Morning all and Happy Monday. Let’s jump into the morning prompt and see what surfaces at the end. Timers set for fifteen minutes and off we go…
This sort of feels like the beginning of a murder mystery…Admittedly I would introduce more of the characters as she is in the party, but still, murder mystery esque
Monday, April 20th: She hadn’t changed at all.
She hadn’t changed at all. I watched her swan into the room and pauses as though waiting for the paparazzi to snap their photos and for the crowd to bask in her presence. While thee were no flashbulbs and no real gasping at her magnificence, after she had her moment of dramatic entry, there were those who rushed forward to welcome her back and to pepper her with questions as to all the fabulous things she had been up to since their last meeting. She favored the audience with an indulgent smile and allowed herself to be lead off to the drinks table.
‘Some things don’t change,’ I thought. Somehow I hadn’t really expected that would. Jenna was the hot rich girl when we were all in school. All the boys vied for her attention. All the girls wanted to emulate her. At least within her social circle. I had been in a different social circle but the school hadn’t been that large so the different circles ended up forming vin diagrams more often than anyone would care for.
It had been one of the benefits of leaving. I spun out of my social circle and kept spinning my daily life spiraling out of their orbit for good.
‘At least so I thought.’
I hadn’t realized Jenna, let aloe the others would be here. I was here as a company representative. And truthfully if my flight hadn’t been delayed, I would not have attended the party at all. When the Sandersons heard about the flight delay, they insisted I attend the party instead of locking myself away in the dreary hotel room.
While the hotel was anything but dreary I didn’t want to insult them after our negotiations went so well so I agreed. I regretted it almost instantly and now with Jenna’s arrival I was looking for ways to cut my involvement short.
‘Look on the plus side,’ I thought. ‘Its unlikely she will remember you.’ Jenna was a very self absorbed person when I knew her and as I worked my way around the room engaging in polite small talk, I kept an eye on her. Nothing seemed to change. All the talk around her was about her.
My orbit took me near her but not close enough to interact. At one point in the evening I caught her narrowing her eyes in my direction as though some spark of recognition started to form in the back of her mind. It seemed to be quickly banished though as she looked away and launched into the details of her last vacation.
I finally found a way to politely excuse myself and eased myself out of the door in a way that didn’t offend my hosts. It was with great relief that I made it back to my hotel. I made my way up to my room, checked to see that my flight was still on for the morning and then drew myself a bath in the large sculptural looking tub.
By the time the water cooled, I felt boneless and relaxed. I slipped on my pajamas and left the bathroom, just a the knock sounded on my door. The raps were hard and sharp against the wood of the door.
Ten til Midnight 