Mastering Wren

Ch.30 Arianna

Arianna

Inside, I expect a rowdy, robust family to be occupying the living area and a potential undercover BBQ outside to avoid the rain. What I encounter is completely different.

I momentarily forget Theo is here when I walk through the dark, unlit corridors of his silently beautiful mansion, only to walk into the most amazing room, lit with decoration such as flowers, guest tables, love couches, expensive paintings and a fireplace... and massive white panel windows.

It looked like a mini ballroom and all the family were engrossed in conversation and laughter. A huge table at one end is being piled up with more and more trays of food, chips and the usual Greek cuisine.

I stay close to Theo while he finds the birthday girl, Bryony, and he gives her a big hug and his best wishes. She is shy and doesn't say much, and we're quickly intercepted by more aunties, uncles and cousins. Many do not bother to ask about me, and when they do, Theo says I'm his executive assistant.

Not sure if it was all together true... but I liked the title. It sounded fancy.

"You must tell me," one young girl comes running up to Theo, looking about thirteen, she stands with hands on hips, glaring at him after interrupting a conversation he was having with his aunty Dawn, "Where is Cynthia?"

"Mmm, yes, is she... departed?" Dawn chooses funny words to describe a break up and Theo blushes, nodding. There is a hush in the room, a slight lull but it is noticeable... and it is uncomfortable.

Especially when all Theo does is shrug.

"She was so welcome, oh well... her loss," Dawn winks and laughs while the thirteen year old girl gasps.

"No! She said she'd make me a model," the girl complains and Theo ruffles up her hair.

"She promised lots of things, little doll, you can be a model without her –" Theo is supportive and encouraging none the less, while I stand awkwardly and pretend to smile like this conversation was easy to manage.

The aunty opens her mouth to address me, however, but is cut off when Chloe storms off crying.

"She's always been emotional that one," Dawn sighs, "Chloe wants fame, her dream is to be featured in a magazine... she's only thirteen years old, little girl has big dreams so young..."

"Don't we all?" I speak, empathetically and I'm suddenly cornered by Theo's curious gaze as well as his aunty's.

"What was your dream?" Theo asks me.

"Mmmm, tell us what childhood dreams you had," Dawn is curious. However, with all the unexpected attention I am now suddenly nervous and my mind goes blank.

"I... I... well," I take a moment to pretend to ponder my thoughts, my eyes rolling to the ceiling and the chandelier. It is then the answer comes to me, "To find prince charming of course, I wanted to be a princess... but only for a year or two and then I found video games and became more of a tom boy," I shrug my shoulders, rattling off from the topic.

"Prince charming?" Theo picks apart what I've said by focusing on the one most embarrassing part.

It had sounded so good in my head. But it was so lame when the words came puking out my mouth like an idiot.

"Hmmm," Dawn's only reaction is one of indifference.

I'm hoping for a way out of this situation when I suddenly hear a shrill voice call out to Theo.

"Theo!" it is Theo's mother and she is right behind us.

I turn with my boss, close to his side, ready to be polite to his older and more traditional parents.