The New Guy; My neighbour

Chapter 5- An evening at Katie's

The day went faster than usual, thought Katie. It was time, and she already had everything all set out for the evening party. Tricia recommended the event planner, one of the best around. They were expecting at least 20 guests in the house. Trevor had requested a maximum of 25 guests, though Katie was unsure it would be feasible considering the number of guests she had on her list. At first, he didn't buy the idea of inviting neighbors. He wanted to invite five of his close friends, but Katie convincingly changed his mind about it.

Trevor was ready and was having a good time with the mayor. Katie could hear them laughing while she walked past to change into her party dress. It was an all-white dress code for family members. All their house workers were available for the night shift, and she was happy with how Venita was sorting things out herself. Her mum could not make it, but Uncle Pat came with the mayor. The Chief keeper came to inform her that Ronald, the master of the ceremony, had arrived waiting in the hall. Katie dabbed the lipstick on her lips and made her way down the hall.

Ashley was all dressed up in a nice orange dress and had her gift properly wrapped and tucked in her left hand. She approached the well-lit building and looked in bewilderment. It surprised her she never noticed such a building existed in the neighbourhood; it could be because she barely passed the building at night. The aesthetics of the building were top-notch. She observed high-profile cars parked in the lot; her eyes caught the Tesla car. She wondered how people who owned Tesla would choose to live in their neighbourhood. They should be in billionaire rows, not here. Now she wondered if she should have bothered to bring a gift because it seemed nobody would need her peasant gift with so much wealth. She was so lost in thoughts that she didn't notice Tricia driving in.

"Ashley! It's this way," Tricia shouted and waved from the main entrance while hurrying her way into the house. Ashley smiled and waved back. She was becoming slightly nervous. It seemed she had never envisaged an invitation to such an elite birthday party. Now she worried about how well she was dressed; she wondered if it would have been better if she had asked Nita's opinion of her dress. She sighed silently as she fed her eyes on all the glittery furnishings in the house.

"Oh, Ashley! I'm glad you found time," came Katie's gentle voice. She reached out her hands to Ashley and gave her a cheek kiss in greeting. Ashley could hear the relaxing orchestra coming from the direction of the hall and could hear and see more feet coming into the house.

"You have such a lovely place, Katie," complimented Ashley. "And your dress is as stunning."

"Don't flatter me, Ashley. I have been complaining about the poor décor to my brother, though. But he is unconcerned. I didn't realize it was good enough," expressed Katie with all sincerity.

"I think it is the simple yet sophisticated look that interests me," Ashley opined.

"You must have an eye for art", Katie remarked. "Please make yourself as comfortable as you want. The party is about to kick off in the hall."

Ashley quickly handed the gift to Katie before they parted.

"You should not have stressed. The invitation was sudden. Anyway, this is very thoughtful of you. Trevor will be glad, though! Thank you."

"Not at all," Ashley said with a sheepish smile.

Tricia had been hanging around them for some time, not wanting to interrupt abruptly. She also desired to approach Ashley for a closer greeting since she suggested inviting her, but her preoccupied mind hindered her. She had to ensure to exchange a few words with Venita before the heat of the party.

"Venita, you have done such a great job," Tricia complimented, as Venita walked down the stairs. Ashley admired the fancy stairs. She firmly believed that Katie came from a wealthy family. The name Venita rang a bell in her mind when Tricia mentioned it. She then recalled she heard the name a few days back. She watched Venita walk down with graceful strides. Indeed, a tall beauty to behold.

"Aha, here comes the birthday boy," shouted Katie from a distance. All eyes rested on Trevor while he gracefully walked down the stairs. Trevor dressed in a white Calvin Klein suit. He oozed the classic description of a rich boy's son. As a stunning Caucasian man, he had an attractive aura, his macho body and icy blue eyes were admirable.

There were many guests already in the hallway, coupled up, trying to catch up with each other before proceeding to the hall. Classical hors d'oeuvres were already being passed around. Ashley couldn't get a clear picture of the celebrant from her point of view. She acknowledged Trevor had a breathtaking height and physique with a tinge of familiar features.

"What wonderful blonde hair you possess," Justin interrupted Ashley's thoughts with his compliment. Ashley turned slowly to meet Justin's excited eyes. She smiled hesitantly.

"You know, I have a thing for blonde hair! I couldn't hold my compliment. And you are not just a blonde, but a beautiful blonde," Justin said as he extended his hand to give her a hand kiss.

"May I?" Justin inquired, while he bowed in a gentlemanly manner.

"My pleasure," Ashley returned the gesture.

"I guess you are a neighbor. Permit me to say that I do not know of a blonde as fine as you are in Trevor's circle," Justin chuckled. He never failed to sprinkle his comic comments during a conversation. He looked at Ashley admirably, his gaze settling on her unblemished face. Ashley felt slightly uncomfortable but maintained a comfortable disposition.

"You are correct. I probably look different from the caliber of people at this party," Ashley's lips curved into a gentle smile as she responded.

"Contrarily, we are truly unworthy to have you in our midst."

Justin had a skill at flattering women he found attractive. As his eyes swayed the room momentarily, he sighted Trevor with Katie and hailed, "Birthday Boy! May I steal a moment?"

Trevor did not hesitate to join Justin. He was just seeing him again since he dropped him off in the morning.

"I have realized that I will come over more often to pluck beautiful flowers in your neighborhood. This is beyond my expectations," Justin said delightedly to Trevor, whose thoughts seemed to be busy recollecting where he had seen Justin's companion before. He seemed uninterested in what Justin was saying as he tried to pin down where.

"Have we met?" Trevor asked Ashley subtly.

"I don't think so," Ashley shrugged gently. "I honestly cannot recall".

"Yes, I remember," said Trevor sharply, "Oasis building a few days ago. The lady at the office?"

Ashley could feel her nervousness as Trevor's familiar features became clearer. Trevor was the guy who skipped double-checking an address. 

"Forgive me, but I do not have such a brief memory, especially recalling people with distinctive attributes," Trevor snickered.

"So, you have met?" Justin asked inquisitively. He was uncomfortable that Trevor was trying to steal the moment. He already had a thing for Ashley.

"I believe so. Ashley, right?"

"Yes, I remember now," Ashley admitted, "I was having a rough day. I barely looked at your face. Now, the blue eyes got me. That was all I captured from that moment."

The emcee had started the party rituals and was requesting guests to move into the hall. To Trevor's surprise, Katie had more than 25 guests attending in real already.

"We will catch up later, guys. I bet you have forgotten my name too," Trevor uttered.

Ashley was short on words. She had ideas dancing in her head, so she only nodded to Trevor. Trevor hurriedly ended the conversation and made his way to the hall.

Justin perceived Ashley's nervousness as a clear sign that something might be amiss. He inhaled deeply and couldn't keep up much of a conversation as Ashley excused herself to move to the hall like everyone else.

The evening went by quickly. The guests were having a good evening and the noise that built up was fading away as they left the hall little by little. Ashley had a wonderful evening and had already gotten tired. Two hilarious neighbors whom she had never had the chance to talk to before entertained her with humorous topics at the party. She did not get the opportunity to say goodbye to Katie because she was busy attending to guests. The night was getting colder, and she yearned for the warmth of her duvet. Her thoughts were consumed by what transpired between her and Trevor as she made her way home along the desolate streets of the neighbourhood.