A Beauteous Flower

Chapter 29 - The Party

It had been a fun week of girlishness and familiar fellowship. In short order the lake house rang with laughter and gossip like a sorority house and it all served to reinforce Madison's position as a boss bitch.  They enjoyed each other's company, the wine held out and tasty delivery food kept everyone full and happy. Madison insisted that she pay for everything because Daniel's credit was more than up to the task, and she settled easily into the role of pretty hostess in her pretty house and showed her friends a grand time. The Fall weather cooperated, and temperatures stayed nice and warm, but not muggy. It was perfect for afternoons of sunbathing and TikTok dances and selfies. The only mild disappointment of an otherwise great week was all the pregnancy tests she took were negative, but her girlfriends consoled her with the knowledge that when Daniel came home she could try again.  Meanwhile Saturday was their final day together before Daniel came home on Sunday, and they had planned a final day by the pool and a night of pizza before Madison's friends left. Everyone was up and bikini clad for a 9 AM breakfast of bagels and giggles.

By 10:00 AM Madison and her friends were all laid out in the lounge chairs by the pool for suntans and girl talk. They had only been in place for a few minutes when the first car rolled up. It parked next to Deva's SUV and six people, five men and a woman, clad in beach attired got out, but Madison did not recognize any of them.

"Who are these people?" Madison asked warily.

"Oh, just a few friends I asked to come over," Moira piped. "You don't mind, do you? It will give you a chance to show off your home a bit, anyway. It's a great house and this patio and pool just begs for a small party."

Madison was dubious. She didn't know these people and she wasn't sure how Daniel would feel about a party at their home. But then again it wasn't exactly a party, was it? Eleven people wasn't a party. At least not the kind of party Madison worried about. She relaxed a bit.

"Cool."

"Hey, you pack of hobos!" Moira shouted at the new arrivals. "Did you bring the alcohol?"

One of the men gestured toward the trunk of the car.

"Vodka. And beer."

"Great! Make some punch with the Vodka, OK? We don't like beer."

Before long Madison and her friends all held a solo cup full of Vodka punch. Madison took her first sips as Moira introduced the new arrivals. The punch was on the strong side, so Madison took her time with it. Meanwhile, someone found the speakers by the bar and random house music began to thump across the pool. Kelly and Cassidy immediately began to dance, and others rapidly joined in. It was right then that Madison noticed that either her math was off, or there were more than eleven people around the pool. A quick look at the driveway confirmed that there were three more strange vehicles there. Madison looked at her friends with a query in her eyes.

"Just a few more," Moira shrugged.

This gave Madison pause. She had run this game on many an unsuspecting host and personally turned some small gatherings into house parties so big that they ended in police raids. Nothing got a party started like pretty people and pools and alcohol on a sun kissed Saturday. More to the point, Daniel probably wouldn't be comfortable with this many people in their home. Madison bit her lip and considered if she should nip this in the bud, but then she didn't. This was her home too, so if she wanted to throw a party then that was OK. Daniel just wanted her to be happy. Right? And she didn't really want to be that girl, the one that threw a wet blanket on the expected good time. These people were harmless and, well, a pool party had always been one of her favorite pass times. Besides she was the pretty, gracious and stylish hostess, and she liked the idea of people being wowed by her pretty, gracious and stylish home. She could handle it. She was a boss bitch after all. Satisfied with her justification, Madison reclined into her lounge chair and took another sip of her drink.