Life of the Party (40 page)

“Okay, Mom.” I
rolled my eyes at her. I flashed Grey an apologetic smile, trying
to compensate for the obvious lack of welcome shown by my parents.
“I’ll see you in there.” I promised. Grey nodded and turned to
follow my mother, who was already rampaging ahead.

The reception
began with the typical embarrassing entrance, as the MC announced,
“and now for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Donovan!” Marcy and
Greg strolled into the lavish ballroom. Everyone stood from their
chairs and clapped and cheered for the happy couple. We followed in
pairs behind them, squeezing past the tables and guests to find our
way to the front of the room, where the head table had been set up.
We had to be introduced, but then finally, thankfully, were
permitted to sit down.

The hall was
decorated much the same way as the church had been. Everything
dripped with fragrant white flowers and glowed with soft white
candlelight. The table linens and chair covers were a brilliant
white satin with silver bows wrapped around the backs. Delicate
silver cases, in the shape of hearts, held favours for each place
setting. The white, crisp napkins were folded into the shape of a
flower, sitting prettily upon the clean white and silver china that
adorned the round tables. Giant bouquets of white roses and peonies
sat in tall, shapely vases as the centerpiece, surrounded by tea
lights in crystal holders. It looked extravagant, and elegant, and
expensive. I wondered how much my parents had spent. Obviously
nothing was too good for their little girl.

I couldn’t help
but feel for Grey, trapped at a table with my parents who regarded
him with nothing but obvious disdain. They weren’t even giving him
a chance. I’d never thought of my parents as snobby, but it was
clear from their actions that they felt Grey beneath them, like he
wasn’t even worth the fifty-dollar a plate meal, like they resented
his very presence. To earn my eternal gratefulness, Aunt Linda
leaned over and spoke to him for a while from her table. I smiled
at her while my parents frowned with disapproval.

When finally my
mom did condescend to talk to Grey, it was with cool indifference,
as if she were just trying to prove a point or something. I was
sitting close enough to hear and kept my head down over my plate,
pushing around the creamed baby potatoes in pretence of eating
while I blatantly eavesdropped on their conversation.

“So, what do
you do again?” Mom asked, following a polite compliment from Grey
regarding the tenderness of the chicken.

“I’m a chef at
the Red Wheat. That’s where Mackenzie and I met.” He explained.

“So you know a
little about gourmet cooking, do you?”

“Not exactly.”
He laughed. “You obviously haven’t eaten there before. It’s a good
restaurant, but it’s not gourmet.”

“I see.”

“I don’t think
I’ll be there too much longer though.” Grey admitted.

“Oh?” This
caught my dad’s interest. “What will you do?”

“Well, I’m
hoping that this record deal turns into something … more
profitable.”

“So, you’re
going to be a rock star then.” Dad’s tone was obviously mocking. If
Grey was going to get a chance, I had a feeling that was it. I
frowned at my baby vegetables, biting my lip.

“I hope so.”
Grey admitted shamelessly. “We’re really pretty good. We’re working
on our first album now, actually.”

“Hmmm.” Mom
pondered. “But isn’t it awfully hard to become a famous musician?
What if that doesn’t work out?”

“I don’t know.
I haven’t got that far yet.”

“You know,
Craig Donovan, that’s Greg’s brother ….” Mom motioned to him.

“Wait—Greg’s
brothers name is Craig?”

“Yes.”

Grey laughed in
amusement. “Their names rhyme?” I smiled to myself at his
observation, a giggle escaping my lips. I had thought the exact
same thing.

“He’s a solid
young man, that Craig.” Dad spoke up in his defence. “He’s only
twenty-years old, and already an up-and-comer at his firm.”

“Really? What
does he do?” Grey’s voice was polite, but completely
uninterested.

“He’s in
finance.” My mom burst excitedly. “Very exciting. Everyone’s
talking about him.”

“Yes, he’s very
successful, for someone so young. Maybe you could talk to him. He
might have an opportunity for you, you know, maybe a more …
reliable career.” Dad offered.

I sat there,
listening, remembering the day that Marcy first brought Greg home
to meet my parents. They hadn’t acted anything like this; they had
practically rolled out the red carpet and placed a crown on his
head. But now they couldn’t treat Grey with even a little common
courtesy. Why? Because he wasn’t rich like Greg? Because he didn’t
have a six-figure trust fund waiting in the wings? That sucked. I
dropped my fork—giving up the entire eating façade—and looked over
at Grey, an open apology written on my face. He was just sitting
there, calm and cool and gorgeously handsome like always. I was
completely amazed at his total composure.

“Yeah, thanks.
I’ll remember that.” Grey answered my father.

“Something to
consider. Nothing wrong with respectable employment.”

“No, sir.” He
agreed.

I couldn’t take
it anymore. I leaned over the table and caught Grey’s eye, then
motioned with my head for him to follow me. He smirked and nodded,
and I got up from my seat and headed out of the room. It was during
the time between the end of the meal and the beginning of the
formal program, when the guests were chatting and mingling and
getting up to use the washroom. I knew we wouldn’t be missed.

He met me just
outside the hallway. Giggling, I took his hand and led him out of
the banquet hall and through the lavish lobby, my heels clipping on
the gleaming polished floors. My eyes lit up when I found just what
I was looking for—a vacant, single occupancy washroom just off the
foyer.

Grey’s face was
curious as I pulled him clandestinely into the bathroom, shutting
and locking the door behind.

“What are we
doing?” He wondered suggestively. I set my purse down on the thick
stone counter and rummaged through it.

“This.” I held
up my vial triumphantly.

His blue eyes
lit up in surprise and amusement. He chuckled in amazement. “And
why are we doing this?”

I smiled and
scooped up the cocaine, rapidly inhaling it. I shut my eyes in
relief and then handed the container to him with a shrug. “Because,
fuck ‘em. That’s why.”

“Fuck ‘em.”
Grey agreed, sniffing some blow quickly and handing it back to me.
I did some more, sucking it back as deeply as I could muster. The
happy, buzzing trembles overwhelmed me once again, and I felt
normal, like I could finally think straight. I let out a happy,
shaky sigh as Grey took some more. It wasn’t long before we were
both thoroughly, impossibly, giddily stoned.

My heart was
pounding, my teeth grinding, and I couldn’t keep the smile from my
face. I met his eyes and we laughed together at nothing.

“Now that I’m
good and wrecked,” he wiped at his nose, “your parents should
really approve of me.” Grey laughed.

“Ugh, trust me.
With them, it’s better to be stoned.” I checked the mirror and
wiped the white residue from my nose, then fixed my hair with a
trembling hand. “Do I look okay?”

“Better than
okay,” he smirked, and his blue eyes narrowed lustily as they
looked me over. He placed his hands around my waist and with a
careful, wicked grin, lifted me up so I was sitting on the bathroom
counter. It may have been the blow or the time we’d spent apart,
but the warmth of his hands shot heat straight through my veins. I
couldn’t remember ever wanting Grey as badly as I did at that
moment. I pressed my knees around him and grasped his tie, pulling
him towards me, slowly, until our lips finally touched.

Sparks flew
then. I forgot everything … Marcy … my parents … the wedding …
everything but the feel of his lips pressed to mine and the hard
strength of his hands on my body. In moments we were breathless,
dishevelled, and desperate for each other. I couldn’t stop; I
didn’t want to, everything within me was screaming go, go, go
….

A hard, sharp
rap on the door jolted us both out of the moment. Only then did I
remember where we were and what we were supposed to be doing. I
couldn’t believe the sheer lust that had come over us, the depth of
the desire that still burned in my veins.

“Yes?” I tried
to calm my frantic breathing.

“Mackenzie? Are
you in there?” Mom demanded impatiently. I met Grey’s eyes in
shocked realization. He lifted his eyebrows in amusement.

“Yes.” I
answered.

“What are you
doing? The speeches are about to start.”

Holy crap. Had
she followed us or something?

“Sorry … I’m
not … feeling well,” I lied quickly. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Are you
okay?”

“Yeah, I just …
I need a sec.”

“Okay. Hurry
up. They’re waiting.” Irritation was evident in her voice. I waited
until I could hear her heels clipping briskly away from the
door.

“Shit, Grey,
what do we do?” I barely stifled a giggle. “We’re so busted.”

“I know. Here,
you go first.” He grinned, pulling the straps of my dress back in
place. “I’ll wait until you’ve gone in, and then I’ll come
later.”

“Okay.” I
agreed to his hasty plan, smoothed my dress and took a breath to
calm my frenzied pulse. I wondered if my cheeks were flushing as
hotly as they felt. “Do I look high?”

He looked me
over and shook his head. “I don’t think so. Do I?”

Grey was
gorgeous as usual. His eyes were a little glassy, but not
noticeably so. I straightened his tie, my touch lingering on his
chest. “No.” I breathed.

“Go.” He
smirked, removing my hand. “Before you get in trouble.”

“See you in
there.” I kissed him quickly, grabbed my purse and opened the door.
He pulled it shut behind me so no one would see him. I hurried
through the lobby and down the hallway into the reception room. I
couldn’t keep the smile from my face; I had to suppress the urge to
giggle the entire time.

Marcy shot me a
suspicious glare as I took my seat back at the head table. I
ignored her and took a drink of wine to try and cool my blood. Grey
came back in after awhile, giving no excuse for his absence as he
sat back down at my parents’ table. They pointedly ignored him. He
winked at me, and I grinned right back.

The MC began
the program then. There were speeches, and then more speeches, and
then a slideshow. I sat through the entire ordeal, restless and
fidgety and high, itching for the night to be over. After the
thousandth picture of Greg and Marcy cuddling to the tune of
I
Honestly Love You
by Olivia Newton John, the program was
finally concluded, but not the reception. Just when I thought that
Grey and I were free, that it was all over at last, the MC
announced the start of yet another tradition.

It was time for
the first dance. Marcy and Greg took their places on the dance
floor; somehow she still managed to look as fresh as a daisy after
the tiresome, weary day. She glowed with happiness. The newlyweds
whirled around the parquet boards as a three-piece orchestra
accompanied them with soft, gentle music. After a few moments of
this, it was time for the bridal party to join in. This meant I had
to dance with Craig.

I bit my lip as
he bleared victoriously at me, obviously drunk. He approached me
unsteadily, grasping my wrist a little rougher than intended and
wrapping it around his back, then taking my other hand in his
clammy palm. I stiffened at his touch and deliberately looked at
anything but him as we moved about the dance floor.

“I don’t know
what’s wrong with you.” Craig spoke finally. His breath smelt like
wine. He scoffed and glared in Grey’s direction with total
repugnance. “Why would you want someone like
him
? He’s got
nothing.”

“Actually, he’s
got everything I want.” I retorted.

“Yeah, he’s got
looks. Those don’t last. I’m talking money.”

“I don’t care
about money.”

“You say that
now, but, you’ll change your mind, someday. By then, it’ll be too
late. You’ll be kicking yourself for missing out on this
opportunity.”

I shook my
head, determined to ignore him. We waltzed closer to my parents’
table, where my mother took the opportunity to smile and snap
pictures of us.

“Just look at
them. Don’t they look great together?” She was exclaiming, loud
enough to be certain that Grey could hear her. I groaned and shot
her a look. It was obvious what she was getting at, but Mom could
keep right on dreaming. Craig and I were never going to happen.

“See? Even your
mother approves of us.” Craig smiled. “I heard them at dinner. They
don’t like your boyfriend, do they? Not as much as me.”

“Like that
matters.” I rolled my eyes.

“Come on,
Mackenzie. You know you could do better.” His eyes were bleary, his
grin stupid. His hand moved down the bodice of my dress, resting
just against the crinoline on the back of my skirt. I moved it back
up.

“No, Craig.” I
sighed. “Just drop it, will you?”

Craig chuckled,
grinning at me in amusement. “I know what you’re doing.”

“You do, do
you? And what is that?”

“You are
playing hard to get. It surprised me, actually. But it works, okay?
It works. I’m officially interested.”

“That is not
what I’m doing. Trust me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then explain
this ….” He caught me totally off guard. One moment we were the
proper distance apart, and the next, his lips were mashed up
against mine. A cry of surprise escaped my mouth, but before I
could even think to push Craig away, he was already off of me. I
staggered back in surprise, watching in stunned amazement as Grey’s
fist slammed into Craig’s face and sent him sprawling backwards
across the dance floor.