Carrington House
The Next Day
Poppy was dressed and met with the caterer for final instruction at 6:45 the next evening. She thought she looked nice. She had actually washed, dried, and styled her long red hair using the hot rollers Gran had given her the year before. Usually, it was too much trouble. But tonight, she wanted to be beautiful. She had added a little more makeup than usual, done her eyes, and added blush. She liked how she looked.
Being height-challenged as she preferred to think of herself, Poppy would look you in the face and tell you she was five feet tall every day of the week. The truth was, she was a little under that at 4’11. Tonight, in her four-inch heels, she felt tall. Tall and beautiful.
She had gone without a bra for the first time since sixth grade. She was boob enriched as she was height challenged. She hated them. They were always in the way, and she usually wore a bra that would tape them down and keep them under wraps. Nothing was worse than walking through the halls at school and having perverted teenage boys gawking at her chest or, worse, making jokes about them. And she had heard them all, motorboating, milk jugs, future Hooters' girl. So, normally, she kept them under lockand key. But tonight, she could not, as she had no bra to wear with her dress. She should have thought of that at the store, but she had been so excited about the dress that it slipped her mind. Now, she found herself going braless because the spaghetti straps of the dress would not allow her to wear one of her regular harnesses. She comforted herself with the thought that no one would even pay attention to her to notice if she wore a bra. The rich and important guests coming would be so focused on seeing and being seen that they would not even notice her.
Honestly, she did not care what anyone, but Bennett thought. She wanted him to believe she was the Belle of the Ball. It was silly. He probably would not even see her. It was his family's party, after all. He would be busy entertaining his guests, not hanging out at the door with her taking coats.
The first guests arrived precisely at 7:00. After that, a steady stream of guests came and went all night. Two and half hours in, Poppy thought her feet would fall off and her face would crack from all the smiling. She had said, "Welcome to the Carrington House. Thank you for coming. May I take your coat/purse/gift?” so many times she was sure she would be hoarse the next day. Poppy was not a big talker. She was sure she had said more in the few hours than in the last year. The party was set to go another two hours. Poppy was unsure she would make it when Mrs. Blaine came up with a young girl with gorgeous black hair and royal blue eyes.
"Poppy, you have done wonderfully so far. I am very impressed. It is time for a break. Jenni is going to relieve you so you can get something to eat. Also, at the end of the party, do you mind staying and helping pack up all the toys in the sleigh?"
Poppy's first thought wasno way. I am going to be doing good to survive another two hours.But, being Poppy, she said, "Of course, Mrs. Blaine. The party is for a good cause. I would love to help."
Even though her body was crying out for a rest, her mind knew it was the right thing to do. After all, it wasn't just a party for the sake of having a party to hobnob with the power players. It was also a toy drive for the underprivileged.
The large sleigh placed in front of the house was now filled to the brim with toys that would be given to various groups around the community for needy children. How could Poppy say no to helping with that? It was the only part of this party she liked so far.
Having been given a thirty-minute break, Poppy headed to the food tent. She was starving. The party planner had said that as she lived on the property and dressed appropriately, she could grab a plate and eat at one of the empty tables in the back of the tent. The food was amazing. The chef that had been brought in knew what he was doing with prime rib. Poppy had never had it before and fell instantly in love.
Sitting at a table in the back, she audibly moaned as she ate. Years later, Bennett would tell her he thought he fell in love with her watching her eat. Seeing the pleasure she got out of eating red meat was the most erotic thing he had ever seen. But that was not said that night.
No, that night, Bennett stood in the shadows watching the tiny, redhead nymph eating prime rib like it was better than sex. And Bennett knew nothing was better than sex. At first, he did not recognize her as the young girl he had spoken with the day before. He had seen her around and thought she was cute. Because she was so tiny, he had thought she was much younger. Yesterday, after meeting her, he asked his dad about her. His father told him she was a senior and was a very talented artist. He shared that she had been taking classes at the local community college. How his dad knew so much about her was a mystery to Bennett. Regardless, he was grateful for the intel. Of course, Bennett made sure not to let his interest in the girl be too obvious. His father would not likethe idea he was sniffing around the help. Not that Bennett thought of her that way, but he knew his father would.
So armed with what he knew about her, Bennett approached her table and said, "If I were half the artist you are, I would draw you just as you are, enjoying your meal."
Poppy, who had a mouth full of prime rib at the time, nearly spit it out. Instead, she forced herself to swallow and got choked. Coughing and sputtering, Bennett reached out to help her just as she managed to get the lodged piece of meat down. Sputtering, Poppy reached for her water and took a big gulp. Once she could breathe again, she said, "No, I am okay. Just got shocked for a moment." So much for making a good impression. She was not sure how beautiful one could be coughing up a lung.
Ever the gentleman, Bennett said, "Are you sure you are alright? Can I get you anything?"
Shaking her head, Poppy said, "No, I am fine. You just startled me. You can't just sneak up on a person like that. I am not looking for a death by prime rib tonight. I don't care how amazing it is. And it is amazing if you have not tried it." She was rambling. She was so nervous.
Laughing, Bennett replied, "Sorry about that. You are right. Death by prime rib is a terrible way to go. And yes, I did have some earlier. It was fantastic, as you know." The conversation felt stilted and strange. After meeting her yesterday and seeing her again tonight, he wanted to get to know her better. So he said, "Let's start over."
"Start over?" asked Poppy, still holding a prime rib sandwich.
"Yes, I will start. You look lovely this evening. You were right about the dress. You look fantastic. Have you enjoyed the party?"
"Enjoyed the party, um?" Poppy was not sure how to answer that. The party had been a lot of work for her. She wondered if he got that. After a moment, she replied, "I have been a little busy. ButI have seen many people I have only heard about on the news. Not that any of them remember me."
"Oh, I think you are very wrong about that," replied Bennett quickly. "You are impossible to forget in that dress with all that red hair. You really are a knockout. Did you know that?"
Poppy could feel herself blushing from head to toe, a curse all redheads must bear. Shaking her head, Poppy looked into Bennett's eyes and replied, "No, no one has ever said that to me. But, I am glad the first one who did was you."
Wow, what was happening? Suddenly, Bennett felt like a lightning bolt had hit him. No one had ever looked at him the way she was looking at him. In her eyes, Bennett could see her innocence, passion, and desire, all directed at him. When he approached her at the table, he knew she was off limits. For God's sake, she was not even out of high school. But she was so incredibly gorgeous sitting alone eating he had not been able to stop himself. Seeing her desire for him in her eyes was almost his undoing. If he were not the man he was, he would take her by the hand to somewhere more private and sample all she was offering. He looked at her, then asked, "I know you are a senior, but how old are you?"
Without breaking eye contact, Poppy whispered, "Eighteen. Why?"
Bennett did not respond to her question aloud. In his head, he thoughtbecause I need to know if you are about to land my stupid ass in jail.Of course, he did not say that. Instead, he said, "No Carrington Sleigh Ride Soiree is complete without a trip around the dance floor. I have spent all night glad-handing people for future support. I could use a little break from that. What do you say? Care to dance with me?"
Words were no longer an option. Dropping her prime rib sandwich on her plate and hastily wiping her hands on a napkin,Poppy stood and took his hand. Bennett led them out to the dance floor. The song was a slow jazz number that Poppy had never heard before.
It took Poppy a few minutes to relax into Bennett's arms. She had never danced with a boy before but had seen it on television. She just relaxed into him and followed his lead. Years later, she would consider that a metaphor for her life. Just relaxing into him and following his lead. Tonight, though, she was beyond conscious thought or words. She could feel his heart beating as they moved together. He smelled so good, all woodsy and clean. Poppy was so under his spell that she had to literally stop herself from reaching up and licking his neck where her head was currently nuzzled. The song ended, as did the bubble she had been in for the last few minutes.
Mrs. Blaine tapped her on the shoulder and gave her a stern look. "Poppy, dear, we need you back at your station. Your break is over."
