranch without credentials.
There was low murmuring and deep, provocative laughter. If Jonah were an animal he believed his hackles might be up. He stalked carefully over to the wide open French doors and observed the salacious glances some folks were casting to their left, watched the avid interest of others who didn’t bother concealing their open fascination. The men and women up here wore the same expressions he’d seen on men in a strip club—appraising, slightly aroused, captivated, hungry—all under the guise of being perfectly neutral and blasé about it.
He inched out onto the sundeck, slowly scanning the dozen or more faces and feeling very relieved that his brother was not among them. And, taking a breath, he made the decision to see whatever it was that was so captivating to these people. He noted the Deputy Superintendant of Schools among the crowd and frowned. He saw a few other familiar faces and felt even more uncomfortable.
And finally he turned his head in the direction of the hot-tub. Jonah felt an outbreak of tiny hot and cold pinpricks from head to toe. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, and had trouble looking at the spectacle. There were two people performing very graphic carnal acts in the swirling water, completely nude and unconcerned with the lookers on; no, Jonah thought, not unconcerned; they were enjoying the audience.
After blinking and staring at the deck floor for a few moments he made himself look again, see who they were. He knew he’d be asked later and knew he’d have to give details to his friends when they heard about this insanity. This wouldn’t have happened at the pavilion, Jonah thought wryly.
He was looking at the man’s nondescript back and bare ass but when he moved his head down to capture the woman’s nipple in his mouth Jonah’s jaw fell open. He recognized the son of a bitch from all the framed photographs and magazine covers below. This was their host, this was the man of the hour, this was Vaughan Grey, husband, and father-to-be.
Jonah snorted in disbelief. Then he craned his neck to have a better look at the female; maybe his gut instinct was wrong, maybe Vaughan Grey was up here fucking his new bride for all to see, maybe the young heiress was an exhibitionist and got-off on fucking her much-older husband in broad daylight before an audience of Cedar Falls socialites.
He felt like a pervert, straining for a better view and he knew he was flushing from his scalp to his toes, but he just had to know. He saw dark hair and knew the heiress to have dark hair, he saw a lot of flesh and heard a great deal of throaty moaning and whimpering and he was distinctly disturbed to notice a man beside him begin to rub himself through his dress pants. Holy God, Jonah just wanted to answer the question of who that woman was in the hottub and get the hell out of there.
He moved further onto the deck and caught sight of Holden Sinclair nuzzling a young woman who was not Grace and looked away sharply. He didn’t want to see this side of Cedar Falls, didn’t want to know it. He was damn glad Nolan wasn’t up here. And he hoped his parents had left long ago.
Suddenly the woman lifted her head and seemed to look right at Jonah. Her silver-gray eyes seemed to cut right into him and he was breathless for a moment. Sopping wet and getting vigorously fucked she still seemed perfectly stunning and not the least bit ruffled. She was amazing and he felt a heat slide down his front as she looked at him. She dragged her tongue over her top lip and he shuddered. She laughed throatily and threw her head back once more, enjoying the rhythm with which her partner was moving into her, and Jonah felt cold all over.
This was an heiress alright, but not the right heiress. That bastard was fucking another woman at his goddamned wedding celebration, and not even bothering with the slightest discretion. Feeling almost nauseated Jonah moved quickly and determinedly for the exit. Fuck finding Nolan, he was leaving and he’d catch up with his brother later. He didn’t want to be at that residence a minute longer than he had to be.
He pushed past a man he knew from the gym and squeezed past two wealthy cougars who boldly pawed and pulled at him. He was shivering despite the heat of the summer sun and making all haste to get to the landing when he nearly bowled over a petite little thing on her way toward the sundeck.
They had a moment of trying to step around one another where he’d move to his left but she’d move the same way, and then they’d both move to the other side. After several attempts the young woman giggled lightly and the sound helped to dispel Jonah’s chill. He finally stopped his politely awkward missteps and looked at her fully. She was beautiful. She was smiling up at him, impossibly large pale green eyes framed by long dark lashes above high pink cheeks and the sweetest cupid’s bow mouth he’d ever seen. She had dark hair swept over her flawless alabaster forehead and behind her slight shoulders.
She was perfect. And she was heavily pregnant. And his mouth fell open with the realization of who she must be.
“Excuse me!” The young woman said, laughing a little.
“Mrs. Grey—“ Jonah began, his heart thudding in his ears.
She smiled and looked ready to make an introduction but then a sound caught her ears and the smile faded. It was an intimate, erotic sound and there was no mistaking it really. The woman on the sundeck was beginning the slow wind-up toward orgasm and she wasn’t shy about letting everyone know it. Jonah’s ears burned and the back of his neck was tingling discomfitingly.
“Will you excuse me?” She said softly, her face transforming from carefree and joyful to one of concern and a sort of disbelieving dread.
He stepped in front of her again and she looked startled and a shade irritated. “Mrs. Grey, won’t you come with me downstairs?”
She spared him half a glance and moved to get around him in the other direction. “Excuse me.” She said again, her voice vague and thin.
Jonah didn’t know where the impulse came from but he knew he needed to stop her, prevent her from seeing what her husband was doing to her. He took a few steps backward and moved into her path again. She pulled up short and wore an expression of dismay. With one small hand she held her very round belly and with the other she fingered an attractive diamond necklace at her throat. “What’s going on out there?” She asked him, a nervous whine entering her tone.
Jonah looked at her. She was still so young. So innocent. He wanted to whisk her away from the seedy scene behind him on the sundeck, felt the strongest urge to save her from the awful, sordid truth out there. But before he could speak they both heard her husband’s voice urging his lover toward climax and grunting. The murmuring of the small, watching crowd became more fevered, and the young heiress’ face pulled into one of near-terror and she shook her head but moved around Jonah, as if compelled by some divine force, and onto the sundeck.
He hadn’t the power to stop her, he’d tried but she was determined to see for herself, to witness the act of betrayal she’d already guessed at. The crowd parted for her soundlessly, not a word of warning to her or to the pair in the hot tub. Jonah hesitated a moment on the threshold of those double doors, debated with himself as to whether or not he should get mixed up in what was about to go down, but then the girl screamed, and the sound clenched around his heart like a fist, and the decision was no longer his to make.
He flew to her side as she raged at her husband. He wanted to be there, beside her, though he knew it wasn’t really his place. He glanced around at their audience and recognized that this girl didn’t have a single friend up there. Except for him. He would be in her corner.
The bastard in the hot tub didn’t have the decency to look embarrassed, or even apologetic. On the contrary, he looked put-out that he’d been interrupted. Jonah wanted to punch the filthy son of a bitch.
The man exchanged some words with his young wife and seemed entirely unconcerned with her fury and humiliation as he stepped, completely nude, from the hottub. The man was vile. Jonah watched with disgust as he reached to help the silver eyed seductress out of the hot-tub, apologizing to her, but not his wife. And then suddenly the petite little thing was lunging for the Golf-pro.
Jonah was momentarily stunned. She threw herself on him with everything she had, she bit, she clawed, she kicked and slapped and Jonah had to force himself to move through his stunned immobility. He was sure he pulled her off the man not a second too soon. Vaughan Grey looked like a man who might not hesitate to throw a pregnant woman to the ground.
Jonah held her, supported her weight as she sank to her knees before the hot tub. She screamed and swore and made dire threats and she was sobbing and gasping for air and she was in such misery, such torment. Jonah wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and make it all go away. He had a powerful urge to defend the young woman’s honor by attacking the man himself, but she was so hysterical he feared she might do harm to herself or the baby should he let her go.
So he held her.
He held her when her husband leaned down and spoke cruelly to her, held her when all the sycophants vacated the sundeck, following their perverse piper. He held her and soothed her and rubbed her back and let her weep into his chest.
He was already in love with her.
The Silver heiress had said something, before she’d sauntered off the deck, something that made Jonah very worried. He stroked the young Mrs. Grey’s hair, and her back, and looked with some concern at the very large stomach between them. She might miscarry, or she might go into premature labor. She was practically choking on her sobs now, her body wracked with grief and anguish. He needed her to calm down as soon as humanly possible.
He murmured all kinds of sweet things to her. Told her how beautiful she was, how she deserved better. He told her that her husband was the world’s biggest fool to look at any other creature. He told her she would be alright. That she was perfect. An angel. He had the feeling that she wasn’t hearing any of it, not really, but he hoped the sentiment was helping to pacify and calm her. He promised he would help her and protect her and make sure that bastard never hurt her again.
When her sobs subsided to a weak blubbering he made his voice a little more firm:
“C’mon. Let’s get you out of here.” He told her.
She finally looked at him then, lifted her enormous green eyes to his and really saw him for the first time. She appeared fascinated and he smiled warmly, assuring her with his eyes that she was in safe hands, that she could trust him.
She smiled back for a beat before a wave of panic washed over her features and her body convulsed forcefully and she vomited all over him. There was a moment, a split second where he understood what was about to happen, but, not wanting to break his contact with her he had no choice but to brace for impact and allow her to be sick all down his front. He made himself breathe through his mouth and endure wave after wave of retching. He held her long, silky chestnut tresses away from the mess and tried to pat her back reassuringly.
When she had finished, her body weak and shaking, her face streaked with tears and twisted in mortification, she parted her lips and tried to speak but had only a raspy whisper left.
He smiled at her. “Hello. I’m Jonah—“ he told her, trying to make her smile. “I’m not sure we’ve met.”
It worked. She smiled. The sight of her smile, the way she met his eyes and gazed so deeply into him, he knew he’d be hers as long as she wanted him. He was in love.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment