Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94624 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Everyone had the best time. The alcohol was free, and there were four fully stocked bars, one in each corner of the massive ballroom. Hannah had invited her friends, Kola, Harper, and Jake, theirs. Aaron had invited his brother and his wife. I invited Carwood and Harlan, and Sam had invited his closest friends, but no one he worked with either in his office or people like the state’s attorney. He wouldn’t have been able to enjoy himself if he had to be serious. I was glad, because Sam Kage letting himself go was fun.
A few days before the party, I had gotten a call from Dr. Gavin Haas, the geologist that Hannah, Sam, and I had met in New Orleans the last time we were there. He was in Chicago and wanted to know if the three of us were free some night to have dinner. I invited him to the party, and he was thrilled to accept, bringing his same two graduate students with him, who were both working on their doctorates. Hannah was so excited to see Diego and Jenny again and introduced them to everyone. I made sure Gavin made lots of new friends, most importantly, Aja. Gavin needed grant money, and Aja was the person who made those recommendations to Aaron. After chatting for only a bit, she decided she would speak to her friend on his behalf.
Kola invited Finn, who showed up with a date, Brittany Heaton, who was very nice, and also a graduate student, not in geology like Diego, but in biology. It was close enough, apparently, that when they were introduced, they hit it off right away. What was interesting was how not upset Finn seemed about his date taking a seat next to Diego, staying put when he went to get them both drinks—I’d seen him ask, he was a gentleman after all—and finding them still chatting when he returned. Not long after, Brittany and Diego retired to the lounge that Hannah had made sure her guests had at their disposal as well. It was a smaller room, quieter, with only one bar and lots of love seats.
“That was smart,” I told her later.
“Uncle Aaron spared no expense.”
“Because he did it for you,” I reminded her.
“Yeah, but he’s having fun too.”
And he was, there was no doubt about that. “But really smart to have a place where people could go to talk.”
“Well, I wanted everyone to be comfortable, and if people made a connection, they needed a place for that to blossom. Can’t have meaningful interaction over loud music. And that’s supposed to be the best part of tonight, isn’t it? Discovering something brand new?”
It was. She wasn’t wrong.
Harper was thrilled when the friends from school he invited showed up, and one in particular, Warwick Bennett, who was getting his master’s in anthropology. Harper made sure to suggest they get a drink and go talk in the lounge. I noted that Wick, as I was supposed to call him, who looked like he played football or rugby and not at all like the stereotype of an academic, which was bad of me for thinking there was one in the first place. What was interesting was that Wick carried both their drinks, and when they sat down, scooched in very close to Harper, arm around the back of the couch, making it clear that the two of them were in a private little bubble and shouldn’t be disturbed. I found that very romantic, and from what Kola said, Wick was smart, funny, and most of all, genuine. Coming from my son, who never gave his opinion without vast amounts of collected data and facts, I found the review of Wick glowing. Plus, as Hannah chimed in, he was hot.
“Pardon me?” Jake was offended.
She gestured at the two men on the couch. “Oh come on, the man could be an underwear model or something.”
“I’m standing right here.”
“And you’re beautiful too,” she placated him, kissing his cheek.
Kola spit out his drink, which didn’t help matters in the least.
Many, many women and men tried to get Kola out on the dance floor, but that was not happening. When finally the Electric Slide was played, because his father went first, Kola joined him, because years ago, I’d taught him and he knew all the steps. Glancing around, I saw Finn watching Kola and smiling, and I found that quite sweet. To be happy while you watched a friend enjoy themselves and let go was nice.
Around ten, Dane walked up to me with his gorgeous wife on one arm, carrying her heels in his other hand.
“What’s happening?” I asked, squinting at both of them.
“I won’t make it to midnight,” my brother informed me, gesturing at his sons, both dancing with their dates. “Aja and I are leaving, I already said goodnight to my kids, we have a car service for both of them so…goodbye.”