The Party: The Complete Series

Chapter Five- Flirting with fire

~Anissa~

~~The Past~~

A couple of weeks have passed. I literally work and Study. I take my GED test this week. LeClere, Caroline, and Rhys have been huge in helping me. I was good with the math part. I struggle with the English side.

We're halfway through the day when Rhys tells me to come to his office.

He tells me what he wants to do. I'm instantly excited. I do what he says and go to Clere's office. I ask her a bunch of odd questions about school and work.

About an hour later, I get a text from Rhys that said to bring LeClere in. The office is all decorated. LeClere goes to take Angel from Rhys, and her shirt says, "Will you marry my Daddy?"

He hands me Angel and gets on his knee to propose. She says, yes.

Anissa: "Congrats, Mama."

LeClere: "Thank you. Is this why you were asking all those stupid questions?"

Anissa: "Yes."

LeClere: "How did your sister get here?"

Anissa: "I had no part in that."

Beth and Caroline come through the door.

We all chat for a bit. LeClere shows off her ring.

Rhys sends me home with Beth. The three of them had a meeting.

Anissa: "I have some work I need to finish when I get home."

Beth: "That's fine. You know that I have her."

Anissa: "I know. I've been trying to do as much as possible at home. Rhys is stressed. He won't say it, but I know he's exhausted."

Beth: "He is."

Anissa: "Between us, work, and his work with the mayor, I bet he gets a max of four hours of sleep."

Beth: "If that. Are y'all shorthanded?"

Anissa: "Yeah. We're down a body; he picks up the slack; I know what to do. I try to help out in situations like this. They obviously have these meetings because they are all trying to do it together."

Beth: "It's best for them all. I can't say what they did was wrong. They were all consenting adults."

Anissa: "Have you seen the men involved?"

Beth: "Right! Excluding Maverick, they are all hot as hell. Even Marcus."

Anissa: "I said the same thing. My thought was even the asshole is hot."

Beth: "He is an asshole, isn't he?"

Anissa: "Yes."

We make it home. I sat my laptop at the kitchen table and started working.

My phone beeps. I see Joshua's name. I haven't heard nor seen him in two weeks.

~Text conversation~

Joshua: "Are you in the office?"

Anissa: "No. Rhys sent me home early with Beth. I've been working from home."

Joshua: "Oh."

Anissa: "Why?"

Joshua: "I was hoping to get to see you."