all business

raquelle handed the brunette another cloth napkin, “are you sure? please let me buy you a new dress or at least get it dry cleaned for you? i feel terrible.” the girl furrowed her browed as she felt guilty for ruining such a gorgeous dress. raquelle got paid generously from the government and wasn’t hesitant to pay for something she had broken. the girl chuckled, “yeah– same here, i can’t believe their not embarrassed, or why someone isn’t kicking them out.”

caspian chuckled the second he saw his childhood friend. they’d known each other for a good time and honestly she was a sight for sore eyes. “happy new year’s lex.” he replied easily, leaning in and kissing her cheek quickly, “drama, as usual, i came her to escape but it seems everyone followed me here.” he joked.

Her smile grows dim at the reminder, “Ah yes, Daddy mentioned something had happened. Don’t tell me that twat followed you all the way to the near middle-of-nowhere?” but really the last thing she should be doing is reminding him of a failed engagement right? “Aside from that though, how are you liking Wintergreen? It’s my first time here, but it’s rather charming.”

@keepingvp

it was new years after all, and arden was determined to have some fun. plus, now with his sister here to spend sometime with him, he really didn’t have an excuse. he ordered a round of shots, and brought them back to the table. “alright sister, are you ready to bring in the new year?” he had his devious smile, the one that always called for trouble.

she’d wandered for a bit relying on pure luck to guide her to her brother, and as luck would have it, found him in less than ten minutes. she wishes she’d had that ability as a child. “oh leslie you know i don’t drink,” she starts ready to wave him off. but well she’d just said she’d spend more time with her friends and family right? “or actually, no pass me one.”

“Sitting all alone at the bar is, honestly, just having a little quiet time. Or it was having a little quiet time,” he countered. Who was she, judging him on his life choices of sitting alone at the bar? “I wasn’t trying to start a conversation, actually. You just overheard.” He figured he’d put it out in the open. Why not?

Nate smirked. “What gives you the idea that I have problems? I’m as problem free as they come.” A blatant lie. “I’m not wallowing. I’m having a drink and watching the party.”

“Yeah? Now’s the time to make them if you’re going to, and you might end up surprising yourself,” Addy explained. “That’s a good resolution to have, though. And undoubtedly they’ll appreciate it.”

it was a rare moment that caspian was actually away from libby that night, but he didn’t need to follow her to the restroom now did he? he leaned against the bar and watched everyone who walked by, and smirked when someone approached him. “am i in your way, or did you need me for something?” he asked.

“Wipe that smirk off your face Caspian Blythe,” Lexie says, one eyebrow raised in judgment. Before the look melts off her face, and she grins at him. “Happy New Year’s Cas, I didn’t think I’d run into you here, or well tonight for that matter. What are you doing all the way in Wintergreen?”

“Really, so Alibaba is not a threat at all?” Dana raised her brows, if Lexie was really going to take the world over she’d need to consider the real threat of affordable shopping services. “Yes! I’m totally going to the shelter with you I’m about it. I need to pet all the puppies.”

Nate furrowed his eyebrows and watched as she ordered a wine and ditched the martini. “Yep… that’s exactly what I was aiming for,” he muttered. “I came here with the sole intention for you to change your drink.”

“I want to make a bit more of an effort to sort of… be with the people,” she waved a hand to motion to the room of people. “And it’s always just easier for me to hang out at the bar even when I’m not working. But I feel like I’m there all the time… and you know… like Ariel says, I wanna be where the people are.”

Nate was about to quickly come up with something to explain his muttered words when she’d continued speaking and provided him with an answer anyway. He nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. If you can’t drink it now, when can you?” 

“That’s a good habit to have, then. I’m kind of envious of you,” she chuckled. “I don’t write a list, really. I have a few like, in my brain.” She tapped the side of my head. “My number one is to spend less time at the bar when I don’t need to be there, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Nate leant up against the wall and took a sip of his beer. He’d only come to the party because he’d done so for the last two years and breaking the tradition seemed a little daunting, even though it wasn’t that big of a deal. Part of him insisted that he go out there and join the others on the dance floor, but the sensible part of him talked himself out of it – he didn’t fancy starting off the new year with embarrassment. He chuckled at the thought. “Yeah, not a good idea,” he muttered under his breath.