Chapter 3

Nicole takes one last breath looking down to the party from the balcony. She had been feeling excitement at the beginning, but the party was all people she does not know who walk in circles she doesn’t travel and she is the youngest of all the attendees. Still, this is her new home as her uncle keeps telling her.

“Are you doing alright, sweetie?”

She catches her breath, hearing his voice behind her. “Oh, yes, fine uncle Ryan.”

He tilts his head.

“A lot of new faces, you know?” She explains as an apology.

“True, and I know it might be a bit daunting, but tonight is every bit as much your party as it is mine.”

She has a hard time believing that and he reads it off of her expression.

He insists. “I am serious, listen to me. You are here and here to stay. You belong and so I want you to have fun. You can make fun of people and be a brat if you want, you can be friendly and cordial if you want, everything is fine today. Just get your feet wet and enjoy yourself.”

His hand is comforting on her shoulder and despite herself, she leans her shoulder into him as he gives her a side hug.

“There’s a smile. Now come with me, we’ll keep trying to put some more names with the faces. Besides, I would be honored to have the most beautiful woman at the party on my arm.” He offered the crook of his arm.

Despite her very teen eye roll, she joins him and mumbles, “Just don’t put me on blast or anything.”

He chuckles. “I have no idea what that means. But if I do it, just let me know.” She is at the precipice of the fray when he stops her one last time. “I know you’re doing this for me, but I promise you this. When you are truly settled and have friendly faces that you want to party with, I’ll throw you a true coming out party where you’ll be the absolute star.” He squeezes her hand and she smiles up at her uncle.

His promise warms her heart and gives her the courage to put on a real smile. Once again, she walks with him, the woman at his side smiling at the various people he introduces. By and by she meets people he describes as moguls, financiers, investors, entrepreneurs, and Nicole can’t figure out what a single one of them must do on a day to day basis. She keeps smiling through the alien evening. Although her dress is tailored perfectly to her form and curves, even that feels odd, with her back exposed and fabric that is probably worth more than all of her old clothes put together.

Uncle Ryan brings her to an imposing group of young men. “These strapping lads with their heads in their phones - and Miss Hayworth there, I see you - are some of banking’s finest. Adrian, Michael, Omar, Caroline, and Victor was it?”

Victor closes up his phone and the rest of the group regards Ryan with polite smiles. Nicole senses a nervous energy in the group as he spoke.

“This is the next generation of greatness, meet Nicole Flaherty.”

She feels a rush of anxiety at his words, but tries to hide it by over eagerly shaking hands. She stops herself after Oman, but her own nerves keep building. Her uncle gives her a quick peck on the head and excuses himself before she can complain or chase.

“I didn’t know the old man had a daughter.” Michael appraises her.

Victor looks down his nose at her, “Stanford or Berkley.”

“Oh, no, I don’t go to...” She trails off, blushing at the compliment. After all, he thinks she’s a college woman and that feels pretty adult.

Caroline doesn’t say anything but her lips curl in skeptical amusement.

Omar offers, “Nah, she’s more like USC. Am I right?”

Victor disagreed. “Flaherty’s kid? You know she’s got more juice than USC.”

Part of her wants to keep them guessing, but in the end, her earnest heart wins out. “Uhm, neither actually. I haven’t looked yet. Still in high school.”

“Prep school?”

She shakes her head.

Caroline turns away and murmurs to Omar, “Babysitting duty.”

Humiliation burns up her cheeks. Nicole doesn’t want to be considered a baby and all at once she loses the group. She offers a weak smile. “Yeah, I guess I’m. Well, I’m considering my options right now. I don’t want to limit myself to California, so maybe MIT or Yale. We’ll see.”

Omar nods approving. “Interesting choices, I’m a Vardian myself, but I could forgive you for Yaling.” He gives her a wink that makes her blush.

Victor chuckles. “Okay, Cassanova. Hey Yalie, could you go grab us a couple of those sliders they’re passing around here.”

Still flustered, she stammers. “Oh uh, yeah. I can do that.”

With a superior smile he adds, “Aren’t you going to ask me if I want fries with that?”

She can see the humor and malice bursting beneath his smile and Michael holds a sputter. They are staring at her, judging her. They know she doesn’t belong and it didn’t take but a few moments. She stammers out, “I- uh, I c- c- can ask.” She turns away muttering the only correction she can find. “I’m not his daughter.”

But even those words are swallowed up in the din of the party. The twisting in her stomach at the thought of her father rips her further as she flees from them. She can hear their laughter louder as she moves further away. It echoes in her head even as she hides down the hall towards the main kitchen.

“What a mistake.” She whispers to herself in a fit of self loathing. The mistake is not this world, nor these people. She’s the mistake. She’s wiped away the tears and composed herself as best she can when a pair of clicking heels stops next to her and lays a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Nicole looks up to see it is one of the other maids. She’s a slim mocha ebony goddess with her hair pulled tightly back. Embarrassed to have forgotten her name she murmurs. “Hi.”

“Is Miss having a hard time?” Her voice comes out with a surprisingly sophisticated British accent.

“I’m fine, just taking a break.” She hides her face looking at the seams in the marble flooring.

“These ponces are so insufferable. Tell you what, miss come with me, I’ll show you how I manage these parties.” Her eyes are kind and Nicole is relieved to follow her.

“Sorry, I forgot your name.” She follows her into a cavernous empty side room.

“It’s Abigail, but you can call me Abby.” She slides up the lights revealing a ballroom where they could throw a whole other party. Abby looks around conspiratorially before handing her a wine glass. “Now alcohol isn’t enough to deal with these, but a little blondie, as I like to call them, fixes you right up.” Abby produces a small tin from under her belt and pulls out a white pill. “With one of these you won’t fix the ponces, but you won’t actually care.”

“Oh, uhm.” Nicole stammers again. Maybe she shouldn’t do this. After all, drugs are trouble.

Abby smiles brightly, “Go on, it won’t bite you.”

“I don’t know, uh. What if my uncle finds out?” Her fingers fidget with the already illicit glass of wine.

“There’s nothing to find out.” Abby moved the pill over the wine glass hovering it dangerously close as Nicole looked on paralyzed. It falls in with barely a plop and sinks to the bottom slowly effervescing. “Except maybe a fun time.” Abby collects the undoctored drinks and leaves the young minor alone with the dosed drink and her thoughts.

Nicole can barely catch her breath as she watches it. She reaches into the glass and tries to scrape the pill out, but as if it were sabotaging her efforts, it spits on contact and continues dissolving even faster. Her eyes fixate on her failure, but her mind focuses on the party and all the people who intimidate her. She doesn’t belong. They know it. She knows it. Maybe she can just fake it. Maybe Abby is right. After all, if she gets in trouble, Abby would be in worse trouble.

She takes a deliberate sip of the cool fruity wine with spicy aftertastes. Maybe it won’t be so bad. Nicole walks out to the party with the glass of laced wine in hand and a tickle of excitement building in her belly.

Conversation seems to come easier now that she’s back in the party. It helps that she has already made the decision to not care. Even without finishing the glass, she joins conversations, introduces herself, takes selfies for her instagram, and makes jokes that sometimes hit their mark. Some of the men shower her with looks and attention that she accepts in stride. After all, she can’t help but admit that she looks amazing in the dress. Being cute gives her plenty of leeway, one of the men let’s her tug on his tie for a selfie as she makes a crazy face. She spies Uncle Ryan peeking in on her and she gives him a friendly wave as she hides the glass of wine on the other side. He smiles back, probably relieved to see her having such a good time. She feels a pang of guilt for drinking right under his nose, but he’s not her father, right? Turning away from him she faces the gentleman next to her that she’d been chit chatting with. He’s a grown up and really handsome in his suit. Nathaniel, but in her mind she’s already called him Nathan the charmer.

“How long have you known Mr. Flaherty?”

“Not very long.” She answers with deliberate mystery.

“Are you working with him? Going to be making any films?”

She shrugs. “Maybe, I haven’t decided yet.”

“Not looking to make Nicole into a household name?”

She laughs at him in a lilting way that captures his attention.

“What’s so funny?”

“I think Nicole is already a pretty familiar name to people.”

“True, there are some very beautiful Nicole’s out there.” He takes the empty glass out of her hand and places her hand in his. His fingers are hot and dry, rough to the touch and masculine. She feels a tingle that tickles up her spine delightfully as her captures her hand and leans in. “But they are more classical beauties. Not like you.”

She tries to cut in to complain, but he cuts her off. “Not a one of them has your kind of sex appeal.” The look in his eyes is electric.

She can’t help but giggle, it’s all just too much. “Quit it.” She complains.

Their flirtation is seemingly cut short when someone makes an announcement she is unable to understand. He answers her curious look. “The dance floor is open. You should come with me.”

“Okay.” She answers automatically. It seems like such a sensible idea to let him lead her back into the ballroom where she’d first taken hold of the wine glass and the night.

The music flows around her as a giddy giggly high blossoms in her senses. Abby was right, that pill was the perfect thing! Plenty of other women dance pleasantly on the dance floor, but Nicole is able to move and play with the sound and sensation in her flats.

She dances into the arms of various men and dances out just as easily to mingle and goof with other women. There is a glory in not caring, especially with light turned down low and strobing.

She quickly spins to find herself back in Nathaniel’s arms. His chest is hard and it makes her bite her lip.

With a smile she dances along with him and teases him with her nearness. He’s utterly taken with her and she revels in the attention. His eyes can’t seem to blink as she dances her hair into her face and pulls it back away with a giggle. His hands are on her body guiding her close and part of her wants to be even closer.

“Hey party girl.” He grins with a too perfect grin.

Their bodies are close in the privacy of a crowded dance floor. He pulls her body to press against his. It’s too fast, but she loves it. She can’t help but let out another giggle then has her hands exploring his midsection to see if it’s as hard as his chest. His hands squeeze her bottom as he grinds against her in hedonistic excitement.

“Watch it.” She giggles.

“I’m trying.” He grins back.

“I’m only sixteen, you know.” She can’t place his age, but if she had to guess she’d say in his thirties. She’s expecting his shocked backpedaling and apologies.

His hands don’t pull away. “Why should that stop you?”

She can’t help but giggle as he fondles her bottom. Their lips linger close, too close for a girl her age and a man of his. His lips are thick and insistent and she is so close she can taste his breath. It’s way too much too fast, but she can do no more but sputter into giggles again, spittling right into his lips before she turns away.

She’s dancing again and she turns back to him but he’s already gone. Nicole looks about but she’s already loses him. Someone takes her by the arm and starts to drag her off just as she spots him. Nicole wave Nathaniel grinning greeting but he just smiles as she lets herself be dragged away by one of the maids.

“Abby! Abby, you were so right, oh my goooooooooood.” She allows herself to be led across the hall and deposited on loveseat in the reading room. “That pill was amazing.”

“I know, it looked like I had to save you back there.”

Nicole nodded with an overflow of serious sincerity. “That’s right.”

“You’re going to need to be careful with that one.” Abby warned her with a smile.