Eleni was reclusive screenwriter; happy with her solitary life, until an unexpected invitation arrived in the mail one morning. Her former fiance from years ago invited her to his wedding, and the masquerade ball to follow.
Now Eleni has to decide...
This chapter switches back and forth between Evan's and Eleni's POV.
Evan's POV
Evan walked into the huge ballroom of the hotel where the reception was being held. Long tables covered with white clothes were set up around the edges of the room, leaving plenty of room for dancing in the center of the room. There were several people seated at the tables, most of them already wearing their masks. "Well, I'm not out of place, wearing mine, then," Evan thought. He looked around and quickly spotted a group of his friends, all seated together at one table. He walked over to them, his shiny shoes clicking on the polished marble floor. When he got to their table, there was a ritual of shoulder smacks, fistbumps and hand slaps as the group of guys welcomed him.
When one of the waiters set a dinner plate in front him, Evan took off his mask and put it on the table in front of him, so he could eat and drink. Dinner consisted of steak, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. The vegetables were generously buttered and sprinkled with some kind of spices. They were delicious, and the steak was juicy and perfect.
After dinner, the band started playing, and Emma and her new husband took to the dance floor in the middle of the room and danced their first dance as a married couple.
"Well boys," Andy spoke up. "Let's do some shots and find some ladies to dance with. That sounded good to Evan and the other guys, so they made a beeline for the bar and cheered each other on doing a couple of flaming Dr. Pepper shots each. The band started playing an upbeat song, and Evan put his mask back on and went to find a single lady to dance with.
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Eleni's POV
Eleni got up from her seat in the farthest corner from the door. "It might have been intended as a slight on her part," Eleni thought, "But I am glad Emma put me at the table furthest from the door, it makes it that much easier to avoid attention from the bride or groom."
Eleni was feeling a bit of anxiety about being here. "I should go mingle, it will seem strange to people if I don't," she thought. "I need a drink."
She spotted a bar not far away along the back wall and made a beeline for it. She recognized Evan Peters and a group of his rowdy friends. She considered saying hello to them, she knew Evan from a couple of episodes of AHS that she had helped write the script for. The group did not stick around long though, just tossed back some flaming shots and disappeared into the crowd of people who were beginning to fill the dance floor.
"That's a good idea; a couple of shots sound good to me too," she thought. Eleni waved a hand to catch the attention of one of the women behind the bar, and she ordered two shots from the choices listed on the whiteboard posted behind the bar: "I'll take an apple pie shot, and a caramel apple," Eleni said loudly so her voice would carry over the music.
"A good pick, these are delicious." The sweet and tart apple flavors blended well with the vodka. Each shot burned going down and made her cough a little, but it warmed her insides. Eleni didn't drink often, so she felt a buzz almost immediately. She turned and surveyed the room. Eleni rubbed her hands together, "Time to socialize."
