Sienna
Growing up, Thanksgiving was spent with my immediate family and no one else. Both of my parents were single children, so I had no aunts, uncles, or cousins to gather around the table with us. I remember it being lonely, and all of my friends at school would be ecstatic about traveling to see their grandparents somewhere it snowed, where they'd make snow angels and snowmen and do all of the winter activities I never got to experience.
But my Dad's parents passed away in a car accident when he was little, and my mother had an estranged relationship with hers, so it was always just the three of us in our tiny dining room with a small turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. It was a sad excuse for a holiday.
But then, after my parents and I had our falling out, I moved to the city where there was snow and made friends I could call family instead. And while I couldn't make snowmen from the lack of yard space, my Thanksgiving was livelier, entertaining, and I grew to adore the holiday. Granted, it was normally just Carmen and me since Riley went off to visit her parents, but I learned that feeling lonely wasn't about the number of people who were in the room, it was just who was in the room, and Carmen was the partier of the century. She could make any event into an extravaganza, even if it were just the two of us.
With linked arms, Carmen and I huddle together in our peacoats as we make our way up the front steps of the Nash residence, Lincoln following close behind us. Music is already carrying out from the inside, but their family home is the only one for miles. The amount of land they own could house three farms if they wished, so noise complaints won't be happening.
"I'll get that." Lincoln dips in front of us and opens the door, even though a butler is waiting just on the other side to do it for him, and then he takes both of our coats, doing the butler's job and bringing them into the coat room to hang them up.
Carmen lowers her mouth next to my ear. "Okay, so... When is the wedding?"
I roll my eyes. "Not anytime soon."
"Why? You both could afford a thousand dream weddings. Just get hitched already. You're perfect for each other, Sienna."
"We haven't even said I love you to each other yet, Car! Jesus. I'm nowhere near ready to get hitched. We're taking things slow."
She scoffs. "Please. I see how you look at each other, and I highly doubt you're taking things slow."
Lincoln returns before I can reply, escorting us to the bar to get some drinks. On our way, I can admire all of the decorating Lincoln's mother put into place. Well, I'm assuming she didn't do it, but the staff put her vision into place. Garlands wrap around the banisters of the grand staircases, mistletoes hung on almost every archway. It's warm and cozy from all of the people in here I've never met, soft chatter of galas and auctions and who wore it better.
Lincoln's mother is at the bar. When she spots us, she claps her hands with delight and pulls me in for a hug, kissing both cheeks when she pulls away. "Oh, Sienna, it's so good to see you. I'm glad you could make it!"
"Estella, it's always a pleasure. Thank you for inviting us. Everything looks wonderful."
Carmen nods enthusiastically. "Did you decorate yourself? And those crab puffs being passed around? Wow! I'm in heaven."
Estella does a once over of Carmen, eyeing her skeptically. "I don't believe we've met," she says. "You're a friend of Sienna's?"
I elbow Lincoln in the side and whisper out of the corner of my mouth, "I thought you said she was allowed to come?'
"Yes," Carmen replies. She tosses her long black braids over her shoulder and stands up straighter. "I'm Carmen. My friend and I own a flower shop on The Upper East Side. Sienna helped us jump-start it."
Estella hums in agreement. "Ah, Carmen." She nods thoughtfully and takes a sip out of her champagne glass. "Well, I'm glad you could join us. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. Please, drink up! Dinner will be served in an hour." She scurries off to entertain more of her guests, leaving Carmen with her nose scrunched up and eyebrows knitted together.
"Has she met me before? How does she know me?"
I shrug and order two glasses of champagne, passing one over to her while Lincoln orders an old fashioned. "Estella seems to know everyone in this city. I'm not surprised."
Lincoln brings his mouth close to my ear, the hairs on my neck standing on end. "If it's alright with you, my mother has some investors she'd like for me to meet. I don't want to drag you along and bore you, but you're more than welcome to tag along."
I shake my head and urge him to go. "Work your magic. I'll hang out here with Carmen close to the booze."
He winks. "Good choice, baby. I'll see you at dinner."
With a kiss on my cheek, he saunters off through the crowd like a natural-born CEO, and my heart flutters with pride. Carmen stares after him with a sad look on her face, bringing me back to the present. "What's wrong?" I ask.
She sighs, swirling her champagne around in calculated circles. Carmen looks beautiful tonight in a gown made to kill. With the dress code as formal as a gala, her curvy body is draped in a bright orange silk dress that looks radiant against her dark skin. A low-cut v-line showcases the outline of her breasts, and the rest of the material clings to every single ounce of her shape. I would die to have a body like hers.
"Archer and I broke it off last night," she admits.
"Wait, what? Car, why didn't you tell me? I could have come over with buckets of ice cream, and we could have binge-watched Hallmark movies like we always do!"
With a soft smile, her shoulders slump in defeat. "I'm done crying over failed relationships. It seems like whenever we get close, whenever they find out who the real me is, they can't handle it. No one can handle me, and I'm growing to accept it, you know?"
"The real you? Carmen, the real you is incredible. You're the smartest person I know. You're compassionate, wild, and caring, and you've got a better fashion sense than Riley and me combined. Any man willing to pass that up is an idiot. Do I need to kick his ass?"
She shakes her head. "No. I'm the one that broke things off with him. I don't blame him for not wanting to stick around."
I'm so confused about why she's speaking about herself like this. What is she talking about? The real her?
Before I can ask, Jett strides directly to her side, eyes glued to her orange dress. "Carmen," he murmurs, "you look absolutely delectable."
My best friend is emotional and vulnerable. That's the only reason why she looks like she wants to swallow Jett whole and take him for a ride. I have to stop this and fast.
Pushing him back with a gentle shove, I point toward the dining room. "Go bother someone else. Plenty of other women would be more than willing to take you up on your offer, Jett. You're wasting your time here."
He quirks a brow. "Am I? As flattering as it is to know you think I could get any woman I want, I have no interest in them. I do, however, have one woman in mind. If only she felt the same." His finger glides across the strap sitting on Carmen's shoulder. "Balmain?" he whispers lowly.
All Carmen can do is nod.
"Mmm." He slides the strap down until it's on her bicep, his fingertips causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. "As incredible as this looks on you, Carmen, I can think of only one other way you could look better..."
Almost as if a shift switches inside her, Carmen shoves away from him and takes a deep breath. "Go," she warns. "You're insufferable, Jett."
Normally, I'd encourage Carmen to distract herself with someone else, but not him. Literally, anyone except Jett would suffice. He's a lying, scheming car salesman, and he has no right trying to get with my best friend. She is way out of his league.
With a dip of his chin, he says, "As you wish. I hope you ladies enjoy the rest of your night."
I order another glass of champagne to try to erase the last ten minutes.
"What was that?" I ask. "I swear he's obsessed with you."
She shrugs, but her eyes continue to follow him out of the room. "He'll get over it."
"Sienna! Carmen!" Riley comes barreling towards us through the crowds of people, pulling us in for a group hug and sloshing some of her wine onto the floor. She's definitely been drinking. "You guys have to see Caroline Schwartz's wedding bands. I can hardly even see from being so blinded!"
Since Carmen and I are taller than Riley, we exchange a glance over our group hug. Shy and innocent Riley is talking like a chatterbox, but she always gets like this whenever she drinks too much. Before we can think of a plan, Margo comes up behind her and takes her hand. She's dressed in a black bodycon dress with red pumps. "You keep wandering off on me, love," she says sweetly.
Where is Margo, and what did this person do with her?
"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but look! It's Carmen and Sienna! My bestest friends in the entire freaking world."
Margo laughs and tugs her close to her side. "I know, Ri. Let's get some water, and then we can take our seats for dinner. We're sitting next to them."
"Yay!" Riley cheers enthusiastically. Margo pulls her away while mouthing sorry silently in our direction.
"They are the cutest couple. It's official," Carmen says.
I nod in agreement. "Beats Linc and me by a long shot."
"Eh. It's a close tie."
Even though Carmen is acting fine, I can tell when she smiles that it doesn't reach her eyes. She's not fine, and although I want her to confide in me, I respect her privacy. After all, they never pressured me to tell them about my life until I was ready. I'll let her open up to me whenever she wants.
"I'm only going to ask one more time, and then I'll stop," I promise her, "but are you positive you're going to be okay?"
She nods as a classical song floats into the room, watching an elderly couple begin to dance underneath one of the hanging chandeliers. "I will be," she says. "There's someone out there who will accept every single part of me. I just have to find them."
Leaning over to squeeze her hand, I raise my glass to hers. "And until then, Riley and I will be right there next to you every step of the way."