Page 45 of Tasty Cherry

Sebastian’s gaze meets mine. He’s all smiles.

I wish I was self-confident enough to dance with them, but I’m not nearly so bold as Brooklyn.

The two of them bop all the way to the tenth floor.

“Let’s go down again!” Tiffany cries.

Her brother pulls her out of the elevator. “They have to keep going up.”

“Awwww.”

When the door closes, the party music starts back up. It doesn’t seem to know who got off, the guests or the staff.

“Yeah!” Brooklyn shouts, but she barely gets her dance on when we arrive at twelve.

But the doors won’t open.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“This is a secure suite,” Sebastians says. “You have to scan your way out of the elevator on the top floor since it opens straight into the party space. You both ready?”

We nod.

He scans his ID and new music penetrates the moment a gap appears, loud and bouncy. A woman dressed as Snow White is leading a clapping line of seven dwarves. They aren’t particularly short, probably other women, but they have masks on and their costumes are lumpy, so it’s hard to tell.

A dozen little girls, probably four or five, wave their arms on a small dance floor. Several mothers sit at circular tables scattered through the suite. There’s a sitting area with two sofas and a television, a bathroom, then a long hall that leads to bedrooms.

Brooklyn looks ready to party again, but Sebastian gives both of us a serious look, so she plays it straight.

As soon as we step out, a mother with a crying girl on her hip hurries our way.

“It’s about time you got here,” she says.

“How can I help?” Sebastian asks.

“Look at her.” She swivels to show the crying girl. “It’s her party and she’s miserable!”

Brooklyn and I exchange a glance. And how is this our problem?

But Sebastian is not fazed. He leans into the girl. “What’s your name?”

She sniffs. “Gina.”

“Happy birthday, Gina,” he says. “How old are you?”

She holds up five fingers.

“Five. That’s a good age.”

Gina watches him with set, solemn eyes.

“It’s those dwarves,” the mother says. “Referred to us by your hotel, I might add.”

“What’s the problem?” Sebastian asks.

“He’s too grumpy!” Gina wails. “He’s scary!”

I work hard to bite back a smile, and I see Brooklyn is, too.

---