The ballroom, that the welcome dinner is being hosted in, is nothing short of opulent. Currently decked out in a stunning array of white and gold spring flowers, matching satin banners, ribbons, and helium balloons, situated around a series of tables. All up, if I have to hazard a guess I would be confident in saying that there is room for around four hundred students, staff, and teachers. The noise in here will confirm that too, the shrill of feminine laughter, deep male voices, and a string quartet swirl around the room.
The pretty tables are set out for eight, and a desk at the front provides table allocation, which I am thankful for. It is a mixed seating arrangement and a quick glance calms my nerves as I note that Hunter is not near me. Interestingly, I note that he sits at the Prefect table with the department heads. I search quickly for the main table, but he is not yet seated.
Hartley strides off quickly towards our allocated table, looking behind to make sure I am following her before she carefully places her bag on our table. A quick glance behind me, sees her turning quickly before grabbing a hold of my hand, dragging us through the mingling crowd, towards the bar.
“Ginny, what will you have?” she asks, leaning over catching the waiter’s eye.
“Just a mineral water please,” I offer back and then turn around so that she can’t argue with my choice. I really don’t need any alcohol tonight. I am already feeling out of sorts and I don’t need to embarrass myself more than I already have.
It is only a minute or so later that Hartley is back, passing me my mineral water. I take a sip and look at her with narrowed eyes.
“Hartley, please,” I grumble, before taking a larger sip.
“One vodka is not going to kill you. It’s a night to celebrate! Our first night here. Now come on I have people you need to meet,” she breezes past me again, encouraging me to follow and we cut through a bevy of gorgeous people until she stops at a smaller group of girls.
Without shame the girls survey me slowly, starting at my Manolo’s and finishing at my matte lipstick. I seem to pass some sort of test and they all start introducing themselves, but Hartley takes over, “Okay, this is my sweet bestie, Ginny. Verginius Bellafonte, please meet Beatrice Hastings, we call her Betsy, Elizabeth Henry aka Lizzie, and lastly Karen Barkley,” she laughs good-naturedly and the others quickly join in.
“Nice to meet you,” I say as I offer a quick euro kiss to them. They are surprisingly welcoming and we soon settle in for a polite chatter. They quickly give me the rundown on the latest gossip, while pointing out the people to steer well clear off, as well as giving a critique of nearly every person that walks past us. We spend a fair bit of time giggling good-naturedly behind our glasses.
“Come on, we have to be seated before eight and I am sure we only have a few minutes to spare. We’re right next to you, on the table behind aren’t we Karen?” Lizzie asks, while quickly grabbing another glass of champagne from a roving waiter. Betsy changes the course of her direction heading to the front of the ballroom with a cheeky smile and wave.
“You guys have the twins and Dom on your table and two nobodies. Get ready to laugh, those three boyos are nothing but smoking, hot trouble. Keep your hands above the table and you will be fine,” Karen's barking laughter sounds, before she turns to sit at her table.
I quickly find Hartley and follow after her. I dodge numerous other students who are now hurrying to their seats as the lights dim, a passing girl murmurs her apology as we bump into each other causing me to drop my bag. Of course, it skids across the marble floor a couple of tables over. I rush forward to reach down to it before it gets trampled on, when it is grabbed before I can reach it. My eyes jump up wondering who has it and I am met with some of the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen. Not the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, but these certainly are up there.
“Here you go, as good as new,” Mr. Green-eyes offers, passing my clutch back before turning and walking away. I watch after him but he too disappears in the hurrying crowd, I quickly turn looking for our table. Thankfully Hartley is watching me with an amused look on her face, waving me over.
“Looks like you just met the Captain of the hockey, swim, oh and the debating team. Ugly isn't he,” she smirks into her glass from her seat, as I walk closer to her.
“Don’t forget the President of the Student Council,” Lizzie calls over from the next table, followed by a giggle. “Just watch out for his snarky witch of a girlfriend.”
I laugh back at her, waving, “I am here to study, I honestly don’t need the distraction. Have you seen our schedule? OMG!” I whisper back before turning around to face the front.
I go to pull my seat out and notice two guys, obviously twins and another, all rising to stand, as I go to sit. I wonder, honestly, not for the first time since arriving, where all the ugly people are.
“Wow, wow, wow, you must be Ginny. We have heard so much about you. I am Drew Savage and this is my brother Caleb. While this is Dominic Watson. And you my dear, are fucking gorgeous. Where have you been hiding all summer?” Drew holds his hand out to me as he finishes speaking and I offer it thinking he will handshake it but of course he kisses it, winking at me.
“Ginny has been hiding the past few summers with her Grandpa. We finally got Mr. Bellafonte to let her go and voila! Ginny, don’t mind Drew, he is a first class flirt, his brother in my opinion is the darling child,” Hartley says as she laughs and grabs her glass again.
“You wound me!” Drew cries clutching his chest.
“He is right to ask though where have you been hiding?” Caleb offers softly when he shakes my hand.
“I interned with my Grandpa all summer and then I had to catch up on a few classes. I spent most of my time working and studying,” I offer back to him.
“It’s the Bellafonte curse,” Hartley whispers, “they are all fucking perfect but stuck in their ivory tower!”
I look at her surprised, wondering if she has had too much champagne.
“I’m joking Ginny! But, you should have come to the Riviera with us. I know it's not your scene but I missed you, I know how special your summers are with your Grandpa. I am honestly just playing, I’m sorry,” Hartley says while grabbing and holding my hand, letting it go when she sees my smile. I take my seat next to her a little tentatively after her strange outburst.
“Sounds like my kind of summer. Hi Ginny, as Drew said, I am Dom,” Dom is still standing and bending over to my seated form to kiss my cheek in greeting. “He is damn right, you are a very beautiful creature,” he finishes softly into my ear.
I am such an eyes person, and Dom’s, well Dom’s eyes are damn near perfect. Actually all of him is very nice to look at. He sits next to me and I watch him out of the corner of my eye. Yep, he is a looker alright.
“Dom, leave her. Okay, here we go,” Drew says quickly, his voice dropping as the noise around us does too. We all stop our introductions and turn in our seats. Just in time it seems, the Headmaster starts walking across the stage as the ballroom quickly descends into silence.
“Welcome to St Joseph’s new students and welcome back to our returning students. My name if we have not yet been introduced is Dr. Nelson. Tonight, really is a very informal evening, more like a mixer, where I want you all to mingle, introduce yourself. The relationships that you form tonight and over your time with us, will undoubtedly lead to life long bonds be it of friendship or at the very least relationships with people that you do business with. The person sitting to your right may just be on the board with you, or the person across from you may be our next governor. Make no mistake, every person in this room will be involved in your life in some way, shape, or form. We have our country’s next lawmakers, leaders, politicians, doctors, scientists, CEOs, you name it, here in this one room. St Joseph’s, you are our future,” he says as he throws his arms up in a move characteristic of a showman. And the room erupts in rousing applause.
