The Twelve Dates Of Christmas

Chapter 2

"Have you tried the zaatar spiced beet dip with goat cheese and hazelnuts?" Kaye asked, handing her friend a plate.

"I haven't. But I'm willing to try anything at this point." Rosemary's stomach rumbled a thank you, and Kaye laughed, attracting looks from the men in the room.

Grace shoved an appetizer in her mouth and rolled her eyes.

Kaye has a frienemy. I have to remind her to watch her back, especially around Grace. I've seen women like her before; they want to be the center of what's going on. To get that attention, they do whatever they can to make you look bad.

Rosemary relieved Kaye of one of the two mugs of sparkling pomegranate punch she held in her hand.

"Try the ricotta, and roasted grape crostini, if you get the chance. And, there's smoked salmon crisp if you want something else." Kaye loved to cook, the fancier the dish, the better. She searched the crowded room for an unoccupied seat. Newcomers occupied every available seat.

"Those are just a few of the items on the menu. Don't overeat; dinner is not far behind." Roland stood, offering his seat to Kaye. He held her plate and drink, allowing her to situate herself.

"Thank you!" She flashed her pearly whites at him.

Bowing before them with a wink, he hurried on his way to see if the co-host needed help with dinner.

Kaye crossed her legs and placed her plate on her knee; the plate wobbled, and the drink threatened to spill. Laughing at her lack of balancing skills, she set her cup on the end table.

In between bites, Kaye quickly caught up on the conversation, laughing and chatting with everyone who entered the room. Rosemary skipped over the subject of Grace's jealousy. It would be fodder for their conversations later.

Kaye's bright smile and sparkling eyes lit up her face. Her outgoing personality made her the center of attention. The attention she received never bothered Rosemary; the swarm of men hovering around Kaye became the topic of their discussions after the party.

"Why was he flexing in the middle of our conversation?"
"He wants to hang out sometime. What does that mean? Why is he being so vague?"
"Can you believe he sent me the poop emoji? I wanted the heart-eyed one."
"He asked if I was PMSing because I disagreed with him."

Rosemary surveyed the room of joyous partygoers. She spied Grace sitting with her lips pressed tightly together, eavesdropping on Kaye's conversation.

A bearded man sat beside her, and during their chat, the dishonest woman twisted Kaye's anecdote into her own. Rosemary's eyes widened, and her back stiffened when she heard the deception. Grace visited Recycled Treasures and ran into an old classmate, just like Kaye had earlier that week. She'd gone horseback riding and ridden a horse that kept returning to the stables, ignoring her prompting to turn around, just like Kaye had experienced. It was possible but unlikely. The woman was retelling Kay's anecdotes, she claimed them as her own.

Rosemary shook her head. Grace's social media is probably full of other people's stories.

Kaye's laughter bounced around the room, and Rosemary couldn't help but laugh with her; the musical tinkering in her friend's voice tickled her ears. Poor Grace wasn't amused. She sat with a scow. The man she was speaking with left her side to join Kaye's circle.

Rosemary understood how the woman felt; she'd seen it several times, many women were the clouds when her friend, the sun, was around.

After the dinner announcement, a line of guests carrying dinner plates formed at the buffet. The food displayed on the kitchen counter left room on the table for plates.