Author's Note: It is a fictional tale and all the characters engaging in any sexual acts are over the age of 18 years.
Edited by: WAA01
This is a standalone story but is a companion to "Connor's Fingers" as it is a story from the viewpoint of Maggie. If you haven't read it, there isn't any problem because this is a standalone tale. And if you did read that one, then... thank you. (LOL)
To my editor, you've been a great help. Thanks.
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(Part 1)
The Party
It wasn't one of those noisy and over the top costume parties rather it was a relaxed and leisurely get together of professional-looking people. In no circumstances could it be described as stiff, nevertheless, it represented a somewhat sober image to be called a party. The food and drinks were impeccable and even the pickiest of picky people would find it hard to complain about it. The lights were comfortably bright, not too harsh for the eyes, and neither so dim that you would have difficulty to make out who you were having a conversation with at that moment. The art, too, greatly contributed to upholding the temperate mood. There, the upbeat music playing over the speakers did well to fill in the gaps of the drab conversations and drowned out the murmurs in the hall. All in all the host had done well to present a modest image and the guests' demeanor seemed to approve of it.
Conspicuously, a group stood out in that otherwise dull atmosphere. Different from the older gentlemen and ladies engaged in somber conversations, they gave off a vibrant impression. Every few moments, a chuckle or two would break out in the middle of them. It wasn't enough to disturb the guests inside the cozy hall, but they seemed to be having much fun among themselves. But on closer look, it was easy to realize it all centered around one person, one really special person.
It was a tall redhead, beautiful enough to be able to hold her own amongst the best of them. The black, low-cut dress showed off her cleavage, just enough to be teasing but not so much as to be slutty; the short hem gave a shy peek at her long, tanned, legs; combined, the dress accentuated her glamorous figure. Her sensuous lips, the deep green eyes, and the soft, arched, eyebrows on her heart-shaped face toed the line of perfection. With her height of 5'10" and an S-shaped body, the messy bun, hung low to the back of her head, was the final piece of her sublime form. She had a fascinatingly seductive smile but a confident, unwavering, gaze which was enough to deter any unwarranted familiarity.
Margaret Thorns, Maggie for friends, wasn't fazed by the tedious one-liners and the constant bragging, and one-upping the people around her had been engaged in. It had become an old tale for her. For a long time, she had been accustomed to the longing gazes, to the hungry stares, and to watching people's desperate attempts to win her favor, and knew just how to fend off the "accidental" brushes. As an extremely successful lawyer, it was a cinch for her to maintain a confident and tough exterior, no matter the circumstances. Though it did make her skin crawl sometimes, she was skilled in playing the field and to use her delicate charms to her advantage. By no means was it something dirty, but she wasn't some naïve schoolgirl with a head full of roses and unicorns. So she tried her absolute best, as she always did, to be cordial and pleasant, even if she wanted to get away from the usually amusing, but disgraceful farce.
But tonight was not about that. There was only a single reason she had dressed up to the tens. It was because the host of this little shindig was Laura Gaines, the rising star and the newest junior partner at their firm, and her new best friend. True to her nature tonight too, she had dressed up in a modest yet classy way. The black cocktail dress came down to just below her knees and the matching black heels complemented her 5'6" athletic figure quite well. Her lustrous, brown, hair flowed down to her waist and though she didn't have the curves to compete with Maggie, her 36-26-36 body quite suited her restrained yet refreshing personality.
Every few seconds Maggie glanced around for Laura, only to find her busy conversing with one of the more senior partners at the firm. But quite unlike her usual self, Laura had a beaming smile on her face and Maggie noticed that skip to her steps. Laura had called it a show of appreciation for her peers in celebration of her promotion but it was plain to see that it wasn't the only reason behind tonight's event, the fancy "welcome" streamer stuck at the center of the wall made sure of that.
"Maybe it's because of..."
Maggie wondered if the arrival of her brother had something to do with it. She had met Connor the last time he was in town.
Cute,
that's what she thought of him from the first impression but she didn't have much impression of him otherwise. But Maggie had noticed that Laura was quite sweet on her younger brother, Connor, evident by how she pulled the strings to get him the vacant position of "Head of the IT Department" even when he lacked experience at that level.
Maggie untangled herself from the pack of hyenas and strode towards Laura. She tapped her shoulder from behind and smirked as Laura turned around.
"There she is..." Laura smiled hauntingly at her.
Laura greeted her with enthusiasm and gave her a warm hug. Maggie wrapped her hands around Laura's back, careful not to let wine spill on the dress. She sighed heavily and spoke in a complaining voice, while her arm was resting on Laura's waist, "You left me with those shits!"
Laura found the pouting face of Maggie very cute but she felt bad for her friend whom she had neglected for the better part of the evening. So she apologized in an even tone, meaning every word of it, "Sorry, I have been a poor host... I just didn't realize that so many people would actually come..."
"It's fine... I understand," Maggie dismissed her worries with a wave. She then lowered her voice and asked in a conspiratorial tone, "That son of a bitch Thomas, he didn't give you any trouble, did he? Do you want me to take care of him?"
Laura stifled the laugh that had threatened to escape her lips as she refused the generous offer of help, "No, but thank you for looking out for me."
"Well, of course," Maggie smiled as she continued, "my friends are precious, especially you, Laura."
She added after a momentary pause, "... Miss Youngest partner at the firm!"
Laura scoffed at her, "At least I don't have my name on the door!"
"It's my dad's name..." Maggie spoke frustratingly and then both of them broke out in a chuckle.
Maggie took a sip of the white wine. She gestured towards the bedroom and asked coquettishly, "Don't you want to show me there?"
"You wish," Laura snorted. Then suddenly she had a mischievous look on her face as she spoke in a low, mysterious tone, "Maybe later...?"
"Huh?" It had left Maggie speechless even as Laura laughed it off as a joke for finally getting one over her. It was the first time Maggie had seen Laura in such a mood and she didn't know what to make out of it. On the one hand, she quite liked this full of spirit version, but on the other hand, she was scared.
Maggie tried to quickly change the topic before Laura could unnerve her anymore. "Nice party, by the way, must've taken a while..." her gaze was attracted to the various decorations Laura had put up.
Maggie had been to her place a few times, it was a nice house unlike her own grand mansion, and she was honestly impressed at Laura's skill to manage all the work singlehandedly. She had offered to help set up things but Laura had refused, saying that she had her brother to help out if she needed.
"Your work!?" Maggie pointed to the vibrant streamer with "welcome" written in the middle of it.
A blush came across Laura's face as she glanced in that direction. The pinkish hue on her fair skin was a thing of beauty, and Maggie couldn't help but gush in her mind about it. Maggie realized, that tonight, Laura was far more beautiful than she had ever known.
Laura seemed to be lost in thought before she pulled herself back and hummed her response, "Connor helped..." Maggie didn't understand the reason for Laura's weird reaction but before she could say anything to her about it, Laura asked her, "How was your date last night?"
All of a sudden, the air around Maggie changed as she sneered derisively, "What an asshole!" She gulped down the drink in her hand before Laura handed her another one. After she downed that too only then did she feel herself calm down a bit to make proper conversation, "It's the last time I agree to a date set up by my mom. I don't even think she realizes what kind of shitty men she introduces me to time and again. I swear all men are just horny pigs!"
"Sure, sure..." Laura nodded her head in agreement and then turned to gaze at her eyes, "Have you met Connor yet?"
