The carved wooden door has been left wide open, music spilling out from somewhere deep within the walls and I breathe a sigh of relief when Rose comes rushing down the stairs with a smile on her face.
‘Put it on Mr Hunter’s account, please,’ Rose says to the driver as I get out. ‘Plus ten per cent. Oh my god, Niamh, I’m so glad you made it!’
I smile at her, knowing I had no choice given she’d insisted on sending a taxi for me.
Grabbing my hand she all but drags me inside. My jaw drops. I thought the exterior was grand, but the interior… Well, let’s just say that every single thing in it is a valuable antique– worth at least seven figures, maybe priceless.Thisis Rose’s house?
‘You can leave your things in here for now.’ Rose pushes open a small door, almost invisible in the mahogany-panelled walls, withCloakroomon an engraved plaque. Inside, there are rows of coat hooks adorning the walls, and a bench seat with space underneath for shoes. I didn’t know people had rooms like this in their houses.
‘Butter’by BTS starts to play as I’m still staring around the front hall. The sound of chanting interrupts my thoughts, the noise coming from the same direction as the music.
‘Come on,’ Rose says, taking my hand. ‘Let’s go see my friends, you’ll love them. Then I’ll introduce you to my brother and his friends. They’re old. And boring.’ She rolls her eyes.
She takes my hand and pulls me into the largest room I’ve ever seen. It’s beautifully decorated, of course, and I catch my breath when I see a grand piano sat in front of a floor-to-ceiling bay window. Despite its size, though, it looks small in the grandeur of this room.
The chanting stops suddenly as people turn their heads in our direction– twenty strangers who look a lot more sophisticated than I think I could ever be. I survey the room, seeing couples sprawled on sofas and standing close together. My cheeks heat when I notice one guy sitting on the piano stool with a woman straddling his lap, her dress has ridden up around her waist, a flash of lace peeking out from underneath. His hands cup her butt as he stares into her eyes. Two men are tucked into the bay window, their arms around one another and their tongues down each other’s throats.
‘Rose,’ I whisper, suddenly shy. I take a step back and she grabs my arm, stopping me from running away.
‘You’ll be fine. Come on. Let’s get you a drink.’
‘Does Cillian know you invited a hu— a friend, Rosebud?’ A tall burly guy standing at the drinks table turns to face us. He looks familiar but I can’t quite place him. Maybe I’ve seen him around university.
‘You know Sean, don’t you Niamh?’ Rose says and I shake my head. ‘Oh, I thought you’d realised that he follows me everywhere.’
‘You know your brother just wants to keep you safe,’ Sean says, but at least he smiles. ‘Drink?’
‘Just a Coke, thanks,’ I say jumping when someone presses up against my back and runs a hand down my arm.
‘Hey, Matt. Hands off my friend,’ Rose says, as I pull away. Being here has me on edge.
‘Sorry,’ Matt says putting his hands up as if to surrender before moving beside Rose. She smiles and leans back against him, twisting her head to kiss him.
Sean makes gagging noises and reaches for a bottle of Stox. I’ve never tried it– and given that I’m not used to drinking alcohol at all, trying one with allegedly hallucinogenic properties is not a good idea. Although I can’t deny I’m curious.
‘See what I have to put up with? Maybe with you around they’ll kiss less.’ Sean takes a long swig from the bottle and winks at me. ‘Might get to see something better drinking this. Want one?’
‘No, thanks.’
‘Try it,’ Rose says. ‘You might like it. It’s not as bad as people say.’
Sean opens a new bottle for me, and I take a couple of sips, the sharp taste tangy in my mouth. I grimace, ‘I’ll stick to Coke, thanks.’
‘Sure you won’t have a splash of vodka with it?’ Then he frowns. ‘You are eighteen, right?’
‘Erm, yes, but no, thanks.’
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Sean. We’re in the house.’ Rose snaps.
‘Yes, and your family makes its money from licensed venues and we’re not going to risk losing those licences by being accused of giving booze to underage kids.’
‘She’s not a kid. She’s in my class at uni. And yes, she’s eighteen.’
‘I… I have ID. But I just want the Coke,’ I mumble, but Rose shakes her head and leads me to sit on an empty sofa, Matt on her other side. I’ve not met him before, but she’s talked about him a lot. They’re an interesting couple– her auburn hair, green eyes and curves contrasting with his tall, toned physique and dirty-blond hair. I know they’ve not been a couple all that long, but I haven’t seen her smile like she is now since I met her. A pang of jealousy hits me as I watch them together, him sliding an arm easily around her shoulders, her leaning against him, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. The way he looks at her… I’d love someone to look at me, just like that.
‘Seriously, though. Did you clear it with Cillian?’ Sean says, pulling a chair over beside us. Rose sighs and I frown at him. I expect him to be joking, but his expression is serious.
‘Not yet,’ Rose says. I frown. She actually has to ask her brother if I’m allowed to come to the party? That’s weird. But I guess with all the valuables lying around they need to be careful.
