Heart of Stone

The Party

Eloise found herself sitting at a different table now with Alexander, Violet, and the other guests. The scene had shifted from tension to celebration, with the chatter of many different conversations and laughter. The long granite slab was gracefully decorated in black and reds, exotic food having been served on black porcelain plates. As the centerpiece, Juliana's cake stood elegantly. It was a white three-tiered cake, decorated with red roses and tulips accentuated by black pearls and flecked with edible gold dust. Eloise's best friend had truly outdone herself, and Alexander was definitely happy with it.

Eloise let out a contented sigh, still recovering from her earlier encounter with Julian. She had chatted with numerous people who had complimented the cake, and the floral arrangement that originally stood in its place and had since been moved to a private table where Alexander told her they'd sit after dinner. As she had mingled with Alexander's associates and friends, she'd found most of them rather agreeable, and she began to realize he only kept a certain caliber of person around, and none of them were like Julian Styles.

Sometime after their meal, Richard had come up to her, and he gave her a polite smile.

"LouLou, it's so nice to see you here. I just wanted to congratulate you on participating in the knife game with Sebastian. You preformed rather well." He said.

Eloise felt her face heat up slightly, feeling mildly embarrassed that she'd done that in front of a crowd.

"Well, thank you. I've never played before, but I've watched my grandfather do it plenty of times." She said.

Richard smiled again, his eyes meeting Alexander's scrutinizing gaze.

"Alexander's lucky to have you." He said.

She glanced at Alexander beside her, red lips smiling at him.

"And I'm lucky to have him." She said.

Conversation began to flow, the ordeal with Julian getting swept away with the current. She found herself relaxing more, becoming comfortable around Alexander's friends and co-workers.

Eventually, Violet and Eloise found themselves talking amongst each other, as they so often did.

"Can we talk about how bad ass you were? I really don't think we'll be seeing Julian again any time soon." She said to Eloise.

Eloise sighed, taking a sip of the tea she'd ordered.

"I really hope not. That guy gives me the creeps." She said.

A couple of people within earshot chimed into the conversation with their own experiences with Julian Styles. Eloise was surprised, never having realized how many people he'd slighted.

"I don't mean to pry, but may I ask you a question?" Someone chimed in; the man in the black suit who she'd learned was named Robert.

"Oh, sure." Eloise said politely.

"Why does Julian Styles want you so badly?" He asked.

"Jealousy. He's just upset that Alexander got to me first." She explained.

Robert frowned slightly, his eyebrows pulling downward.

"Julian Styles is a dangerous man if you don't know how to play on his level. But you seem to be a smart woman." He complimented.

She smiled slightly, nodding her head.

"Thanks. I hope to never see him again." She said.

A short time later, dessert was finally served. Eloise smiled as the guests complimented Juliana's cake, and she felt a sense of pride as she listened to Alexander tell them where it came from.