Page 17 of The Story of Us
Some of the mirth in Alice’s eyes disappeared as Lulu blew them a kiss from across the room. She and Joanie would be getting up to mischief tonight.
Sera hustled over from the other side of the room, all old Hollywood glamour in a deep red one-shouldered dress that hugged her body. An oversized headband covered in roses held her blonde hair away from her face. Thank God Eloise had got ready at Alice’s. Otherwise, she’d be standing here in a den of supermodels wearing tinted moisturiser and lip gloss. Instead, Alice had taught her the secret to perfect winged eyeliner and how multipurpose bronzer really was.
“I swear, they just told me to wear red. I didn’t know about the rest of it. Is your mum going to be okay? I didn’t think they’d do this here. Maybe at the hen’s night but Mum’s trying to relive her youth vicariously and Bianca … well, she’s just Bianca.” Sera clasped her hands together.
Eloise snagged another glass of champagne from a passing waiter, chasing a sip with a tiny sundried tomato and brie tartlet from another tray. Bubbles fizzed on her tongue, and the combination of cheese and carbohydrates soothed some of her nerves. “It’ll be fine.” She patted Sera’s arm as Bianca climbed onto a chair, a champagne flute raised in one hand, and said something about girls just wanting to have fun.
Mary offered her a weak smile across the room, and Eloise told herself to get over it. She was uncomfortable, yes, but it was nothing compared to what her mother was surely feeling right now. Bunnies or no bunnies, this dinner oozed expense and opulence. It was nothing like the garden party Mary had worked so hard on. Right in front of them was a reminder of the chasm between the Fletchers and Hamiltons. Eloise wound her way around the table, stopping to say hello to Lulu and the other women she knew, smiling politely at the ones she didn’t. Even more of Sera’s friends and family had arrived, even though the wedding was still five weeks away. When Charlie had first told Eloise that the Fletchers were planning on hosting a few short, all-expenses-paid getaways for their guests in the lead-up to the wedding, her jaw had hit the floor but at least it explained why so many had made the trip to Australia already.
“This is pretty,” Mary said when Eloise stopped next to her. “The roses are lovely.”
She should really try to be more like her mother. Mary never failed to see the good in everyone. “The champagne is … bubbly.”
She’d work on it, okay?
“I bet we have to roll Joanie and Lulu out of here,” Mary whispered. “But do you know what I can’t stop wondering?”
Eloise shook her head.
“What a group of rabbits is called?” her mother asked. “I want to make sure I accurately describe this to your dad later.” Mary pulled out her phone and started tapping at the screen before pressing a hand to her mouth. “It’s even better than I hoped. It’s a herd or—wait for it—a fluffle.”
“A fluffle?” Eloise snickered.
“What are you talking about?” Alice joined them, a small plate of stuffed mushrooms and fancy cheeses and cured meats in each hand. She offered one to Mary and Eloise.
Mary picked up a bit of salami. “I have to text Michael and warn him that Mum and Lulu will be smuggling a fluffle of sex toys out of here later. These party favours will be a big hit with their crew.”
“Mum!” Eloise giggled. God, her mother was the best.
“I better go say hello to Sybella.” Mary patted Eloise’s arm and pointed to the tray of drinks in the corner of the room. “The secret to success tonight is over there, girls. You two focus on having fun, and I’ll make sure Mum and Lulu behave.”
Eloise wrapped her hand around her mother’s arm, stopping her from leaving. “We’ll sit with you.”
“Oh no. Save yourselves. Go have fun.” With a wink, Mary disappeared.
“Damn. Your mum’s amazing.” Alice nudged the glass of champagne in Eloise’s hand.
“She really, really is.”
* * *
“Holy shit,”Nate breathed as he picked up a discarded spiky high heel. Charlie pulled up beside him, his jaw dropping. Nate’s gaze swept the room, over the long line of empty champagne bottles on the bar, past the weary looks on the waiters’ faces.
The afterparty to winning a Super Bowl had nothing on this.
What the hell had happened here?
“I thought you said this was a fancy dinner,” he said.
Charlie raised his hands. “That’s what Sera said.”
His buddy had called Nate two hours ago and explained one of the Hummer limousines had broken down and couldn’t drive Sera and her friends back to where they were all staying at the Wattle Valley Winery. Nate hadn’t hesitated to offer his help as a last-minute chauffeur. It was the perfect excuse to escape from adding and then deleting everything he’d written to his manuscript all day. Between Charlie’s 4WD and Nate’s seven-seater Pajero, they could just squeeze the ladies in and get them home safely.
“There’s my baaaaaaaaaaaaaby!” Sera called from the second row of a cheerleading pyramid. She was seconds away from a wardrobe malfunction. Most of the women were, actually.
“Fuck, is that nipple? Can everyone see my fiancée’s breasts right now?” Charlie groaned.
Nate spun on his heel, averting his eyes and ran smack-bang into Owen’s girlfriend.
