Chasing Blue- The Final Saga (Book 4)

Chapter 23: Bittersweet

Just one more drink.

Reclining on my belly on the couch, I could feel the bubbly wine trickle down the back of my throat. My eyes widened. This certainly was not diluted properly. Oh well! My lips curled into a crafty smirk. It was rather humorous the more I thought about it but people watching was even more enthralling. I found it suddenly interesting to study Julia as her garment flowed with her movements across the room. Her steps were graceful as if she was dancing to the melodic notes of the lyre. She kept her eyes down, a mist of blue casted a shadow over her eyelids. She looked more womanly with the subtle touches of makeup to her usual girlish face. She was beautiful. A part of me did not care what she saw the time she barged into my room. She could not help herself but stare. But did she care? I was about to find out.

"Where are you going?" Clitus asked, stopping me in my tracks.

"To talk to Julia," I said wiping my ridiculous grin from my face before facing him.

"Oh," he replied, dropping his chin onto the feather-stuffed pillows on the couch.

"You are all right with me talking to her, right? We are just friends," I shrugged. Aimless notes filled the awkward silence.

He gave a shrug before returning to his drink. That was all the permission I needed. As I walked towards Julia, she carefully lowered the glass from her face to take in my form. Neither one knew what to say. I had hoped the alcohol would have prompted me to say something as we stared at each other. I broke the tenseness with a smile.

"Having a good time?" she asked while trying to keep a composed face.

"Yes. I cannot go very far before someone says 'congratulations'. But I am not complaining," I said cracking a smile.

"Good. Very good," she replied, bobbing her head back in forth.

"What about you?" I asked.

She sighed. "It is all right I suppose. I want to have some fun. But everyone is lounging around on the couches chattering away. I wish I could do something spontaneous, something to make the night more interesting...you know."

"Like when you barged into my room?" I teased.

"That is not what I had in mind," she laughed, turning pink.

"You know you saw everything. Admit it," I snickered.

"Julia." An authoritative male voice called from behind. Her father was nearly three feet behind her. She slowly turned around to see her father's stern expression as he beckoned her to leave at once. He glanced over in my direction as I awkwardly scratched my itchy crown. Julia looked back at me; her brown eyes spoke words she dare not utter. She wanted to stay but she turned around and linked arms with her father. Past the merry crowds she was whisked away from the warmth and euphoria of the celebration and into the cold dark streets where stray dogs howled and misfits roamed about.

"How did you enjoy the dinner party?" Claudius asked as he laid sprawled on the couches lined around the table. I was gathered at the morning meal with Claudius', his wife and his two sons. The older son Maxis even brought his wife over to dine with us.

"It was nice," I replied, in between bites of my cheese and leftover veal. I looked to my side to see Clitus munching away at his bread. There were still a few leftovers from the dinner party. Everyone was at the table...except Caetus.

Just then Caetus shuffled by the table. I caught his gaze at our half-eaten morning meal spread around the tables. I assumed that whatever we did not eat was for Caetus and the rest of the household slaves to consume.