Chapter 110

#Chapter 110 – New Year’s Day New Year’s Eve comes faster than I thought it could. The invitations to our last-minute party came back in a flurry, with Alphas cancelling their other plans to come to ours in a waterfall of RSVPs. They’re still curious, I think, to catch up on the drama after Victor’s almost-wedding.

I’ve barely had time to think in the past two days, but as I stand outside Victor’s house, where I’ve arranged my half of the party, I can’t help but think that I’ve done an amazing job.

We flipped a coin two days ago, Bridgette and I, to see how we’d split up the party area. This is how Henry wanted it – an even split, one party inside, another outside, to see where the guests would gravitate. We’d flipped the coin, but I didn’t care where it landed. I knew what I was taking either way.

“Oh great, heads!” Bridgette had laughed, clapping her hands. “I win! Oh, thank god, I pick inside. No way I’m going to try to throw a party outside in the winter.” She laughed and shook her head, but I just smiled.

If I had won the toss, I’d have picked outside anyway.

“Good luck,” I said to Bridgette, giving her a kiss on the cheek. I know that Rafe and Henry have tried to pit Bridgette and I against each other, but really, there’s no reason to resent this girl – she’s actually pretty nice. “Let me know if you need anything,” I said, smiling at her.

“Thank you so much, Evelyn,” she had said, meaning it, putting a hand on my arm. “The same to you.”

I had waved and headed out the door. Two days later, I’m standing in a tropical paradise.

The gardener’s mishap with the pool the other day, overheating it by mistake, had actually given me an idea. Instead of having my guests wrapped up in coats at my New Years party, I was going to make them want to strip down.

I cranked the pool up again and rented dozens of space heaters – tall ones, to heat from above, and short ones to crank in heat from the sides of the pool area. Then I pitched a high clear swatch of plastic over the back yard to keep the heat in, though guests can see straight through it to the stars above. It’s practically invisible.

To go along with the heat, I created a tropical theme, with drinks in coconuts and pineapples, serving staff in cute little board shorts and bikinis. I even hired a couple of models to sit in the pool and hang leighs around the necks of those brave enough to journey in.

To top it all off, I hired a local clothing store to open a little boutique in the back of the yard, complete with changing rooms, so that guests who want a dip can choose a new bathing suit and go for a swim.

Or, if guests just want to get out of their stuffy evening wear and into some tropical sun dresses, they can do that as well.

All gratis, of course.

Bridgette had gone with a more classic theme – formal wear, black and gold decorations, canapes, champagne at midnight. All lovely, classic things. A perfect party, by any standards.

My party might be considered tacky next to hers, with my grilled dishes and bottled beer. But, with my experience growing up in my father’s house, I know that if there’s anything a group of Alphas loves, it’s a surprise. And if there’s one thing a group of Alphas is tired of, its formal wear, canapes, and champagne.

As I smile at my work, Victor walks down the back steps of his porch, taking off his suitcoat as he comes. “Wow,” he says as he comes to stand next to me. “Evelyn, this is…incredible. And very unique.”

I know that I’m confident about my choices, but I bite my lip, hoping he feels the same. “Do you like it?”

He nods vigorously, raising his eyebrows at me. Then, his eyes dip to take in my blue and white hibiscus-print dress, which just touches the floor and blows in the breeze of the light fans I have set up to circulate the air. His smile deepens.

“It’s beautiful out here,” he says, his eyes still on me. “Can we keep it, after the party? I would be fine with some eternal summer.”

I laugh, taking a step closer to him, pleased that he likes it. “Only if you’d be happy to spend a fortune to maintain it.”

He shrugs. “At least one more day of it, for the boys. They’ll be sorry to miss it.”

I glance back at my house and can swear I see two bitter little faces staring out the back window at us.

No kids tonight – we put it on the invitations and didn’t want to be hypocrites for including our own.

They have a pack of Betas for babysitters tonight.

“I know,” I say, looking mournfully back at my house. “And they’re finally old enough to stay up until midnight. They’ll never forgive us.”

Victor shrugs, smiling, unwilling to have his mood brought down. “I’ll have you all to myself for once,”

he murmurs, looking distractedly back at the house. “I can’t say I mind.”

I blush a little at this but am glad he doesn’t see. Instead, he’s turned his attention back towards the house. Guests are starting to arrive.

“Show time,” I say under my breath, pasting my biggest Luna smile on my face. “Let’s go.”

Victor nods to me, confident, and then heads up to the porch to greet the members of our community.

As I precited, my party is a hit. Bridgette’s party is grace and elegance, and the older and more stuffy members of our community stay inside, but all others are drawn outside by their curiosity and desire from a break from the winter cold.

Annabeth Prath laughs as she steps outside, shirking her fur coat and handing it to the waiting coat check. “Really, Evelyn,” she says, taking me by the arm as she accepts a pina colada from a waiter.

“It’s a marvel. I absolutely feel as if I’ve stepped through a portal to the Bahamas.”

I laugh. “We haven’t invented teleportation yet,” I say. “But we’re working on it. Until then, fancy a dip?”

I gesture towards the pool, where a variety of Alphas and their wives – the youngest, mostly – have indeed exchanged their dresses and tuxedoes for shorts and bikinis. They splash at each other and ride around on floats, sipping their drinks, having a wonderful time.

Annabeth laughs at the sight of them, shaking her head in wonder. “No, I think not, I’m not precisely in bathing suit shape,” she says, running a hand over her belly. I look at her, a little suspicious. Her figure is trim, but…I sniff the air lightly.

“Annabeth,” I say, my eyes lighting up. “You’re not…”

She grins at me, and lifts a finger to her mouth. “Not a word, my dear.”

My smile broadens and I clap my hands twice, but otherwise don’t acknowledge it. What a blessing.

Annabeth takes a deep, happy breath and again surveys the party. “It looks to me, Evelyn, as if you have won this round.”

My stomach drops a little at her words, but I don’t let it show on my face. I c**k my head to the side.

“What do you mean, Annabeth?”

She gives me a sly smile. “It’s not well known,” she says, “but your boy Rafe in there, he’s let a select few know that he’s putting his hat in for leadership of the pack, that his father has asked for a series of competitions. This, clearly, is one of them.”

I grit my teeth, unhappy that Rafe is airing Victor’s dirty laundry, giving others reason to doubt him further.

“Don’t worry,” Annabeth says. “It’s not gossip I’ll spread; I’m thoroughly on Victor’s side. Especially,”

she pauses, looking me up and down, “now that he truly has you in his corner.”

I blush a little at this. “It’s not like that,” I murmur. “Just a favor for a friend, after the loss of his Luna.”

Annabeth nods slowly and raises her eyebrows at me. I can tell she doesn’t believe a word of it.

“Really,” I say, frowning, “It’s not –“

But my words are cut off as, from the corner of my eye, I catch a pair of figures leave Bridgette’s party and enter my own. I snap my head to them and, surprised by my sudden silence, Annabeth’s gaze follows mine.

There, standing on the steps of Victor’s porch, being greeted by him, are my parents.

The three exchange niceties and then my parents take the few short steps down into my party, casually strolling forward. I catch Victor’s eye and he vigorously shakes his head no – he didn’t know they were coming.

Are you okay? He asks, the question written all over his face.

Yes, I respond, shaken but confident I can handle it. It’s my party, after all. As the hostess, I must greet my guests.

“Well well,” Annabeth, still beside me, says carefully. “Looks like our little Bridgette played you a dirty trick.”

“If not her,” I murmur back, “then someone in the house certainly did.” I give her a glance, steeling myself, and she gives me a pat of encouragement on the shoulder.

Then, I step forward towards my parents, putting on my Luna smile. “Mom! Dad! I’m so happy you got my invitation! Happy New Year!”