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Party Time
With a big smile pretty much plastered on my face, I opened my door. There he was, my handsome, tall blond boyfriend. He looked so hot in his steel gray suit.
"Hey, you." Before he could issue a greeting of his own, I pulled him forward by one hand and stood on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his willing lips.
"Hey yourself," he said afterward. He let out a long whistle as he looked me over while I twirled in a circle for him. "You look great."
"Thank you," I said. I was wearing a dress that wasn't really new, but I'd never worn before. Copper tafetta-silk by Christian Dior, it was off the shoulder with a straight skirt that went to mid-thigh. My feet were encased in a pretty pair of shoes in an identical color, and I'd decided to go with my red hair in a fancy upsweep. I knew how Lisa Marie liked throwing fancy parties, after all. I grabbed my strapless little purse and followed him out the door.
"Did you remember to get the wine?"
"Sure did," Edge said with a wink. "It's out in the car."
"Awesome!"
After a quick twenty-minute ride through the city, we were in Lisa Marie's Upper West Side neighborhood. Edge got out of the back of the limo first, reaching his hand out chivalrously to assist me. I gave him a bright grin and stepped out.
Minutes later, we were standing just outside the door to my friend's apartment. From the sounds coming from inside, we were not the first arrive. I rang the doorbell, the bottle of wine clutched in my man's hands.
"Amy! You look so fabulous!" Lisa Marie cried as she stood in the doorway. "Hello again, Edge! Come in, come in!"
We made some little chitchat as we entered the spacious apartment. I glanced around and saw mostly people I didn't know, but I recognized Lisa's boss and waved to her as we were passing. And in the kitchen, I noticed Trish and her still new boyfriend as they checked on the catering.
"Hi!" My other friend waved, her face lighting up as she grabbed Randy Orton's arm and steered him toward us.
Lisa Marie stepped in between us two couples for the formal introductions. While I had gotten a quick glimpse of Trish's beau on the day she'd met him, I never actually saw him up close until now. I had to admit, he was extremely good-looking.
"Amy, Edge, this is Randy... Edge and Trish - you guys haven't met before either, right?"
They exchanged greetings and shook hands, much to my delight.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Orton said as he eyed me. "Trish talks about you all the time."
"Oh, and this is the caterer," the party hostess cut in. She gestured to the short-haired blond man by the counter across the fairly generous kitchen. "His name is Lance Cade, and he's amazing!"
Trish and I exchanged knowing looks. It was quite clear to both of us that the man's cooking was not the only thing our friend had sampled.
"So, where's your guest of honor?" I asked. "Amanda Lancaster? The breakout star who's responsible for this whole shindig?"
Lisa Marie rolled her eyes and made a dismissive wave with one hand.
"She had a prior commitment. Can you believe that?"
"Oh well... At least she's giving your career a boost."
"That's true," Lisa replied. "And that's the important part."
A woman I didn't know suddenly poked her head into the kitchen.
"Hey, Lisa - doorbell just rang."
"Well, don't just stand there - answer it!" the brunette replied. She shoved the woman away and snatched an hors doeuvre off of a tray Cade was preparing. He looked up and playfully swatted at her butt with a cloth napkin. She laughed heartily.
Edge and I, as well as Trish and Randy, took this as a hint to make ourselves scarce. We made out way out of the kitchen, and my boyfriend scooted even closer to me to whisper in my ear.
"She sure moves fast, your friend Lisa Marie."
I could only offer Edge a tiny smile and not reply. After all, he was right.
"Amy, Trish!"
We looked toward the door, where Candice had just come in. She waved at us and had a big smile on her face. She looked quite lovely in her Chinese-style blue dress with a high neckline. Like myself, she'd put her hair up, but she had a pair of colorful chopsticks stuck in there. A dark-haired man who was considerably shorter than Edge and Randy was at her side.
"Hi, Candice!" Trish gushed, and it was obvious she was curious about the brunette's date.
I gave our friend a hug, catching a whiff of the pretty perfume she was wearing.
"You look and smell great," I told her.
"Candice, meet my boyfriend, Randy."
"Hi. Good to meet you."
Edge and Candice had already met, so they merely exchanged niceties. Then, the lawyer turned to the man with her and smiled.
"Guys, this is AJ," she announced. "Randy Orton, Edge... and," she went on as she gestured to us girls, "Trish and Amy - they're two of my best friends."
We all exchanged greetings and handshakes with AJ. Candice glanced around questioningly.
"Where's Lisa Marie?"
"She's in the kitchen," I replied. "And she's probably got her hands full by now." Trish and I couldn't help but giggle.
"Oh, I get it - the caterer?" the brunette asked, rolling her eyes. She turned back to her date. "Oh, I'm sure you know her... She's the one who brought me into The Red Saloon the night we met."
AJ smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Oh, yeah? In that case, I'll be sure to thank her."
I instantly noticed how much Candice was beaming. She most definitely liked this guy a lot, a whole lot.
The doorbell suddenly rang again. No one seemed to be paying attention, so I took it upon myself to answer.
I was surprised at who I saw standing in the doorway. I'd only met him once, but I definitely remembered him.
"Ken Anderson! Well, hello," I said. "I'm not sure you remember me... I'm Amy Dumas, Lisa Marie's friend."
The man smiled brightly and shook his head as he stepped over the threshold.
"Sure, I remember you," he said. "Good to see you again." He glanced around. "Lisa Marie here? Or is she planning on being fashionably late to her own party?"
"She's in the kitchen."
Ken thanked me and made a beeline for that room. Clearly, he'd been here before. I turned to see Edge handing me a glass of wine. Smiling, I gratefully accepted it and clinked glasses with him.
We were joined by Trish, Candice and their men when it happened... A loud shout, from the sound of it, courtesy of Ken Anderson, came from the kitchen.
"Oh, my God!" Trish exclaimed. She knew, without question, what must have happened.
Without a word, I rushed over to the kitchen. My friends were right behind me, and Edge grabbed my arm in a loose hold.
"Don't," he warned. "Let me go first." He stepped ahead of me, pushed the door open, and we peered inside.
It was utter mayhem... Anderson was wrestling around on the floor with the caterer. They were in the midst of a fight, and there was food splattered on the gorgeous floor tiles. Lisa Marie was pressed up against the wall, her dress abandoned and thrown on the back of a chair as she stood in her bra, slip and gartered stockings. She wasn't covering herself up or anything, but she looked downright shocked.
"You son of a bitch!" Ken yelled. "How dare you do that with my girl!"
"Your girl?! She's not your girl!" Cade shouted back.
Lisa Marie finally looked our way, a mortified expression on her face. Again, she was in no way embarrassed
to be standing there in only her lingerie. I knew what was troubling her - the party had become a complete disaster.