** Almost no sex in this one - just tying up some loose ends **
From Chapter 03a...
"Okay, with no other questions, we have a map to show how to get to the party site which is actually at my father's house. Because it is a private home, there may be parking problems if everyone drives individually. I have use of the vans until tomorrow morning or if people will rideshare it is only a five minute drive from here. My dad told me that he has beer, wine, and wine coolers, soft drinks and bottled water but if you want something stronger, you need to bring it yourself. No one will be allowed to drive themselves home drunk! Dad also has real food and snacks available, he says don't expect Filet Mignon or Maine Lobster, but it isn't rubber chicken or hot dogs either.
"I promised dad that everyone would go home by noon...
"Just kidding, Dad!
"Again, thank you all for your cooperation in my study."
*****
Chapter 03b
The Party and Afterwards
I wanted my daughter's close party to be safe, enjoyable and memorable for everyone. So I had several signs painted at the local vocational school. The first that everyone would see was actually a series. At the front walk was a sign pointing to the side entry to the back yard area. The second in the series said PARTY with an arrow mimicking the sweep of the sidewalk to the back. Then, on separate signs they said SHARE, COMMON COURTESY, AND FUN, WITH EVERYONE, HERE!! over an arrow pointing in through the gate in the privacy fence. I hired three off duty police officers as security and had some designated drivers, if needed.
I ordered 16 servings in each of two entrees from each of my favorite Italian, Chinese and Mexican restaurants, 16 six ounce sirloin steaks and 16 half racks of ribs to be grilled on a rented smoker/grill by my favorite steakhouse master griller, and assorted sides and vegetarian dishes along with various hors-d'oeuvres and canapés. Each restaurant had its own separate little kiosk and had sent an assistant cook/server to prepare the food as requested and I had a couple people serving as waiters to keep the finger food available. I had arranged with the local VFW hall to donate any leftover food to the picnic they were throwing for the local veterans tomorrow afternoon.
I had several bottles each of three different white and red wines and a couple of cases of five different beers, there were several different wine coolers as well as a variety of fruit juices and bottled waters and a wide selection of soft drinks, all served by two barmen who knew which of Sophie's helpers were too young for alcoholic beverages.
I had all the food and drinks set up in a lighted open-sided tent pavilion just off the edge of the patio next to the pool. I had a sign to request that no glass items be taken into the pool or hot tub areas. There was a seating area with tables set up in the tent also and on the side opposite the pool, I had a twenty foot by twenty foot temporary dance floor with a choose your own music touch screen system.
The pool house has two bathrooms and two other dressing areas which I had marked; one for men, the other for women. The basement recreation room also has a bathroom along with the pool table and several card or game tables and a couple arcade game consoles and it was open for use. I also decided to leave the first floor door from the porch open just in case for the fourth bathroom.
At the edge of the patio, where you would go back out to the parking area, I set up a signboard. It had two separate racks to hold colored balls. The bottom rack was a supply rack with ten white and ten red balls, putting a white ball in the top rack was to be used to indicate that someone needed a ride back to the meeting site; or a red ball to indicate a need for a ride all the way home if they had been drinking too much. If a ball was in the top rack, someone in a car or van would take them within thirty minutes or less.
I had driven my SUV so I had space to take five people with me. Several others also had space for five each and with the others who wanted to drive carrying two or three each, we only needed two of the vans to carry all of the rest, including all of Sophie's assistants. We actually made a caravan as we drove to my house with me in the lead to open the gate. The policemen helped space out the cars along the edge of the driveway so anyone could leave when they were ready without anyone else having to move their car. The gate opens automatically when a car wants to leave.
It was only when they pulled up at the garage doors that I realized that Barb and Lexie were among Sophie's assistants. They each had their SUV full of people also. I guess they didn't want to distract me during the study and I think they were right in that. We all sort of milled around until the people from the farthest parked car approached the group; then I waved everyone forward towards the side walk.
I showed everyone where the bathrooms, and the food and drinks were located. I told them to tell the servers what type of food they would want so it could be ready when they were hungry. And then I stepped back to enjoy the party also, mingling with everyone else as the evening went on. Most people stayed for several hours but a few left right after they had the real food and a drink. But the pool, the hot tub, the dance floor and even the arcade games saw some use. Barb, Lexie and Sophie were the last to leave and that was about 1:30 in the morning. We planned to get together in the afternoon and talk and have a family dinner.
I am glad to say that no one got drunk although a few did have someone else drive them home. A couple people had someone come to pick them up either at my home or at the meeting site when they were ready to leave. My designated drivers always stayed at the meeting site until each person there started away, no one was left alone.
***** *****
By noon, the tent was gone, the dance floor was removed, and the only sign that there had been a party at my house was the trampled grass. Even the pool service had been there to take care of cleaning the pool and hot tub. All four restaurants had donated the same amount of food that I had ordered, adding it to the leftovers from the party and delivering it to the VFW picnic. I sent the unused cases of beer and soft drinks along also.
My girls arrived at about 4:00 and we talked a bit about the party before we loaded up in my SUV and headed out to our favorite German restaurant for dinner. During the ride, Sophie again thanked us all for our help with the study. I re-iterated how surprised I was to see that Barb and Lexie were assistants in the study and Sophie explained that they had not been guides for any of my encounters nor had any other guides been family or friends of any of the participants they handled.
We did not continue the conversation once we arrived at the restaurant to insure that no one would overhear anything about the study. We talked about anything and everything else while we ate, especially the food at this meal and more about what happened during the party and the food there. Sophie said I really went above and beyond with what I had done for the party and was very pleased that everyone had such a good time. Shortly before we arrived back at my house, after looking over her shoulder to her sisters, Sophie said that we needed to have a family discussion when we got home.
