The party is to begin at 8 P.M. As you walk up to the Arbor, you follow a string of dark green balloons up to the second floor. They end at a corner apartment, one of the three bed room rooms. The door opens to the space between the dining room and the living room. You can see a kitchen past the dining room and a hall that leads to the bedroom. The dining room has a buffet table set with a large Cobb salad, Mexican authentic tortilla chips and rolled chicken tacos. A platter of Spanish rice, a stack of warm tortillas and a platter of Carne Asada stand ready for a DIY Mexican feast. Disposable flatware and plates are at hand with Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Sprite cooling in a cooler.
The living room has a hodgepodge set - a very nice leather recliner faces an average T.V. A leather console storage container rests beside the armchair, the latest copy or Wired and Time upon them. A fine desk with a mid range laptop is nestled in the corner of the living room. A couch with beige upholstery and a matching arm chair look moderately comfortable, but not quite matched with the recliner. You get the feeling this is a blending of two separate living sets. A handful of molded folding chairs line the room, providing ample seating.
I fuss around the buffet table, placing a bowl of guacamole. Nervous? I wonder.
From ST to you:
A brunette that you don't recognize slices carrots into bite sized spears and assembles a vegetable tray in the kitchen. She has the same blue eyes as Nicole. This woman stands at 5'8''. Her brown hair is curly and falls to her shoulders in waves. This woman wears black Dickies pants and a red form fitting tank top.
"Yeah, I got caught up with work. Its no excuse, I know." I roll my eyes. I don't want to sound defensive, so I go with the obvious truth.
"I sort of lost my group. I didn't want to do this on my own."
My eyes flicked to Jay's cast.
"What happened there?"
"I poked my head into a room. On my own." Jay smirked. "Turns out, it was something hella strong. So maybe not poking around on your own served you well."
"And I'm here, now..." The brunette set the vegetable tray on the table.
"Kristen." She states. Her tone is matter of face, direct. She doesn't match Chrissy's smile, but nods at her.
"This is a hunter - only gig..." I state to the early arrivals. "No civvies. I want to hear everything that you've been up to and don't you dare censure yourselves."
Nicole picks up a remote and soft rock begins to play through out the apartment.
"Dig in, " I suggest, pointing to the buffet table in the kitchen.
"- then lets get to know each other. I don't want to come off as a desperate for a hunt chick, OK?" I smile. "I can take it if you don't want to discuss whats been going on."
"Did you get the thing that did that?" Kristen asks, pointing to Jay's cast. She grabs a paper plate and loads up on carrots and chips, drifting to sit on the couch in the living room.
"Uh, no." Jay grabs a plate and starts making a Carne Asada. He turns and looks around the room, searching if one of the hunters involved is here.
Nicole Port is a blonde woman who stands at 5'7'. Her blonde hair is pulled into a high ponytail. Dangling metal earrings flash in the light. Her make up is minimal- eyeliner, coral pink lipstick and a smudge of gray eye-shadow. She wears a shimmering gray shirt and a pair of black athletic pants.
Cayce Bean DownsideUp Record Freelance250 JustinTack