Leah's eyes lit up wide as the Luber driver dropped her off at the Davenport Estate. In all her life, she had never seen such an opulent display of money and power. From the first day Leah had met her roommate Charlotte, she was aware that the girl came from immense wealth. The Davenports were one of the richest families on the entire East Coast. Charlotte's attendance at the elite private university that both girls attended, was all over the news as everyone tried to pry into her life. The paparazzi could not get enough of her.
To say that Leah was heartbroken the day she found out the two of them were going to be roommates would be an understatement. All her life, Leah had worked hard and pushed herself to be the best. Countless hours of study and dozens of extracurricular activities had resulted in a full academic scholarship. It had all paid off, but with the circus that was sure to follow Charlotte, Leah was deeply concerned that everything would go off the rails.
Much to her surprise, the hubbub around Charlotte quickly dropped off and both girls settled into college life. The rich heiress turned out to be every bit Leah's academic equal. Her focus was driven by a desire to prove that nothing had been given to her. She earned a degree in Biology and Business, and was determined to prove herself in the world of Genetics. Leah meanwhile excelled in her passion, pre-law with a focus on environmental matters. Over the years, both girls became fast friends as they pursued advanced degrees in Law and Genetics.
Those early days seemed so long ago as Leah exited the car still taking in the stately manor. The Davenport estate sat on just over 1,000 acres of pristine gardens just 15 miles outside of one of the world's financial hubs. An immaculate brick walkway led from where the car dropped her off up to the house. It was lined with perfectly manicured shrubbery. Leah had heard the estate was breathtaking, but it looked like a home fit for royalty.
Despite their friendship that had spanned more than 10 years, Leah was still a bit taken aback when Charlotte asked her to be a bridesmaid. In all the years they had been friends, she had never met the Davenports. It was simply beneath them to associate with a commoner like Leah, even if she had graduated with high honors and worked at a prestigious law firm. At best, Leah could only hope to be "new money" and those fortunate enough to become "new money" were still typically too crass to be included in such elite social circles. Thankfully, Charlotte was not her parents. She displayed remarkably progressive views on all manner of social issues such as a living wage, the repeal of the national slave act and clemency for those with excessive life debts. Charlotte's considerable social standing brought attention and resources to numerous causes. In public, the Davenports were indifferent to their daughter's work but in private the activity was viewed as a temporary phase that would pass with age and maturity.
Although excited about today's bridal shower, Leah was terrified to meet Vivian Davenport. For months she had been nervously thinking about what to wear for this event. Lady Davenport had very specific tastes and expectations for what she expected from her guests. If Leah dressed too casually she would surely be looked down upon as low class, but if she was too elegant in her appearance and overshadowed the future bride or mother, this too would also be frowned upon. At one point, Leah had considered wearing one of her work suits, but this simply did not seem appropriate for a bridal shower. The anguish around this decision had kept her up several nights as she did not want to disappoint her friend's mother and ruin her day. Eventually she settled on a simple black dress with short sleeves and a crew neck that provided ample modesty. It hit just above her knee and had a cute yet elegant tie in the back by her neck. She paired the dress with a pair of simple 2 inch black pumps with rounded toes and nude pantyhose. Finally to finish the look she accessorized the outfit with simple white pearl stud earrings and a white gold bracelet. After getting dressed in the morning, Leah had her makeup professionally done in a very muted manner and finished the look with a light pink polish for her hands and feet. Hopefully this would be the look that balanced everything.
As Leah approached the house she was stopped by a man in sunglasses who appeared to be security. Towering over her even in her heels in his black suit and tie, the man looked like he would be quite comfortable on a football field. "I am here for the Davenport bridal shower."
He stared at her for what felt like minutes but in reality was probably only a few seconds before speaking. "You're a little late."
"Late," Leah thought to herself. She was certain her invitation mentioned the event started at 3:00 and it was only 2:45. The thought quickly passed as the security guard motioned for her to follow the left fork in the path. The brickwork split with the right walkway leading to the front of the house and the left heading along the side. The various flowers along the path were replaced with a beautiful hedge row that rose up just above her head as she walked. Like everything else at the estate it was perfectly manicured. It seemed that even the insects that occasionally buzzed around realized that they were part of the elegant estate. Still completely enthralled, she did not notice the activity up ahead nor the scorn of the woman approaching her.
The woman's words quickly got her attention, "What are you doing just lazing around here." While the words may have startled Leah, it was the tight grip of her wrist and the feeling of being dragged into the home that really brought her back from her daydream. The jerk was so powerful that Leah lost her balance and turned her ankle as she was pulled into the house. Before she could acknowledge the pain of what had just happened the pudgy middle aged attacker was roughly placing a tray in her hands. "Get your ass out there," she growled. "If I catch you lounging around again you will regret it."
Before she even realized what had happened Leah found herself thrust into a very large ballroom holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Wanting to get farther away from her attacker she moved deeper into the crowd with the occasional guest stopping her to take one. This pause gave her a second to take in her surroundings. There were upwards of 200 guests mingling in the crowd surrounded by dozens of servers dressed quite similarly to her. If one looked closely they could see the difference, but it was not apparent from just a casual glance. Her dress closely resembled the uniform that all of the women wore. A grin appeared on her face as she realized what had happened.
Amusing as all of this appeared to Leah, she did not want to cause a scene or do anything to draw the ire of Lady Davenport. As she continued to serve guests, her mind began to formulate a strategy to casually stop what she was doing and integrate back into the crowd. A plan began quickly formulating in her mind. It was actually quite simple. Continue to serve guests until the tray is empty while working toward the side of the room farthest from the kitchen. Once the tray was empty she could put it down and begin looking for Charlotte.
Gliding almost effortlessly through the room took Leah back to her days working as a server while in High School. She even occasionally made small talk with guests who asked her preference on the immaculate display that had been placed on her tray. With relative ease she found herself at the end of the room. Seeing a small table against the wall she placed the tray down, brushed herself off and composed herself before turning to head back into the party. This would certainly make a funny story when she finally caught up with Charlotte.
Again a hand stopped her from entering the crowd. "Girl, I think you forgot your tray."
Leah half expected to see her nemesis from the kitchen, but instead turned to see a woman who was likely similar to her in age. Dressed in a maroon skirt suit, she noticed that the woman was wearing a gold name tag with the name Annie written in a simple font. It quickly dawned on Leah that the woman must work for the catering company.
"Look Annie, I was just trying..."
Leah was interrupted by the indignant woman before she could finish her thought, "How dare you, Girl. I have seen laziness, even some level of disrespect but I have never had a Girl show such a level of insubordination." Her grip tightened around Leah's wrist as her sharp nails dug deeply into her flesh. "Do you have any sense for whose home you are in? This is the biggest event our company has supported in its history and you choose now to act out. Now you're coming with me."
Without giving Leah a chance to respond the conservatively dressed manager turned and dragged her along the side of the room. Not wanting to make a scene, Leah followed along although she tried without success to talk to the woman. Annie would have none of it.
While it was clear to Leah that she was being drug across the room, it did not appear that way to any of the other guests. Leah was growing more and more uncomfortable with the situation. Although she did realize that this time, she may actually get a moment to talk some reason into the staff. However, that was not meant to be. Before they had made it halfway back, they were stopped by an older woman. Annie looked nervous. "Ms. Kensington, what can I do for you?"
