Authors Note: Thank you once again to everyone who leaves comments and feedback on my writing, it is much appreciated. Thank you very much to Aisielynn who continues to assist me with my grammar, she is absolutely fabulous I am sure you all agree. I aplogise that this chapter is late life has been a busy, busy time for me and my writing has had to take a back seat for a little while. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. ~ellie
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Bella looked around smiling. Jake and Rosie were laughing in the kitchen with her cousin Katrina. Her father was rearranging the small bar they had brought in for the evening and serving up wild concoctions he was creating with a Christmas theme. Joe was also regaling Rob and Stephen with stories of her youth, to which her childhood friend, Antonia, added her version of events. She could see Dorothea fussing over Dianne as if she was a fragile doll, much to Kurt's amusement and Dianne's horror. All around her, the people who had touched her life in some way in the last year blended with people she had known from her childhood.
It was quite crowded in her apartment, but she relaxed and embraced the warmth and love she felt from everyone in the room. Since Vince's death, her life had changed dramatically again, leaving her more confused than ever. She lived for the day where she knew exactly what was expected of her and what would happen next. It seemed that this was the first time in her life where she wasn't constantly worried she would disappoint someone. Stephen had not been happy with Arek's arrival in her life here in the city, she knew, but Charles comments had seemed to matter to him. In the end, he did little more than make a passing comment to have a good time when she went out with someone else.
The past three weeks had been a whirlwind of activity for Bella. It seemed the freedom she wanted had come in some way from the conversations with Charles that had occurred after that fateful night where the men she loved and trusted had discussed her future. She began attending social events on the arm of Rob, Stephen and even Arek for one event. She now had a publicist, and it appeared an entourage of sorts wherever she went. It was strange to have been elevated to the status of minor celebrity without ever doing anything noteworthy.
Her celebrity was wrapped up in the wealth and prestige of being a young and eligible woman who was, in the public's eyes, a corporate hotshot. Of course, the public she spoke of was limited to those who read the financial pages and journals. To most people, she was still the anonymous little mouse she had always been.
Here with the people she loved though she was just Bella, neither anonymous nor celebrity. These people all had expectations of her, but they also loved her despite her faults and mistakes. She had hoped that her new friends and old would meld well together tonight, and as Dimitri came to stand beside her, she felt like it was all working.
"Great little party, Cuz," he smiled enthusiastically. "I hear there is a rockin' club downstairs we can go to later once it's past the oldies bedtimes."
"Sorry, Dimi, it's a private club, we can't get in there without a member to sign us in," she shook her head. "Even the visitor cards you were given to work the lift won't go down past the ground floor."
"So we can't even sneak in there?" Dimitri seemed disappointed. "Man, the things I have heard about that place, I couldn't believe you moved into the same building."
"If it didn't have that small marquee out on the street, I never would have known it was there. I never see anyone coming or going but then I am home most nights at the times it's rockin' probably," Bella admitted. "I don't exactly have the party life going on here."
"Yeah I can see that, who are all these old fogies?" Dimitri looked around the room.
"They're not all old fogies," she put her hand out stopping Andrew as he walked past. "This is my partner in crime at work, Andrew." She paused briefly, "Andrew, this is my cousin Dimitri," Bella smiled. "He's not the sturdiest branch on the family tree but we love him anyway." She grinned up at them both. "Would you possibly be able to introduce Dimi to some of the... what was it you called them? Old fogies?" She laughed lightly. "I need to stop my father from telling any more humiliating stories about my childhood."
Bella headed to the bar to interrupt her father's story involving a monster who lived in the plug hole in the bath that scared her to death for most of her early childhood. Bella blushed as she said softly, "Dad, can't you talk about something else? I'm sure Sir Stephen is keen to know how your latest project is going."
"In that regard I am fully updated," Stephen chuckled, his eyes dancing merrily at her blush. "What was the name of this monster?" he asked her.
"The Blum," Bella whispered shaking her head as the small group roared with laughter. "Please Dad, enough for tonight," she smiled at him. "I would hate for mum to find out that the reason I didn't invite you again was because of this type of humiliation."
Joe raised an eyebrow at his daughter and her tone and she realised threatening her father like that was probably her first mistake of the night. Sensing the sudden tension, Rob cut into the conversation, "So Joe, do you ever go back to Italy for Christmas? I imagine it's beautiful over there in the winter."
"We haven't been back for a long time," he seemed to think about it. "Now that Bella has a good job and we can see she has good people to watch out for her, we might go back for a few months next year and visit all of the family. It's too hard to see everyone in a short trip, and it's been too long since we saw the village we grew up in."
"How romantic, it would be like a second honeymoon," Antonia enthused. Bella slid away from the conversation quietly while her father was distracted. She knew she would have to apologise to her father before they left in the morning, but she had made her point sufficiently she thought.
A small crowd hovered around the kitchen as Jake and Rosie dispensed with the remains of the dinner buffet. They then began putting out trays of desserts cut into small individual portions for people to sample as many as they wanted. There seemed to be a friendly rivalry existing tonight between the pair as they watched the platters slowly be divested of their goodies.
Bella slowly made her way around to all of the guests with the ebb and flow of the crowd and conversations. She was the perfect hostess making sure everyone had what they wished and engaged them with others who had similar interests.
It was about eleven when the first of the guests began to leave. Dianne, Kurt and Dorothea all thanked her for a wonderful evening and hugged her tightly before disappearing. Once the door had been opened though it never closed again and, when midnight rang through on the big clock in the living room, two-thirds of her guests had left.
The large group of younger guests, including Antonia, Dimitri and Andrew all headed out together to go clubbing. When she finally looked up from the big and noisy farewell, only those closest to her remained and seemed intent on helping to put her apartment back into the pristine condition it had been when they arrived.
Charles was the first of the Masters to leave, scooping Sera up into his arms after farewelling everyone and carrying her down in the lift. The Millar twins along with Tali and Nyx left shortly after amid a flurry of hugs and kisses as well as promises to catch up in the new year.
"I think this is my cue to exit as well," Josie stepped close to Bella and purred in a sultry voice. The woman looked stunning in a skin tight red dress that split all the way up one side. "Charles explained your concerns about the training and I won't tell you that I am not disappointed." She stroked a long red nail down Bella's throat and across the top of her strapless dress, "I do understand your feelings, however." She smiled lasciviously then let the same hand skim down over the front of Bella's dress. "I'd like to extend an open invitation to you though, anytime you are craving something just a bit different, you must come and see me. Perhaps you and Leon could come together. I know he will be as disappointed as I am."
"I think perhaps..." she swallowed loudly, her mind filled with images of submitting to this woman. "I would like that," she glanced over Josie's shoulder at where the last few of her guests and family stood. "The training regime is so time-consuming that I," she swallowed again. Josie licked her smiling lips slowly, making Bella falter for a moment before adding, "I would like the chance to see you even if only for a weekend."
"My darling girl," Josie purred softly, "That sounds delightful, especially as that means I can keep you to myself and not find another trainer as originally requested." She embraced Bella pulling her against her taller well-proportioned body and bending her head to lick and flick Bella's earlobe. "I will certainly look forward to hearing from you." Bella shivered in her arms, feeling unbelievably hot. She'd been attracted to other women from a distance, but she had never felt as hot or as curious to explore lesbian sex than she was right at that moment.
Josie smiled feeling Bella's appreciative shiver and murmured, "Good girl," before brushing her lips lightly over hers. "Gian, come say goodbye to Bella and thank her for inviting you," Josie commanded.
"Thank you for inviting me, Bella," Gian said, enthusiastically embracing her and pressing her body up against Bella's, holding the embrace for an overly long time. "I am looking forward to seeing you as much as Mistress is. Make sure you do call," she smiled and let go, returning to Josie's side.
Gian was sweet and nice, but as Bella walked them to the door, she knew instinctively that Gian held little appeal for her. In contrast, Mistress Josie made her want to kneel before her and beg her to take her home right then and there. She sighed heavily as she closed the door turning back to the room to find Stephen watching her closely. She felt her face flush immediately, despite her best efforts to contain it, and moved into the room to cover the awkward moment.
"Bella," the quiet voice of Jack sounded beside her.
"Master Jack," Bella said, quietly looking up at him with a smile. "I hope you enjoyed tonight. It means a lot that you and Dusty came."
"Circumstances appear to have changed as much as your surroundings. I see that girl that Mel loved so dearly emerging from her shell again," he placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to a couch as he spoke. "I am pleased to see you so happy and enjoying life again."
"Thank you, I am happy, Master Jack," she said with conviction.
"That's all we ever wanted for you," he looked at her with an intensity. "I was not sure coming back here, to Rob and Kurt, was for the best, but I am a big enough man to admit that it has worked for the best. I underestimated their influence and intentions."
Bella said nothing sitting quietly and remembering the friction between Jack and Rob when she first returned from her self-imposed exile at the beach house. It influenced how she felt about Jack now, despite his close friendship with Mel and his constant visits and consideration of her while she was at the beach house.
