*****READ THE AUTHORS NOTES, I promise they're worth your time [wink].
XVIII: Fire & Ice (cont.)
THE PLACE LOOKED LOVELY. Isobel and Cole's staff had really pulled through for the couple, giving them what will be the most talked about engagement party of the year.
I was currently hanging out with Hannah in one of the tables. She was telling me about Tripp, the (ex)boyfriend, and how they'd met. Apparently Elle had introduced them last year and he was her escort to Cotillion. It sounded sweet, except for their unhealthy passive aggressiveness. Just hearing a few stories of the times they had ended things due to a little misunderstanding only to get back together the next day and made me dizzy. It seemed like a lethal relationship, the kiss of death. And they were only fifteen, I can't even imagine what they'd be like as adults [A/N: I love giving hints. Guess where Hannah's story will start ;P Predictions?]
"Poppy," I heard my name called behind me. I turned in my seat to eye a smiling Scott wearing a simple black tux. "Can I offer you a drink?"
Hannah eyed me stand with a glint in her eyes. "Sorry, Hannah. But I'm gonna steal Poppy for a few."
"Take her for as long as you want, brother dearest." I laughed nervously and let Scott walk me towards the bar.
"So when do you leave?" Scott asked after a second.
I looked away, "Tomorrow night."
"I could visit you some time, you know, if that's okay?" I forced my gaze up to meet his and a small smile curved on my lips.
"Of course, I'd love that."
"Yeah?" Scott said kind of surprised. "Okay, yeah. I'l visit you then. So sweet, girly, and barely alcoholic right?" he teased as we took a seat on adjacent stools.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, "Yes please. I'd like to be stone cold sober tonight."
Before Scott could order my drink, however, a voice beside him said, "She'll have a Cosmo."
I jumped off the stool and hugged Felicity tight. "What are you doing here?"
"Ouch," she said with mock hurt, "I'll leave then!"
"I only ask because I know you aren't on best terms with the bride. Or the groom for that matter." Felicity grimaced and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Yeah well, I'm here with my boss."
"I'm sorry, did I hear right?" I said incredulously. Felicity gave me a pointed look and placed her hands on her slim hips.
"Laugh it up all you want, but I'm a working girl now." I shook my head, amused at the thought. Felicity Prescott working? It was so obtuse!
"You'll have to introduce us then," I said before looking over at a silent Scott. "Speaking of which, how incredibly rude of me. Felicity Prescott, meet Scott Hastings."
Felicity looked over and gave him a flat smile. "Oh, we've met."
"Oh. How?" I wondered out loud. Yes, they were both heirs to immensely large fortunes, but they were from different places. New York and California might as well be worlds apart.
"We were once in the same wedding party." Felicity said with a glare at Scott. I raised my eyebrows in shock but smartly kept my mouth shut. There seemed to be more to that then Felicity was leading on, both about her new job and about knowing Scott but for now I let it go. Instead I accepted the drink the bartender offered and sat back down.
"If you have a sec, I'll introduce you now?"
I looked over at Scott and he held up his drink, "Don't worry about me. I'll be here."
Felicity took my hand and dragged me away. "God, I can't believe I let myself be dragged here. Honestly. I've reached a new all-time low."
"What? They're nice people," I said slightly defensive.
She sighed, "You weren't here last year."
"What's with all the mystery? I swear this is the hundredth time I've heard cryptic comments about whatever it is that went down last year. When are you all going to finally tell me?"
She shrugged, "Not my scandal to tell. Okay, there he is."
"Remind me again why you got a job?" I asked as we approached a man in an expensive looking suit.
"Long story, we'll do lunch when you're back in the city." [A/N: Look at that, I'm dropping hints everywhere!]
"Yo Russo," Felicity said. The man turned around and my eyebrows shot straight up. He was like something straight out of a female fantasy.
He gave Felicity an unimpressed look but before he said anything she smirked and gestured towards me. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Poppy White."
His eyes flickered with recognition. Great. So he knows the whole Richmond thing. He took my hand in his and placed a light kiss on the back of my palm. "Lovely to meet you, Miss White."
I think I might have drooled a little. His voice was like velvet, accented and completely woo-worthy. He flashed me a mega-watt smile, "I am Dante Russo."
"Pleasure!" I said with wide eyes. "Me Poppy, I mean, I'm Poppy!"
"Yes, I know." I swear I think part of my melted under his intense gaze.
"Russo, don't hog all the lovely women. We can't compare with those Italian looks." I looked over at a man and his friend beside him. He looked quite drunk, and in turn the friend quite embarrassed.
"Sorry for him," the friend said.
"Shut it, Bra!" the tipsy man responded.
"Bra?" I asked questioningly. The man with a drink in hand laughed so hard a little spilled. Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Peter I swear if you don't shut up I'll call your wife and tell her you're here."
"Go ahead, she knows."
"Meredith knows you're here?" she said with a knowing smirk. "You'd think Hell would freeze over before she let you come to Max and Elle's engagement party. Not after what they did to Simone."
Peter downed the rest of his drink. "Mer is a demanding bitch, but she's my demanding bitch. We fought 'cause I said I was coming for Max. What kind of a friend would I be if I missed my best mate's engagement party?"
The friend beside him sighed and threw Peter's arm over his neck. "I gotta get him outta here. He's drunk. Sorry."
"I'm not drunk, Bra!" Peter said as his friend started guiding him away. When they were gone, I looked over at Felicity and then Dante. "Did he just call him bra?"
"Never mind that," Felicity said with a shake of the head. "Now Meredith will know I came to this and throw a freaking fit."
"Oh my God!" Hannah said running up beside me. "Did you just see Abraham dragging away a drunk ass Peter? I took a picture! Say, how much do you think TMZ would pay me for a shot of Peter Forbes throwing up at Elle and Max's thing?"
Dante laughed, "Hannah Hastings, always such a handful."
"You know you love me," She said with a smirk and leaned over to hug the man who stood a foot taller, even in her heels.
"There's someone I wanted you to meet, actually," Dante said. "He should be around here somewhere..."
"This is stupid. Can we leave?" we all looked over at a young man dressed in dark jeans and a leather jacket, his eyes concealed by aviators. He had a frown on his youthful, handsome face. The similarities between Dante and the boy were striking, but that wasn't the most surprising part. The boy cocked his head to the side and folded up his white walking cane, "Well?"
"Sorry bud, we can leave as soon as I talk to Elle," Dante said to the boy. "Hannah, this is my brother Niccolo."
"It's Nic," the boy said with a scowl. Hannah raised her eyebrows at the boy, her eyes scanning his tan face.
"Hey," Hannah said. She looked unsure, and spoke a little louder than she would have to anyone else.
Nicc sighed and extended his cane again, "Alright, I'm gonna go wait in the car."
"Wait up, I'll help you," Hannah said walking up to him.
Nic groaned. "I'm blind not stupid, thanks Platinum Barbie."
Hannah scoffed. "I'm not even blond."
Nic gave her a crooked smile. "You're even more dense than I thought." He walked away then, only to stop a few steps later. "You coming or what?"
"Geez bossy," Hannah muttered under her breath and followed behind him. Nic folded up his cane and gripped Hannah's elbow. "If you make me trip over something, I will beat you with my cane."
"Like you'd even be able to see me." Nic let out a bark of laughter and shook his head.
"Shut the fuck up and walk."
As soon as the pair were gone, I turned stunned to our group watching the teens walk out of the ballroom.
Felicity laughed, "Two equally evil kids. Match made in heaven."
"Now there's a friendship in the making." Dante said with an amused smile.
"Poppy."
I turned at the sound of my name and instantly regretted it. My pulse raced as I watched him walk forward, his iceburg eyes starring into my own.
A/N: Okkkayyy! That's part two of the event. There's still a Cole scene to come but it's too long to fit into this update.
Confused about some of the returning characters? "Tripp" is the nickname of Hannah's boyfriend. His real name is hella long so they call him Tripp for short because he's the third. Meredith was Simone's best friend and bridesmaid, as well as Felicity. Simone was Max's ex-fiancee. Peter and Abraham "Bra" are some of the poker guys from Stealing the Groom. Dante is Elle's ex from Italy, also the MAID OF DISHONNOR.
See what I did there? MAID OF DISHONNOR is the title of Dante's story. Long story short, he's still in love with Elle, and when she asks him to be her maid of honor, he employs the help of Felicity (his new assistant) to steal the bride. We'll see how that works out for him. More info on that as soon as Sealed With a Kiss is nearing the end!!!! I know, I'm a tease.
New characters! What do we think of Nic Russo? Personally, I LOVE him. But I'm a sucker for the bad boys ;)
****also there are about a million mistakes in my updates lately. Sorry! I'll go back and edit later! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now go stab someone at Wal-Mart for the last iPad Air2