---

Grayson Moyer had never been one for parties, much less had ever been invited to a party before. Yet here he was: backstage at the New Year's Eve party of that illustrious Priestly woman. Naturally, he hadn’t been invited to this party, he was just here to help them with their little problem. The dark-haired young man frantically ticked away on his own laptop, that was connected to one of theirs that had ‘suddenly’ stopped working. It didn’t take Grayson very long to find the problem.

It always amazed Grayson what kind of sites people tend to visit on their work laptop. Surely you wouldn’t imagine to put your position and work equipment at risk? Yet Grayson’s curious peek into the browser history showed a laughable collection of sites that just screamed ‘look at me, I’m a virus’. Certainly enough, this particular computer had been infected to such an extent so that it had hogged so many resources that any other program just wouldn’t function anymore. It was kind of pathetic, really, how stupid these people were sometimes. Grayson didn’t particularly mind, though. Their blunders made him a good amount of dollars.

As the last loading screen popped up, Grayson called for Priestley’s assistant to come back into the room. Frankly, he had already forgotten her name. He didn’t exactly know why, but the girl just never caught his interest. The brunette wasn’t a bad looker. Maybe she just had a dull personality? Honestly, she couldn’t be too interesting if she chose to be Priestley’s lackey as a job. His opinion didn’t change when she walked into the room. “The job’s done. The necessary programs are almost done installing. Do tell your guy to not download porn from shady websites in the future. That would prevent a lot of stress.” He told her in an astonishingly casual way. Frankly, this was far from the worst case he’s had.

Upon the young Moyer's call, a frantic Andrea Sachs rushed to the ballroom. This was her very first time being in charge of organizing a big event for Miranda since her promotion right after Emily had gone on maternity leave. As if the responsability of a Miranda event wasn't big enough, the stakes were at an all-time high. Miranda Priestly's annual New Year's Eve party were not only a legend or tradition, but also the second most important event of the year, coming next to Fashion Week. Influential people from all sides of the world and all industries were scheduled to attend this luxurious and exclusive event. Everything, though stressful, had been smooth sailing... Until the moment her DJ had nervously annouced his laptop had stopped working as he prepared his party setup.

"Oh my goodness!" Andi exclaimed, nearly crying as the fact that she wouldn't be eaten alive settled in. At that moment, she didn't even care about the porn comment that visibly embarrased her DJ. The most important thing was that the party was now going forward as scheduled. "Mr. Moyer, you are a lifesaver!"

Grayson gave the happy woman a lukewarm response. "It's not a problem. Just doing what I'm paid for." He answered. Inwardly, he did laugh quite a bit at the DJ's embarassed responses. Grayson cared little about the party, but at least some other people could have a pleasant night now. He hoped the assistant wouldn't sing his praises too much, he didn't want any more spotlight on him. In his opinion, too many people approached him already. "Anyhow, if that's all... I'll be taking my leave."

Andi, who was still on cloud nine after the threat of losing her job was now gone (at least for the time being), nodded eagerly in Grayson's direction. "Of course, Mr. Moyer. Again, thank you so much for your help."

The young man turned on his heel and began to walk away when something very important dawned on Andi. For what seemed like the thousandth time that day, Andi's heels were clacking away as she chased Grayson before he left. She managed to catch him just before he boarded the elevator.

"Mr. Moyer, WAIT!" Andi exclaimed, making hand gestures in the man's direction. "I forgot to give you your check!"

In his hurry to be gone from society, Grayson had almost truly forgotten about why he actually bothered to come. "Oh, of course." He said, almost strangely uninterested.

Smiling, Andi gestured for Grayson to follow her to the exit. "Would you please take the short walk back to the office with me? It seems that because of all the chaos of the day I've left the checkbook in my desk drawer."

The young man nodded, and so the two of them walked the short distance from the hotel, to the Runway headquarters at the end of the street, up the elevators and down to Andi's office. Once there, the young woman pulled out the checkbook from one of her desk drawers. She wrote the pertaning infornation in neat, curly writing before offering the valuable piece of paper to Grayson with a smile peaking from bright red lips. "Here you go. Just as agreed on"

He took the check the lady offered him and gave her a a faint smile. "Thank you." He then turned around again and proceeded slowly as he thought about which way the exit was again.

"Oh, and Mr. Moyer?" Andi called back to Grayson, who was still within earshot. "Please feel free to attend the party if you wish. Think of it as a gift on my end for pretty much saving my job."

Grayson laughed awkwardly. "Oh no, I mean, these are hardly party clothes." He said, trying to refuse as politely as possible. Though it definitely was true he couldn't really attend the party in a random sweater and jeans. Grayson wasn't the type to mingle anyway. In fact, doing anything but that sounded peachy. "Perhaps another time.".

Andi waved a dismissive hand in Grayson's direction. "Mr. Moyer, please. You are standing in none other than Elias-Clarke headquarters. As part of our Runway editions, a wing of this building is dedicated to the storage of fashion pieces. I'm sure that after pulling a few strings I can have you gala-ready in no time. Clothing and appearance won't be a problem. Plus, this party is attended by many influential people that can make very lucrative potential clients for you. I've heard you're a man that prefers to work independently, but this could be a great networking opportunity for you. I'll help you out by putting in a good word. What do you say?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Grayson, hoping she'd argued her case sucessfully enough that he'd changed his mind.

"Well...uhm, I guess that's true." Grayson answered somewhat uncomfortably. He had a hard time finding a reason to deny that. He didn't really want to go, but he couldn't really find a good reason to say no. "Well, if you're fine with it. Sure." He answered. "Then... I guess I'll go change?" He shuffled a bit, guessing she'd guide him to the correct wing.

Wearing a triumphant smile now, Andi held up a finger in Grayson's direction, gesturing for him to wait. She took the phone from her desk, dialed an extension and waited until a familiar male's voice answred on the other end. "Nigeeeeeel, sweetie, I need a favor to ask of you..." Andi began in a persuasive voice. Upon getting approval from Nigel, she threw her fist in the air in celebration before continuing. "Okay, so I am going to need you to head down to the wardrobe department and fetch me a whole men's gala outfit. I'll need everything down to cufflinks." Nigel said something on the other end, and Andi rolled her eyes. "Of course. My bad. Give me one sec." She placed a hand on top of the phone's microphone before turning to Grayson. "I'm going to need your measurements, Mr. Moyer."

Grayson gave a slight nod as he told her his measurements. Inwardly he sighed, regretting ever accepting this job. No amount of pay was going to be worth being stuck in a suit and being forced to socialize his way through the evening. Grayson wasn't that desperate for contacts. Maybe he could find a quiet corner? That sounded like wishful thinking. All he could do now was prepare for hell.

After being given the information requested, Andi recited back the measurements to Nigel, and ended the call. Sighing, Andi quickly grabbed her things, stuffed them in her designer bag and stood up from her leather office chair. "Let us get going then, Mr. Moyer. I need to get ready as well, and I'm very much behind schedule."

---

As Miranda was making her way down the stairs, a teenage girl stood waiting by the left side of the stairs. She looked to be about seventeen, with shiny brown and blonde hair pulled up in an elegant bun and looking gorgeous in a two-piece white and coral gown. Big, bejeweled bow-shaped earrings decorated her ears, and a couple of big gold rings added to her accessory game.

“Oh my God, you totally killed it, Grandma!” the girl squealed, giving a few excited claps.

“How many times have I told you to express yourself in a more elegant way, Delilah Christine?” Miranda replied, shooting her granddaughter a stern look. The girl named Delilah pursed her lips together in a pout, to which Miranda replied by giving her a swift kiss on her forehead. “Now, don’t be pouting around. I am simply trying to instill in you the beauty of proper communication.”

The older woman took a moment to look around the crowd, at which time Lila rolled her eyes. Suddenly, he pouted-lipped expression Miranda always made when she was displeased came upon her sharp features. “Delilah, has your darling cousin arrived yet?” she asked, her voice stern again as she placed her empty champagne glass on a passing waiter’s tray and picked up a refill.

Lila bit her nude-colored bottom lip, looking around the ballroom full of people herself. She knew that her grandmother would not be pleased if her cousin took any longer than she already had to arrive. To add fuel to the flames, she also knew her cousin was not one to enjoy being scolded, as both Miranda and her had the same clashing personalities. If any further minutes ticked by, a storm with the potential to ruin this party would begin brewing.

Just as she was about to tell her grandmother that she had no idea where her cousin could be, Delilah breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the young woman in question walk into the room. “There she is!”

At three past ten in the evening, Audrey Huntsberg was making her grand entrance to her grandmother’s New Year’s Eve ball. Dressed in a long-sleeved, deep V-necked red evening gown, the oldest granddaughter of Miranda Priestly confidently strolled down the ballroom. The young woman held the arm of a tuxedo-clad Christian Maxwell, son of the successful Wall Street banker Theodore Maxwell, international male model and her best friend. Right behind them, Dr. Arthur Huntsberg and his wife of twenty-one years Elisabetta Rodriguez also made their grand appearance, him dressed in an elegant navy suit and tie and her sporting a strapless, bejeweled, beige Gucci mermaid dress. The older Huntsbergs immediately began greeting and mingling amongst fellow party guests, while Audrey and Christian stood at the entrance for a moment. The tanned-skin beauty looked around the full room for a few moments until her chocolate brown eyes found her younger cousin, who stood with their grandmother at the left side of the stage. Wearing the same uptight smirk her grandmother had trademarked decades ago, Audrey made her way through the crowd and onto Lila’s direction, still holding onto Christian’s arm.

“Ah, Audrey Elizabeth, so kind of you to finally grace us with your rather tardy presence.” Miranda said crisply, ignoring her oldest granddaughter’s sour expression at being chastised and gently kissing her cheek. The older woman turned her eyes towards Audrey’s companion with a half smile. “And you’ve brought Christian along! Looking as elegant as always, Mr. Maxwell.”

Christian offered Miranda one of his signature irresistible smiles as he took her outstretched hand to place a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. “A pleasure as always, Miss Priestly.”

Miranda waved a dismissive hand at hearing the young model . “Christian, darling, you know that nobody calls me Miss Priestly. I insist you refer to me as Miranda from now on.”

Christian chuckled lightly, glancing over at Audrey before looking back at Miranda again. “Of course. My apologies, Miranda.”

Now that Audrey and her parents had arrived, Miranda was looking pleased again. “I ask that you do enjoy the party, dears. Now, if you all excuse me…” And with that, Miranda nodded to the group of young adults and walked away to interact with other guests.

Once Miranda had walked away, Delilah and Audrey exchanged smirks, squealed excitedly and proceeded to wrap themselves in a tight hug. The Duclerc-Huntsberg girls were born only two years apart from each other, and even in the distance that separated them they had been as close as sisters.

“Oh, thank God you’re here!” Lila said as she let go of her big cousin. “Grandma was making ‘the face’. And you know what happens when she does.”

Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head. “She can make all the faces she wants. I was not about to come here looking like some unkempt loser."

Delilah chose not to comment in order to avoid getting her cousin in a bad mood, and instead took the opportunity to greet her cousin’s date. “Hey Christian!” she said excitedly, exchanging a brief hug with the young man. “You look great!”

Again, Christian offered one of his white-teethed smiles. “Not as great as you, though,” he said cheekily, giving Lila a wink. Though he was fully aware of his status as one of People magazine’s 2016 edition of ‘Sexiest Men Alive’, Christian still couldn’t help but humbly blush a little whenever he was complimented. The young man was often praised by everyone for his humble personality.

Lila giggled in response, her green eyes sparkling, then turned back to her cousin. “Sooooooo, who else are we expecting?”

Audrey, who had been watching the interaction between Christian and Lila with a smile, suddenly took on a thoughtful expression. She took a minute to think before responding. “Well, I know for a fact the Arnettes are invited, so Anna’s definitely coming. And I told Ophie to come along because she sure as hell doesn’t wanna spend the holidays with her dad. The last text she sent me twenty minutes ago was that she was on her way, so she should be here anytime soon. And that’s really all the people that I really give a damn about besides you guys.” she said sassily, flicking back a stray wave of hair. Suddenly, she sent a suggestive expression Lila’s way. “So… Have you seen anything worth looking at so far?”

At this comment, Christian turned to Audrey with a pretend-shocked expression. “Excuse me, everything worth looking at is standing right here.” he mocked, giving a quick twirl and signaling himself at the end of it. Both Delilah and Audrey laughed at the brown-haired man’s antiques.

“You are such a loser.” Audrey murmured, rolling her eyes good-naturedly and softly slapping Christian’s arm. She turned back to Delilah with an excited smile. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where the night takes us, won’t we?”

Her excitement was shared by Delilah, who nodded enthusiastically. “I guess we do.”

“Meanwhile…” Audrey began, signaling one of the tray-carrying waitresses to stop. She handed Lila and Christian glasses of champagne and took one for herself before dismissing the waitress. “A toast,” she said, raising her glass in the air. Christian and Lila did the same. “To an unforgettable night. Salut.”

“Salut”

The young adults clinked their slim glasses together and took a sip in unison.

---

---

Harvey Rayner took one more look in the mirror before leaving his dorm. He was about to pick up his date for the evening, an Ophelia Bergman. They had only known each other since the beginning of the semester, but they seemed to hit it off pretty well. Seeing that his suit was in good order, along with his face and hair, Harvey grabbed his wallet and car keys and exited the room. Once he left the building, he clicked the “unlock” button on his car key remote, and the lights on a midnight blue Nissan 370-Z flashed. Harvey strolled across the parking lot, entered his car and pulled out of his dorm’s parking space. The drive to Ophelia’s sorority, Delta Gamma, was short and Harvey quickly pulled into a spot close by. After leaving the car and locking the door, Harvey walked to the front door of the sorority, admiring the architecture and landscaping along the way. The grass and bushes were freshly cut and trimmed and the Greek architecture was pleasing to the eye. Harvey ascended the steps and tugged at his jacket before rasping on the door with three, solid blows. A couple of seconds went by before the door slowly began to open inward. A short brunette with light blue eyes and glasses wearing night pants and a tank top answered the door. The girl took one good look at Harvey before smiling and asking,

“Hi there, you looking for someone?”

“Yes, actually,” Harvey began replying, “I was looking for Ophelia. She said this was her dorm. She actually may still be-” Before Harvey could finish, the girl was turning her head and shouting up the stairs,

“Hey Ophelia, this guy-” the girl turned her head back to Harvey. “What’s your name?”

“Harvey.”

“Harvey’s here to take you somewhere. Probably that party you were talking about!”

Ophelia had just managed to fix her hair as she heard the calling of a familiar voice. ”Give me a minute!” She called back, quickly grabbing her phone before coming eye to eye with her date for the evening. She gave him a cursory glance from top to bottom before locking eyes. ”Looks good on you.” She told him with a confident smile. She knew Harvey as a gentleman, and this proved he could also look the part.Her sleeveless black dress fluttered slightly as she walked up closer. Both arms were adorned with thin, golden bracelets that shimmered slightly against the strong light in the hallway. She gave the girl that had let Harvey in a grateful look, then she walked off.

It was very noticeable that the normally tiny girl was quite a bit taller than usual. Luckily this was far from the first party she had attended, so walking on heels was basically second nature to her. Her father had made her go to many parties the moment she came of age. He loved showing off his daughters, and her older sisters had long left the nest by that time. That said, she hoped Harvey would provide better entertainment than her father did.

She closed the distance and latched onto his arm, wrapping hers around his almost nonchalantly. ”Well then, are you ready?” She laughed softly, expecting Harvey to take the lead now. That was what gentlemen did, right?

“Now that you’re here, I am,” Harvey replied with a grin. Harvey led Ophelia back to his car where he opened the passenger door and allowed her to slide in before shutting it behind her and winding around the car to his own seat. Harvey shut his door, turned on the car, and drove off. The rolling street lights of the Upper East Side started cascading through the windshield soon after exiting the college grounds.

Ophelia looked around the car a bit, noting a very apparent cleanliness. Ophelia wasn’t sure if he was the type to keep it clean, or had made sure to clean it for the occasion. Anyhow, it was always nice to see that someone knew how to make a good impression. ”So, tell me… Have you ever gone to parties like these?” She asked him, knowing fully well she was the one that invited him. ”These parties can be pretty grandiose… so I don’t want to throw you too much into the deep here.

Harvey took a glance at his date, making a quick note of how lovely she looked in that dress before answering her question, “Actually no. I’ve attended some parties, sure but none like this. I figured if I just kept my head low and did more listening rather than talking this first time, I’d be ok.” The light they were coming up on started changing to red and Harvey made the car come to a stop before turning to look at Ophelia. “You look amazing, by the way. I especially like that dress.”

She chuckled a little. ”Well, sure. You’d be fine… but at the same time that means you’re missing a great opportunity.” She explained. ”Every person there is someone. So find the right someone, and you could be set up for life.” She smirked. ”I know my father employed several people he found at these kinds of parties, says the bright ones know who to seek out and how. You know? So do try to chat up someone if you ever get the chance.”

She smiled sweetly at his compliments. Though she didn’t blush, she was more composed than that. ”That’s so nice of you. Thank you. You look really good as well.” She glanced at her reflection in the side mirror, quickly checking if everything was still as it should be. This was probably the last chance she got before the party. ’Is the suit new? It looks good on you.”

The light turned green and Harvey’s car was rolling once again. He took a moment to ponder her statement before replying, “I suppose you’ve got a point. If anything does come about from this evening, I’ll have to figure out some way to thank you. Maybe another date,” Harvey replied with a smirk, “And thank you for the compliment. The suit isn’t quite new, but it’s only a few months old. I try to keep all of my suits looking as good as they can for as long as possible.” Harvey flipped his turn signal on to get on the road that led to their destination.

Harvey was thoroughly excited for the party they were going to. He did prefer the idea of simply listening to everything going on, but the what Ophelia said was true, if his name got to the right person, things could get better. Then again, if he heard the right information, things could be just as well. Regardless, Harvey would take her advice and mingle with everyone, though he would still try to keep an ear tuned to everyone else.

She smirked again.”I do hope you know how to mingle and entertain your date at the same time. She teased. ”Because it would be very unfortunate if you’d have to find another way to thank me, no?” She shot him a wink, then looked away to absorb the environment. She hadn’t been to this part of New York that often. She was a new arrival to Columbia, but she wasn’t exactly new to the city either. Nevertheless, she was far from well-acquainted. The hotel was already visible in the distance.”Don’t worry too much about it. I’m sure it will be a lovely evening.”

“Well that depends on what I would have to do to thank you,” Harvey shot back with a smirk of his own. The distance to the hotel steadily closed and eventually Harvey brought the car to the front and parked it, allowing the valet to open their doors and take his car to the parking lot. Harvey offered his arm to Ophelia before replying to her earlier comment, “And as long as you stay in it, I’m sure tonight will be lovely.”

Ophelia beamed slightly. ”You practiced that line, didn’t you?” She replied before taking his arm. ”I hope your dance skills match your wit, mister Rayner. I may not be Chasing Light’s queen Huntsberg, but I’m not second grade either, I assure you.” She glanced confidently. If she had trust in anything, it were in the many skills her father forced her to learn, as annoying as it was to admit at times.

Harvey stepped off before replying, “Just keep your eyes open, I might surprise you.” The bright lights lining the hotel’s awning illuminated the path to the entrance. A uniformed doorman stood on the left side who greeted as the couple entered the establishment. They casually strolled to the elevator and patiently waited for it to arrive. With an audible “ding,” the elevator doors parted and the duo stepped in. The doors shut, and after Harvey pressed the appropriate floor key, the elevator lurched upward. Harvey took a quick glance at Ophelia before breaking the silence,

“You know, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Nervous, but excited as well.”

”Oh? Where did that confidence of yours go? Don’t forget that customer expectation management is very important in running a business.” She said on a serious tone. Her expression then shifted to something far more playful. ”I’m messing with you. Everyone is nervous their first time. It’s not everyday you’re around people like these.” There was something fun about teasing Harvey, and she wasn’t done yet. ”Consider this a light practice session for if you ever meet my family.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t completely inaccurate.

Soon enough, the muffled sounds of the party could be heard as the elevator drew closer to their destination. The elevator came to a halt and the doors parted, allowing in the cacophony of noise and lights of the extravagant party. Just before stepping through the elevator’s threshold, Harvey quickly took in the sights and sounds of the scene. “Well, we finally made it, and it looks like the party is well on it’s way. ” Harvey quickly grabbed a couple of champagne glasses off a passing waiter’s tray before offering one to Ophelia, “Would the lady like a drink?”

Ophelia took in the atmosphere. These parties weren’t that different from the ones she had attended. A little more grandiose than usual, definitely. Her father had given similar parties, but usually to entertain a smaller, even more specific audience. It were parties like those when you knew Will bergman had a new business plan in mind, and his pedigree meant being invited to those was that there was money in it for you. This was similar, but different. More social, less business, but definitely still a lot of business. The lady scanned the room and spotted her friends. She then gratefully took the drink from Harvey before making a gesture. ”I want to say hi to my friends. Let’s go.” She said, obviously expecting him to follow without any second thoughts.

Harvey fell into step behind Ophelia as she weaved through the crowd toward her friends. He recognized a few of the faces he passed from either the news or entertainment. What everyone said seemed to be true; anyone who was somebody was at the event. Harvey just might learn a thing or two tonight. Soon enough, the pair were standing in front of Ophelia’s friends. He recognized Audrey Huntsberg both by name and face. A rising star; not knowing who Audrey was, was next to impossible these days. He faintly recognized Annalise Arnett from around college. Ophelia seemed to be good friends with those in high places; something Harvey would have to keep in mind.

”Hello ladies!” Ophelia said, adressing Audrey and Anna in a most gleeful tone and warmly embracing them both. She then proceeded to introduce herself to both Delilah and Christian. She then returned her attention to her friends and pulled her date closer. ”And this is Harvey.” She scanned her friends’ faces for looks of approval, while allowing Harvey to further introduce himself.

Harvey put on a genuine smile before beginning, “good evening, ladies. The Queen of the Dance Floor, Audrey Huntsberg. How could I not know who you are? And . . . Ms. Arnette, is it? I recognize you from Columbia. It’s nice to meet both of you. My name is Harvey Rayner. I’m quite new to the scene here; only being around since the start of this semester. Hopefully I’ll make as good an impression on you as I think I have on Ophelia here.” Harvey finished his introduction with a smirk at his date.

---

After a few more minutes of catching up with each other, Audrey soon became irritated and exasperated with the party’s vibe. The DJ seemed to had been playing just a handful of old dance hits in between boring ballroom music, and this was clearly doing nothing for the guests. Although an older crowd, their faces expressed the desire for something a little more upbeat. Of course, these disgruntled faces would soon change, as Audrey confidently made her way to the DJ and instructed him on what playlist to play out. In no time, the room was filled with pop music from the 80’s, 90’s, early 2000’s and today’s hits. No sooner had the music reached Miranda’s ears, Audrey received a death glare from her grandmother. But upon seeing the reaction her guests had to the change in music, the potential situation was soon under control. Now completely in her zone, Audrey had been busy dancing her heart out with Lila and Christian when Analise arrived.

“Anna, darling!” Audrey exclaimed, waiting patiently for her turn to hug Anna and making sure to also hug her extra-tight in return. When they let go, she offered her friend a wide smile. “I’ve missed you as well! Even though it’s only been like a week since I last saw you.” the brunette teasingly added. “Soooo… Tell me all about your winter break so far.”

Before Anna could reply, an unrecognized velvety male voice greeting them reached their ears out of nowhere, Taken completely by surprise, the group found themselves staring at a stranger in their midst, looking elegant and just plain exquisite in a navy suit. However, the unknown male had started off his approach on the wrong foot by purposely ignoring Christian. As if that wasn’t enough, he’d shot each women in the group a smirk and a wink before offering them a drink, once again failing to acknowledge Christian’s presence. Audrey, although greedily taking in the handsome man’s features, raised her eyebrow and scoffed in disbelief at the man’s insolence.

‘The nerve of this one…’ she thought, ready to intervene and put this man in his place. But it seemed destiny had other plans.

“Excuse me, girls, but do you hear something?” Christian asked them, a concerned look in his face. Her pretended to clean out his ear before continuing. “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m hearing some sort of pestering buzzing. Would you all mind if we relocated away from this unpleasant noise?”

There was a moment of silence in which the girls just stared at each other for a few seconds. Delilah couldn’t help but break out in nervous giggles, while Audrey merely smirked at her best friend’s antiques. Leave it to Christian to make sure those disrespecting him were quickly put in their place, with Audrey backing up his actions. In all honesty, it had been a rather douchebag move of this stranger to interrupt a conversation among a group of friends without even having the manners to introduce himself. To add to the sin, ignoring one of the members of the group? It had only increased the douche-bag factor, so the girls followed Christian in the search of a new spot.

Instead of following her posse right away, Audrey waited until they were just out of earshot to turn to take this handsome stranger head-on. She’d be damned if she didn’t give him a piece of her mind.

“I don’t know who you think you are, interrupting into our conversation like that as if you owned the place.” she began sternly, hands crossed in front of her. However, the sides of her pout lifted into a smirk. “But you’ve managed to intrigue me, if for only a moment.” Audrey said non-nonchalantly, never once taking her chocolate brown gaze away from the man’s sea-blue one. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll be back for some proper introductions and a drink.” And with a parting wink, Audrey quickly followed her friends and cousin, teasingly swinging her hips at every step. Let the guy have something to think about.

The young foursome located by a nearby column, and no sooner had they picked this specific spot, that they were joined by two others: a beautiful, blue-eyed girl with long dark brown locks, holding the arm of a taller, handsome Asian man. They complimented each other to perfection.

“OPHIE!” Audrey cried out, embracing another one of her best friends as tightly as she could. Ophelia Bergman and Audrey had been placed together in one room at the Delta Gamma dorms, and the two had become fast friends right away. “I’ve missed you so much! My room kinda feels so empty now that I’ve gotten used to sleeping with someone else in the room.”

Ophie chuckled at that, and Audrey gave her friend another affectionate squeeze. The blue-eyed girl proceeded to introduce herself to Christian and Lila, and then did the same with her date: a man by the name of Harvey Rayner. As he smiled and greeted the group, Audrey couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Ophie sure did good with this one!' she thought proudly, feeling incredibly happy for her best friend.

She was brought away from her thoughts as Harvey Rayner addressed her directly by name, then did the same for Analise. He was a total gentleman, and a sure 180º from the blue-eyed stranger from earlier. He seemed genuine, charming, and truly happy to be there. In Audrey’s eyes, the way he treated Ophelia only added to his charm.

“Seems like you’ve done your homework, Mr. Rayner,” Audrey commented, satisfied with the young man’s first impression so far. “I’m delighted to have you with us this evening, and thank you so much for accepting Ophelia’s invitation to join us.” Smiling, she turned to Christian and Delilah, who had been hovering alongside Anna after Ophelia had introduced herself. “Allow me to introduce you to some guests. This is my lovely cousin Delilah Duclerc, and my best friend and date for the night, Christian Maxwell.”

“Hiiiii!” Delilah greeted in her usual enthusiastic way, waving at Harvey with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you!"

Christian, now back to his usual charming, goofy self, also offered the man a smile while extending his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Harvey.” he said confidently.

Audrey stuck around for a little longer after that. She made sure that her friends and cousin were busy mingling before she discreetly slipped away, muttering the cheap excuse of freshening up. She discreetly navigated around the crowd keeping her eyes peeled, stopping from time to time to greet guests before continuing on the hunt for the handsome stranger. And when her eyes found him, overlooking the night sky in the balcony, she couldn’t help to hold back the smirk that overcame her features. Grabbing two champagne glasses from a passing dirty-blonde waitress, Audrey slipped into the balcony and took position alongside the stranger.

“Here you are, as promised.” she began, holding out the champagne glass to the blue-eyed man. “ And as promised, a proper introduction. I’m Audrey Huntsberg, and it’s your pleasure to be in my company this evening.”

---

Ah, New Year’s Eve. The one last chance in the year to put on your best ensemble and have a few drinks. A night to enjoy some delicious holiday treats and spend quality time with loved or friends. A chance for a midnight kiss or a one-night fling. One last chance to simply enjoy the last moments of the leaving year and embrace the new one.

That was, for everyone except Samantha Kingsley.

Samantha Kingsley was completely unlike the people attending this luxurious party. While the wealthy, high-profile guests swarmed around in their expensive clothes and flashy jewelry, it was Samantha’s job to tend to them. The dirty blonde female was dressed in the all-white ensemble every waiter and waitress had as a uniform, hair pulled up in an impeccable ponytail. Upon arrival, she was tasked to silently carry around full or empty champagne glasses in dainty golden trays, and she’d quickly gotten onto that.

As she walked around with her tray, Samantha found herself feeling a little envious. How would it be like to be one of these people? How would it feel to wake up in the mornings knowing your basic financial needs are covered, and you have more than you would ever use in the bank? How would it be to actually attend this party as a guest and not as some employee that took the job because money was tight in the household and the mother was pulling the night shift at the hospital?

However, her silent observation also gave her opportunity to realize there could be more to that life. While she roamed around the room, she noticed husbands flirting with other men’s wives, wives doing the same. She saw people discreetly arguing, then putting on their best fake faces to interact with other guests. She saw the faces of hypocrisy; of boredom, irritation and simple unhappiness…

Huh. Maybe money wasn’t the key to happiness after all.

It was after she’d reached this conclusion that she had a particular encounter that set her off. A handsome stranger approached her, taking one of her champagne glasses. For a second, the man had her utmost attraction, even if he wasn’t her type. But the attraction was short-lived, because after taking the glass, the man slipped some money into her pocket. And as if that wasn’t enough, he muttered something about her ‘needing them more than he did’ before taking off.

It took every ounce of self-control for Sammi to bite her tongue and not dunk her tray on this stranger, but her livid face said it all. Who did he think he was, anyway? Never in her whole life had the young woman felt so demeaned, so little. It was in moments like this in which she wished she weren’t who she was, and instead was someone wealthy and powerful that no one could dare to speak to like that.

But she wasn't. She was just this broke, poor teenager who worked this event so she could help her mother pay the rent.

“Oh, fuck this.” the young woman muttered angrily, holding her tray of now-empty champagne glasses and rushing straight to the back. She got a few strange looks from the high-end guests when she failed to stop for them to place their empty glasses on her tray, but still Samantha kept on walking without looking back.

When she had reached the back, she walked past her fellow co-workers busy with refills, dropped off her tray in the designated spot and made her way to exit the ballroom.

“I’m taking my break!” Sammi shouted among the commotion to her boss - a black-haired woman in her forties-, who simply nodded and went back to what she was doing.

Having now properly excuse herself, Sammi rushed out of the room and into the elevator, where she pushed the buttons and after a short wait had reached the lobby. Taking quick strides, the blonde took a seat in one of the plush couches in the lobby. And, as any regular teenager, Sammi pulled out her phone. Maybe some Tumblr browsing would soothe her anger.

How exciting. My first American party and it’s something like this. Yay me.

For Elizabeth Ainsworth, the party at the Cross Hotel seemed like a bit of a downgrade from the posh celebrations she had become accustomed to in London, Paris, and Venice. Sure, it still had all the required bells and whistles, but it just wasn’t the same. She had been to many New Years celebrations before, but it just felt off to the British music star. But it was better to be here than anywhere else, despite the nuances of Americans still being foreign to her. She had chosen to be a student at Colombia University to explicitly get away from her “image issues” and “reputation”, so it was nice to be able to partially blend in the crowd with a bunch of affluent Manhattanites. Not that her reputation wouldn’t be “of importance” to the people who were paid to be informed. She was sure that Miranda Priestly knew all of the stories about her image issues. As much as Liza liked to pretend that she did not care what other people thought of her, comments still had a way of turning into very sharp knives -- knives that tended to be drawn into her chest.

She wasn’t fond of knives.

She could feel the incommodious itch. To reach for her “stash” and find the darkest farthest corner and to just let it go, to let her instincts take over before one of the individuals around her decided to ask about her or even worse listened to her music. She went to parties to relax and she picked New York because nobody knew her personally here. All of her ex-boyfriends (and girlfriends) were in Europe save for the one she dated for a weekend during her vacation in Valencia. There were no strings attached in New York for the moment. Though, if New York was anything like the other cities she fell into that was simply temporary an idle fact for the present. For the moment, she moved forward as she shuffled out of the main area, thoughts keeping on about letting go and more specifically the joint in her coat pocket. She’d most certainly be a lot more at ease with the party and her reputation or any of the bullshit that ‘could’ happen that her anxiety was screaming about. She had to. She had no choice.

Fortunately, nobody was really engaging her in conversation and everyone’s attention happened to be elsewhere.

Perfect.

Slipping out a nearby door leading outside, Eliza took a breath, the cold chill of the night acting like a temporary reprieve. She had been shuffling in her pocket until she noticed there were two other people outside – the exact opposite thing she wanted to run into at the moment. She hesitated on pulling out and just taking a nonchalant smoke, though she had considered the thought. Her thoughts however were full of panic, doubt, anxiety, and profanity -- as would be expected. She looked at the town for a moment, nerves getting the better of her as she looked at the New York skyline before uttering a sarcastic remark.

“A bit crowded in there, huh?”

---

---

Harvey took the moment to look into each of Ophelia’s friends’ eyes before replying, “Please, the pleasure of meeting you all is mine. Ophelia hasn’t told me too much about you all, but I assure you, nothing negative was said.” Harvey extended his own hand and gave Anna a firm yet delicate handshake. Just as he was releasing her hand, Harvey’s eyes began to scan the room, and his gaze almost immediately fell upon a single man: Alexandros.

A noticeable twitch occurred in the corner of his eye, yet Harvey’s charming smile never wavered. From in between the heads of the other guests, Harvey discreetly studied Alexandros’ features. He’d only seen pictures of him up to this point, and the young man had made sure to file away every detail he could into his memory. Alexandros soon walked out onto the balcony and out of view. Harvey then returned his full attention back to the group.

Just as Harvey was about to make small talk, he felt a rhythmic vibration coming from the pocket of his trousers. Frowning, he dug his hand into his pocket and brought the phone out, immediately looking at the screen to see who was calling. Private Number was displayed in bold text across the screen.

Harvey looked up from his phone before excusing himself from his new acquaintances. “I apologize. If you’ll excuse me, I need to take this call.” He didn’t wait around for their response before heading straight for the restroom.

Unfortunately, there weren’t too many secluded places at this event, and Harvey knew for a fact that the balcony was occupied. The young man weaved through the crowds before finally coming to the restroom entrance.

An older gentleman exited the restroom before Harvey entered. Just as the main ballroom was glamorous with chandeliers and marble, the restroom didn’t disappoint. A marble countertop lined half of the opposite side of the wall, holding five sparkling white porcelain sinks with hands-free stainless steel faucets and soap dispensers. One countertop-to-ceiling mirror spanned across the same space. The other half of that wall had the same-colored and same number of porcelain urinals, again, hands-free. And on the wall next to Harvey just a few feet away stood five immaculate stalls, the dividers of which were made out of solid granite. The young Asian man took a few steps into the restroom before leaning over and checking under the stalls to make sure no one was in them. Lucky enough considering the size of the party outside, it seemed as if Harvey was alone. So without wasting any more time, Harvey brought the phone back up and swiped across to answer the call.

He brought the phone up to his ear and answered with an intense, yet, classy “Yes?”

The voice of what seemed like a young adult male with a Brooklyn accent responded. “Mr. Rayner, we’ve hit the restaurant on the corner of 10th and Broad. No one was injured, no one saw our faces, and we made sure the owner will tell their enforcers about the incident. By the time the police arrived, we were long gone.”

“Excellent. Lay low and allow the information to move up the chain. Keep me informed on any other developments. I’ll be in contact in the meantime. The Mossos’ will be looking for whoever attacked one of their ‘protected’ establishments. Soon enough, we’ll make our next move. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to return to.”

“Of course, Mr. Rayner. We’ll keep you updated.”

With a click, Harvey hung up the phone, placed it back in his pocket and sauntered out of the restroom. The young man quickly made his way through the crowd and returned to his date’s side and that of her friends. “Sorry about that, my mother decided to pick now of all times to ask how everything was going with college and all. I didn’t happen to miss anything while I was gone, did I?”

“Huntsberg huh? No doubt you are the daughter of Arthur Huntsberg.”

“Indeed I am. Looks like you’ve done your homework.” Audrey replied, shooting the man an impressed look. She couldn’t help but smile at his words. Of course he knew who she was: everyone did. And even if he hadn’t know who she was, a quick interaction with any guest of this party would answer that question. Still, it was always nice to know that people gave her the importance she deserved.

“And yes, it is my pleasure, just like it is yours to be in the company of a - well, not a god, but very well close enough,” the young man declared, grabbing her hand gently. Before she could react, the blue-eyed man planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand. A delicious shiver ran from the spot his lips had touched her skin and traveled all over her body, stopping right at the back of her neck. She took a moment to touch said spot before paying her full attention on the man again.

“Alexandros Stefano Mossos, no doubt you know of my father’s building,” he said, finally revealing his name and pointing in the direction of a skyscraper somewhere to their left.

Audrey took the opportunity to discreetly take a few steps in his direction, using the excuse of having a clearer view of the skyscraper he was pointing at. It was only when their shoulders were touching that she stopped to truly take a look at where he was signaling. In the short distance, a towering silver building called the attention of the eyes. The name Mossos, in all-caps, shone clearly and visibly from the building that was known not long ago as HartCorp.

“Alexandros…” the brunette murmured, his luxurious-sounding name rolling softly and easily from her mouth. She took a few seconds to search in her memory files a proper guess for the name’s origin. “Is that Greek?”

“I can see your father and mother raised you to know the world,” Alexandros joked(mostly). He then looked towards Audrey, “but yes, it is Greek - as is my surname. But the middle name is Italian, which I know what you’re thinking:” Alexandros looked at her with an arrogant smirk, “‘’Greek and Italian? Could you be anymore perfect?’ Well, to answer that question, I could, but I think it would be unfair to everyone else who are only Greek or Italian - not both.” Alexandros never did know the meaning of modesty.

Audrey couldn’t help but snort, with an eyebrow raised. In her eighteen years of life, she’d met people of both sexes whose level of self-righteousness was very close to her own. However, this was the first time she came across a man that possibly rivaled her own arrogance. Not like Julius hadn’t been arrogant, because he had been. But there was just something about Alexandros’ air of thinking that he was blessing the world with his presence that undoubtedly made him take the cake. It intrigued and attracted Audrey all the same.

“I have to say that I respectfully disagree with your statement, Alexandros.” the brunette replied, confidence oozing from her. Two could play the arrogance game, and Audrey was no stranger to it. “The mix of true perfection is found in Mexican-Italian heritages. You’re looking at a perfect example right here in front of you.” As if to prove her point, Audrey gave a slow twirl, hoping the young Mossos would admire her assets from every angle.

There was no denying that Audrey certainly had a way with how she would…back up her point. “When you put it like that, it’s kind of hard to find any… faults in that logic,” Alexandros stated, soaking up as much of the view of Audrey Huntsberg as he possibly could before she returned to facing him. “Quite the view indeed,”” he said, not exactly referring to the skyline.

The young woman offered Alexandros a flirtatious smirk. “So I’ve been told,” she declared, continuing to play the part. “But it fluffs up my ego to hear it anyway.”

Alexandros let out a low chuckle. “I imagine someone as exquisite as you doesn’t need an ego boost.”

Audrey smiled, chest puffing up slightly at yet another compliment. “It’s not needed, but it’s definitely much appreciated.”

Alexandros kind of smiled, deducing that a verbal response wasn’t needed. Instead, he looked out at the skyline for a moment then glancing at Audrey once more. “So, explain something to me, Huntsberg, why come meet me here? From what I saw, you were pretty cozy with that Boy Scout and that one oriental guy.” Alexandros couldn’t remember if their names were stated, not that he would care to remember if they were. “I’m just some stranger you hardly know,” he leaned on the edge of the balcony, looking directly at Audrey as he was curious about her answer.

The young half-Latina couldn’t help but laugh at the snarky comment Alexandros had made about Christian and Harvey. She found it entertaining that he seemed low-key interested in what sort of relationship she had with the two other males. She knew from experience that this was the type of thing guys did to test the waters, to make sure they weren’t stepping on another man’s toes. The young man would, for his own peace of mind, soon be assured this was certainly not the case.

“Well, first of all, the one you call ‘Boy Scout’ happens to be my best friend, and the handsome Asian man joining our flanks is my other best friend’s date. Secondly, let’s just say I was… Intrigued,” she admitted, not taking her chocolate brown eyes away from his. She took a few steps in his direction and leaned forward, lips now close to his ear. “You’re a stranger I would love to get to know better.” Audrey whispered to him in a sultry voice, her champagne and mint breath grazing his skin. Then, as soon as she had said the words, she took the few steps back and offered him a smile.

Alexandros shrugged, then smirked as he felt that fresh breath touch his skin. “So, then you must be aware that your best friend might be a little gay.” Alexandros looked at Audrey, showing that he was dead-serious in his comment.

As much as she was undoubtedly attracted to Alexandros, the direct jab at Christian rubbed Audrey the wrong way. Her smile was instantly wiped from her face, replaced by a pissed-off frown. “I fail to see what my best friend’s sexuality has A) anything to do with our conversation and B) is of any concern to you.” she said curtly, taking the last sip of champagne from her glass. She wouldn’t allow anyone to insult her loved ones.

“The minute you followed me out here, it became my business,” Alexandros crassly pointed out.

“Again, I fail to see the logic in that.” Audrey retorted, brown eyes alight with anger now. “Like you said, you’re just some stranger I hardly know… And it looks like I’m better not knowing at all.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Alexandros would shrug, proceeding to walk past Audrey though he would stop just beside her. “Feel free to go back to your boring, not gay best friend, Huntsberg. I’m sure he’s safe. But if you want some excitement in your life, you know where to find me.” Alexandros said as he continued to walk away.

“I’ll make sure to run in the opposite direction, then. And, please, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Audrey called out snarkily, watching Alexandros slip back to the party while leaving her feeling utterly disappointed.

There wasn’t much time to dwell on just how terribly that conversation with Alexandros had ended. No sooner than the sliding glass door that separated the party from the balcony, Audrey heard a female voice with a british accent at the opposite end of the space, saying something about a crowded room. She turned her head in the direction of the voice to see a dark-haired girl of about her age, whose most stand-out feature was the coat she was wearing to a black tie event. Even in the midst of her internal breakdown due to what she’d just gone through, Audrey couldn’t help but wonder how on Earth this woman had managed to sneak into the party wearing that coat.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Audrey curiously asked the woman, honestly wondering who the hell was this person. She frowned while studying the woman’s features, trying but failing to recognize her.

I don’t know any of these people.

J.J. Reyes wasn’t unfamiliar with big expensive parties, but he always felt like the biggest blackest elephant in the room when he was dragged along to them and this gathering hosted by Miranda Priestly was no different considering he felt like he was on an entirely different planet; but then again, the only place J.J. ever felt “at home” was the basketball court. He wasn’t like his younger sister, Maya, who relished in the social interactions that came with schmoozing with bigger, more important people. For the most part J.J. kept to himself and in this specific occasion he had decided to find the nearest exit after the obligatory greetings were made between the Reyes family and the showrunners.

Unlike the rest of his family he just wanted to go to the quietest, darkest corner so he could just be left alone. But unfortunately that was proving to be difficult given his father expected him to be at the very least visible. He couldn’t exactly just catch the nearest elevator and get away from the blue-blooded chattering crowds that made him uncomfortable and disinterested. He wished he could. But for now he was going to have to settle for getting away from the epicenter of the bigger groups; specifically far enough away from May so he did not hear his parents exaggerating her accomplishments. He respected his sister, but he always felt his parents were always trying to sell her in a subtle sort of way when she did not need the praise considering her hard work as a classically-trained musician.

Attempting to move away from the crowds wasn’t hard as he found himself in one of the quieter, less dense areas of the gathering. A sentiment that someone seemed to notice.

“Not a big fan of it, are you?”

J.J. turned instinctively toward the voice, noticing the individual whom had decided to casually interact with him -- a blonde in a distinctly conservative dress. He didn’t know her.


But she knew him.

Also trying to keep her distance from the party (for unequivocally different reasons), Kristina Dubois had noticed the African-American partygoer stumble away from the herds of people unwittingly into her corner. An unimpressed, blank expression remained on the blonde-haired girl’s face as she observed him. Her matter-of-fact remark had obviously caught him off guard as he didn’t seem to notice her in the first place, which worked to her advantage; an advantage she decided to use for as long as she felt entertained from the prospect. Especially considering her role was knowing who to know and why they were people she needed to know. She already knew his name and his impeccable track record as the basketball-playing son of Dr. James Reyes and Bariah Smith, brother of classical multi-instrumentalist Maya Reyes. What she didn’t know was his personality.

“Oh, yeah. I guess it’s not my type of crowd.” He admitted, either nervous or scatterbrained, or both.

She nodded lightly. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, I don’t think they are going to chase you down.”

It was obvious to her that the rest of the Reyes family were far too occupied to worry about “pushing” their son to interact. Though she imagined it would be beneficial if he stomached it considering rubbing elbows with the sort of families that were active tonight was objectively beneficial, even for a up and coming basketball star. But then again, perhaps he had gotten all he needed out of such connections already? She certainly could relate to that, though it was unlikely she was in the same shoes.

“I’d like to keep it that way. What about you?”

Kris wasn’t much in the business of divulging more than she had to, and she didn’t have much of a reason to explain herself to someone like Reyes. But there was no need to be cold with him. “I’ve had my fill. My family was one of the first to arrive, so right now it’s a bit more fun to stay out of it.”

A subconscious thought echoed in her mind as she smiled, her left hand holding the book she had been casually reading when he had stumbled into her corner. It was reminding her that she was lying -- hiding the fact she did not want to talk or engage with a certain someone. As true as it was, it didn’t show in her expression or tone of voice. She had made a game of burying her emotions as a byproduct of her familiarity with the game at Strathmore Academy. She was good at it. Very good.

“That’s fun to you?” He looked over to the busier parts of the party, “That?”

She let out a chuckle, “It’s an acquired taste. It’s not that bad. But I guess for a star athlete it would be a bit boring.”

“Huh?”

It was a good moment to drop the hint that she knew who he was, but she was surprised it was met with a ‘huh’ of all things. Not really the most observant of answers, but she supposed he kept his “field awareness” when he was on the court. It was either that or he was kinda dumb and she knew ‘kinda dumb’ did not get into Columbia University. So at worst he was just clueless.

“You’re J.J. Reyes, right? I’m sort of in charge of student activities at Columbia, so it’s pretty much part of the job to know people. I thought you knew?”

He laughed, “Oh, right. I guess my head’s not here right now. My bad.”

This was certainly going to be an interesting night as long as it kept going her way.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

It was the kind of response that Eliza hadn’t heard in a long time, but in a way she was in a whole new world ignorant of who she was. It was a miracle that her records had never sold particularly well in the United States, really. The comfort of ignorance was something that Eliza needed; though she imagined not discarding her coat at the door was probably a bit ‘uncouth’ of her. If she was trying to blend in, she wasn’t trying very hard and interrupting Audrey Huntsberg while wearing it probably made her look like the brightest and most noticeable idiot around. But Audrey didn’t recognize her, which was something of a good thing. But how long would that be for? After all, Eliza was actually famous.

“I don’t think so?” She managed as she met eye contact. “New York is kind of ‘new’ for me, so yeah.”

She tried her best to downplay her obviously British accent, but it was not going to sound like she was from the American South; she didn’t have that kind of skill-set. She cursed at herself for admitting from not being from the area, but she didn’t have much choice given the circumstances and her lack of experience with American accents; as the truth was that she had never been to America prior to a few weeks ago. The best way for the spotlight for her to move was either make a daring escape off the rooftop ala Wonder Woman (which she was so not) or move the spotlight on someone else, and considering the fact Eliza wasn’t a fan of jumping off the balcony and going splat she knew what she had to do. Subtlety and wit she was good at. Sometimes.

“You’re Audrey Huntsberg, right? The center of this whole party?” She smiled warmly, despite the circumstances. Though she wasn’t sure how effective her misdirect would be – it entirely depended how self-centered this Audrey Huntsberg actually was. But outside of the name and face, Liza had no clue what to expect.

Please be more into yourself than you are into me. Please.

Richard Davis stood at the bar, far away from his family yet close enough to still be in the relative spotlight, though he was nowhere near the abysmal non-alcoholic beer that was reserved for the underage participants. As bored as he was by the whole premise of the party, he knew that there was no way in hell that he was going to resort to inauthentic alcoholism. If he was going to drink he wasn’t going to settle for second best. For the moment he was good with the sparkling soft drinks and overpriced water; he wasn’t going to waste time debating the merits of considering him an exception or bribe a wait staff that wasn’t keen to lose their liquor license. His boredom wasn’t worth getting on his father’s last nerve, especially after the heated conversation they had the previous night about where he stood in the inheritance standings. It didn’t help that Richard really liked the status and wealth that came with not being the family’s black sheep.

So the “New Beginnings” mantra that was being tossed around was something he had to consider despite him thinking it was a bunch of nonsense. But until he had something on his father that he could use as license to go back to his gallivanting escapades, Richard was going to have to look like he was less rowdy and audacious. Fortunately, he was quite good at playing “pretend” and getting people to believe he was reformed. It would take a lot to make him actually change his ways.

Moving from the bar, he decided to keep his eye out for anything or anyone interesting. While he was lingering at the bar he had noticed the faces he was supposed to notice, but unlike his father he had no interest in shaking hands and introducing himself twenty-seven times as if they didn’t know who he was or who his father was. A few social groups that were made up of people he would have assumed were his age had converged, though he wasn’t in the mood to flirt and make nice. If he was going to engage with someone it was going to be through his humor and wit. It was a strange thing to want and feel. He never thought he would be cautious about introducing himself, but then again this wasn’t one of his parties. As he continued to walk around the bustling crowds, it was then that he caught a face in the crowd that he hadn’t seen in two years. A face he was well-accquainted with.

Alexandros Mossos.

Richard smirked, with a glass in his hand as he took a few steps over to Alexandros. It felt almost like he hadn’t lost a step since their contest in Aspen.

“The world doesn’t change much for you, does it? I mean, outside of losing the stupid haircut you used to have.”