Juliet Mancini

     Never assume that Angel Beckett went anywhere unarmed. Not even to this fancy party that she didn’t want to go to in the first place. She owed Alex more than one favor, though, despite the aura she consistently gave off around him. She trusted Alexander, she actually listened to Alexander, and when Alexander told her that she had to be at the Golightly party, she obeyed.

     That didn’t mean that she was going to enjoy herself, though. There were far too many faces that looked just a little too familiar to her. People who she recognized but couldn’t quite pinpoint. And she knew she couldn’t revolve solely around Alex or Ray the entire night. They had their own ideas of what was going to happen at the party that didn’t involve Angel.

She’d taken a quick peek at the petting zoo and then squirreled away in one of the corners to occupy herself with her novel. Yes, she was only here cause Alex had asked her to be and yes, she was supposed to be keeping an eye out for those diamonds - but that was a rather easy puzzle wasn’t it? One of them was certainly on Bunny Golighty’s finger. That ring? Easily worth millions. And you could see its gleam a mile away. 

A few chapters in Juliet considered treating herself to a drink. She gathered up her heels, which she had kicked off, and her dress and her book and made her way over to the open bar. But even with the extra two inches her shoes gave her, Juliet found it hard to catch the bartender’s attention. Ten minutes later she still waited patiently, awkwardly raising a hand every time they passed. 

It was the familiar voice that made her turn. Ms. Beckett! And look at that! She already had the bartender’s attention. Maybe she could help.

“Ms. Beckett! Hi!” Juliet piped up. “Can I - uh -” She licked her lips out of nervous habit. Always the nervous one, asking for favors. “Ask you a favor? When the bartender comes back, may I have your help in grabbing his attention? I haven’t had much luck. And I know, he’s probably busy. There are so many people here tonight, but...”

She let her words trail off. Her hands played with the corners of her book and her eyes snapped up, remembering her manners. 

“It’s nice to see you here!” She added quickly. “You look lovely.”

They were somewhere here. They had to be. Alex hadn’t come all this fucking way to spend his night celebrating some spoiled brat’s nineteenth birthday to walk away empty-handed. Currently, Alexander found himself posed at one of the tables scattered around the grand banquet hall, his phone before him on the table alongside a half-eaten plate of filet mignon and herb-roasted veggies.

Pushing away his plate of food, Alex stood up and slipped through the crowd, making his way around the ballroom where guests young and old danced; some among friends, some among more intimate romantic partners, as he slipped onto one of the vast balconies that scattered the hotel property, unlocking his phone and searching for a specific contact in his phone.

“Balcony’s occupied,” he said without glancing up from his phone at the first sound of the balcony doors snicking open. “Find somewhere else to be.”

Five years ago, her bottom lip would have quivered at such a tone and the corners of eyes would have prickled, itchy and hot. They didn’t now, when Mr. Barrett was so quick to dismiss her, but Juliet found herself at the beginnings of such emotion and it stirred somewhere in her belly. 

You’re not allowed to cry. She told herself in these moments. 

This wasn’t really her scene. The book now tucked underneath her arm was evidence of that. The petting zoo was nice and all, and Juliet certainly appreciated the money being donated to charity, but the crowds - she didn’t handle those well. Still, she persisted. Mr. Barrett had made it rather clear that he wanted recon, those diamonds were supposedly here after all, and so Juliet would follow like a lamb. Recon and searching, that wasn’t so bad was it? The blood-spilling and the hurting and the fisticuffs, she stayed away from such things. She was the kind of woman who could drain a bank account faster than most men could throw a punch as long as you gave her a laptop and a steady wifi connection and so that’s usually how the novice book-keeper made herself useful around such parts. Hard, to bring a laptop to a birthday party, but Juliet was more than useful with just a phone. She found that very few people gave a second glance to a small, quiet girl with a book and a cellphone.  

Oh, and ‘Homegoing’, by the way. She was reading ‘Homegoing’ by Yaa Gyasi and it was quite good. 

Now she stood on a balcony, having slipped out behind Alexander because he’d mentioned wanting to talk. And though tears didn’t threaten, his tone made her shrink. Her thoughts were like butterflies, you had to catch each one separately, put them gently where you wanted them, or they might die before they ever escaped her lips.

“I know you said you wanted to talk. I, um,” She cleared her throat. Louder, she told herself, she was speaking much too softly. The balcony, though private, only did so much to drown out the sound of the festivities. “Thought this might be a good time? I can come back later if you want.” 

@j-mancini

“Yes! I am! I think it could be fun?” 

And necessary.

“The plan is to partner with local bookstores. We haven’t picked our first book yet so I’m more than open to suggestions!” 

Was she coming off as too eager? Perhaps. Her life was all about books these days. Whether it be books for her dissertation or books for her time with the Irish. Either way, Juliet found little time for casual reading. She hoped this would help her get back into the swing of things. 

She always felt a little empty when she hadn’t read something new in a while. 

Anyway, Juliet liked this woman. She looked like she could smile and laugh with ease. This city seemed to be in short supply of both of things. People were always lighter when they smiled, it made their whole face light up - and sometimes it felt like their smiles could turn away the darkness of the world. This was, of course, ultimately a foolish notion, but it did nothing to change the fact that Juliet could think of few things more pleasant than spending time in a book club with good, smiling company.  

“Have you ever been part of a book club before?”