Poisoned Rose

Chapter 8:Like most juicy stories, it started at a party

Chapter 8:

It wasn't until I received a strange call the next Friday from Sea that I saw Derek again.

I had been cooking an old family recipe that had been passed through my father's family. He had been an excellent chef in the house during my younger years; it had been his great passion and dream. However, he had inherited the family business built on an empire of hotels and Casinos and his responsibilities towards it had cost him his dream. My mother on the other hand had no clue how to operate a kitchen unless it was throwing a salad together or burning water. The household duties had then befallen down to Katrina Zoos who was my 24-hour nanny and the house manager.

When I popped the tray into the oven and set the timer on for fifteen minutes, I sat down on a comfortable red velvet couch I purchase recently, reading Vogue. My home was starting to feel complete. Every day I made a new instalment into its intricate modern design to fit my needs and fashionable taste.

It was a starry night and the waves that crashed against the hard wall of the cliff on which my house was built upon. Everything was calm. My phone started buzzing against the hard surface of the Italian coffee table. I reached out to answer it on the third ring, placing the Vogue magazine I was reading in the spot where I had picked up my phone. Flicking the screen with my thumb, I said my name and Sea's voice boomed on the other side.

"Where are you?" he asked not concerned but slightly curious and filled with wonder.

"I'm at home, where else would I be, Sea?" I asked with a giggle.

"Well, what are you doing at home?" He asked again and I could hear snickers and faint music in the background. "That sounds so boring."

"Well I was just about to get my lasagne out of the oven. Other than that not much."

"Good, I'm sending Chet over to come and fetch you."

"What? No! Why? Who's that?" I asked suddenly confused and puzzled.

"It's the Crater's Party. How can you miss it? It's the biggest sin you can commit in this town by not coming. You're coming and that's the end of that unless you an elder who is too old and wrinkly to get off their butt."

"It's the middle of the night, Sea. I'm in my PJ's for goodness-sake. I can't come out to party. I wasn't even invited."

"Ha-ha, you don't need an invite" he laughed. "And, it's too late, Chet's already on his way and he doesn't give a fucck about your pathetic excuse. And, if you think I'm a hard nut to crack you need to meet Chet Lennox."

"Oh my gosh, Sea. I can't believe you doing this to me!" I complained, turning my head to the knock on the door. I quickly turned to go an answer it, opening the door to find a burly guy standing on my door step. He was the one who had helped Derek out of my room the other day. The boy with the black curls framed around his face. "Something's burning," he said in a low voice to me while sniffing the air with a furrowed brow. His nose crinkled at the awful burning smell.

"Oh shit," I swore and Sea burst out into a howling laughter on the other side of the phone.

"I guess I'll see you soon." With a beep, the line died and Sea's voice could no longer be heard. I ran to the oven, tugging on the lime green oven gloves to remove the burnt lasagne from the heated box.

"There's no point in eating that," said Chet peering over my shoulder, his tone serious and un-amused unlike Sea. His hand waved in front of his nose trying to wave off the smell. I pouted sadly at the burnt dish before me. The sides were black and the smell was thick.

I pulled my hands out of the oven gloves and placed it next to the burnt dish.

"I'll go get dressed. Give me a minute, will you please?" I said with a sigh.