The Engagement Game (Book 1)

1. the party

"God Kacey ! How much vodka did you put in here?"

Kacey throws back her head and laughs, "As much as I could!"

I huff and continue to take small sips. I suruptisiosuly glance back at the man in the grey suit, Ryden, to see what he's doing. He's talking seriously with one of the other guys next to him. The women on the other side are listening in to the conversation. One in particular seems to be intensely staring at him. She's wearing a long dress the color of red wine. Her golden hair goes perfectly with the silky fabric.

As if sensing my gaze, she looks at me and stares, looking me up and down. She frowns at me and I look away, sheepishly drinking from my cocktail. I feel so out of place here. I don't belong and everyone here knows it. Why did Kacey want me to come here again?

I tug on Kacey's arm, "Someone just stared at me, I think they're all weirded out that you brought me."

Kacey looks around at the group, "Who?"

"The blonde one in the red dress."

"Oh her?" Kacey lets out a rather disgusted sound, "She's a bitch, names Sophia."

Kacey says this rather loudly and a few heads turn at the word 'bitch'.

Kacey waves at them smilingly, "Sorry guys, I was telling my friend Lacie here, about a bitch that I knew." She crinkles her eyes into a fake grin. "You can keep on talking."

One of the guys, not Ryden, laughs, and they turn away. Sophia gives Kacey a long look before turning back to the conversation. She tries to say something to Ryden but he doesn't hear her. Kacey turns back to me, "Anyways, I'll just tell you who everyone here is."

"That guy," she points at the one sitting to the right of Ryden, "is called Dylan."

Dylan is dressed in black and white. His black hair is slicked back and his dark blue eyes are staring at one of the girls wearing a green dress, her pale skin is accentuated against the vibrant green in a breathtaking manner. Kacey ponders him for a while before saying, "I don't have much to say about Dylan. He just kind of sits there and stares at people, his dad manufactures cars."

I nod my head and Kacey continues, "The other guy is called Jonathan, he's either a playboy or just terrible at choosing girlfriends. I'm leaning more towards playboy. You should hear about how his parents rage about his dating life. He's involved with the law."

I look at Jonathan. He has light brown hair and eyes, he's dressed more modestly than the other two. He seems to be pretty relaxed but also a bit reserved. I'm surprised that Kacey thinks he's a playboy, he doesn't give off the vibe of one.

"The girl in green is Venice, she's a model, her parents own her agency. She's pretty nice."She moves on to the last girl, "And thats Cat. Her parents own a few hotel chains but they don't really talk to her because of something she did. I think she only comes to these because her parents threaten to cut her off if she doesn't give them face."

"What did she do?" I ask.

Kacey winks at me, "That's a secret babe."

I stare at Cat, trying to imagine what she could've possibly done for her parents to ignore her, yet still want her to come and represent the family in gatherings like this. She has short black hair and black eyes. She's wearing a black dress today with black painted nails as well. I like her vibe. Cat looks over at me and smiles.

"Kacey, bring your friend over, you haven't introduced her to us yet. Don't just keep her to yourself!" Cat says.

I feel a jolt of anxiousness and glance nervously at Kacey. She puts her drink down and heads over to the sofas. She plops down on an empty one and gestures at me to follow her. I do and sink into the soft cushions of the sofa. I don't lean back, scared that it'll be rude to relax."This is Lacie everyone, she's my roommate from college."

I smile and squeeze out a small "Hi" to everyone, my hands clenching nervously around my knees.

Everyone looks at me. Cat smiles and introduces herself. Everyone else does too, Ryden going last with a curt nod, "I'm Ryden, nice to meet you."

We sit there awkwardly for a while, no one resuming their previous conversations. Kacey breaks the silent atmosphere by clapping her hands together, "You're all so boring. Isn't there anything else you guys do other than just sitting around and staring at each other all day?"

Jonathan laughs, his voice is deeper than I expected. "It seems like you still can't sit still Kacey."

"No I can't." Kacey shoots back, "I actually have a life."

"We do too, we just move slower than you do." Jonathan gestures at Kacey's hand where a glistening engagement ring sits. She glances down and proudly shows off the ring to everyone else. I notice Sophia glance at the ring and then at Ryden.

Oh? Is there something going on between the two? I look at Sophia and then at Ryden. They're both gorgeous people and would look like a cute couple. Sophia continues to look at Ryden but his eyes never stray towards her direction. I wonder if they're dating in secret or if its just a one-sided thing on Sophia's side. I decide to ask Kacey later.