Kritter
The one and only...
Besides the high level donors whose invitation came with their pledges, Mallorie had invited people from a World War II veterans' organization and the monument's designer, in addition to Mr. Gant and the shipyard's owner. She'd hoped to make a fast speech of appreciation and show pictures of the monument's installation, but she felt obligated to welcome and chat with each person who entered the hall. But time was ticking away. She glanced at her mother, who stood in a corner swaying to the music, her purse still slung over her shoulder, and then at Jada, who sat alone, staring at her iPhone.
"Armando, where are you?" she growled under her breath, strolling back into the lobby and peeking out the front door. "I can't do this alone." She could hear the crowd inside growing more lively as the band started up In The Mood, and she could smell the sweet scent of lamb kebabs and orange chicken being readied for the buffet. Suddenly, a white stretch limousine pulled up in the Royal's circular driveway. "Oh god, oh no," she gasped, running towards the room and then circling back like a squirrel on a highway, not sure which way to turn. For a second, she thought to get Jada to run interference, but then she paused, squinting at the tall figure that emerged from the vehicle's back door.
"Armando!" she gasped in relief, racing out to him.
"Hi, sorry," he said, handing the driver a twenty dollar tip. "I couldn't get a cab to save my life and I didn't want to take the bus in a tux. How did you guys get here?"
"Jada's father loaned my mom his car," she said, pleasantly aware of the press of his hand against her back as he accompanied her inside.
"How's it going so far?" He rose his voice slightly to be heard over the music as he stopped at the ballroom's threshold.
"The guests are having fun, but Jada is bored and my mom looks like a wallflower."
Armando smiled, rubbing his hands together as his eyes danced over the bustling crowd. "I'll say hi to them in a minute, but...contacts first," he said, making his way towards the richest donors in the room.
Mallorie took a moment to survey the party, and then relaxed, feeling things were finally in order. She quietly sidled up beside her mother. "The buffet is out. Want something to eat?"
"Oh." Her mother smiled, surprised to see her, having been mesmerized by the band. "I already had a plate."
"You don't wanna mingle?" Mallorie questioned.
"I don't really know anyone here, but I'm fine, I know you're busy," her mother said, waving her off, sounding like she didn't want to be a bother. "You do whatever you need to do."
"Mallorie," Armando called her over.
"Sorry, Mom. One minute," she said, excusing herself to join him.
"This is Mr. Anderson," he said, gesturing to one of the donors. "He might be interested in having us do a T-shirt line to help promote solar energy."
"I'd love to do that," Mallorie smiled, and then frowned towards the man. "But, we'll have to get back to you on it...since my business partner is thinking of leaving the state."
"Your business partner," Armando said tensely, turning to her, "Is more than capable of running a virtual business from anyplace in the world."
"But the client...is here."
"And so...are you. I think we've got it covered."
Mallorie sighed, turning away in frustration, not sure she could handle more business by herself. She glanced at Jada, who was sitting alone at their table, watching people dance with her chin resting on her hands, and then she swung her head in the other direction as the guests broke into a murmur.
"Oh, god...it's Brooke," she gasped, grabbing Armando's arm. "She's a half hour early. Do something, please. You've gotta keep her full attention until I can get my mom out the door. And don't let her roam," she added, shoving him towards the young blonde.
"Hey," Valeria greeted her again as Mallorie popped up behind her. She tilted her head around her daughter, catching only a glimpse of a shadowy figure who had entered with a small child. "What's all the commotion over there?"
"Mom, come with me. I want you to meet someone," Mallorie said, grabbing her by the arm and scanning the room for a target. Then she dragged her hapless mother towards the bar. "Mom, this is Mr. Gant. Mr. Gant...my Mom."
"How do you do," he said politely. "You should be very proud of your daughter."
"Oh, I am," Valeria said, looking highly confused.
"Mom, Mr. Gant is the resident historian and supply manager at the shipyard.
"How nice," her mother said with disinterest, her head craning towards where she saw the small child.
"Mr. Gant," Mallorie said with desperation, "Did you watch The Walking Dead last night?"
"Uh, yes. Yes, I did." He nodded.
"What a coincidence," Mallorie said, shoving her mother closer. "So did my Mother."
"That's my favorite show," Valeria said, blushing.
"Mine too," Mr. Gant smiled. He started talking about how much he liked the latest episode and how he hated last season, and her mother chimed in with her own opinions, much in tune with his own. Their mutual dislike of one character in particular started them both laughing.
"Can I...buy you a drink?" he offered suddenly, nodding towards the bar.
"Oh," Valeria sounded surprised. "Well...sure."
Mallorie turned and bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder. Armando had introduced himself to Brooke and was engaging her in an animated discussion. Little Clara stared up at the ceiling, taking in the lights. And Jada had lifted her head and was watching Brooke with interest, having never actually seen her before. In one ear, she could hear Mr. Gant dissecting the show's current story line, and in the other, she could hear the band playing Moonlight Serenade, but her attention was almost completely focused on Armando. He had a genuine smile on his beautiful face as he bent to speak to Clara, and then he led her and Brooke to a dark corner table. Mallorie chewed on her lip. Brooke sat down and was leaning in closer, trying to hear what he was saying over the crowd's considerable noise.
"Would you like to dance?" Mr. Gant said behind her, followed by her mother's girlish giggle.
"I haven't danced in ages," Valeria responded, taking him up on his offer.
Several couples had taken to the floor at the sound of the popular song. The music was sweet and soothing. Mallorie leaned against the bar, watching Mr. Gant put his arm around her mother's waist, gliding her across the floor in a charming, slow dance, and for the first time she realized they actually made a cute pair. She hadn't given the man much consideration before than, since she only knew him from the shipyard, but he had an unassuming manner that she liked.
With her mother's attention elsewhere, Mallorie inched closer to Jada, finally taking a seat at her table.
"What are they saying?" she whispered to her friend, her eyes locked on Brooke and Armando.
"I have no idea," Jada said. "But it looks like your sister sure likes him."
"Armando, where are you?" she growled under her breath, strolling back into the lobby and peeking out the front door. "I can't do this alone." She could hear the crowd inside growing more lively as the band started up In The Mood, and she could smell the sweet scent of lamb kebabs and orange chicken being readied for the buffet. Suddenly, a white stretch limousine pulled up in the Royal's circular driveway. "Oh god, oh no," she gasped, running towards the room and then circling back like a squirrel on a highway, not sure which way to turn. For a second, she thought to get Jada to run interference, but then she paused, squinting at the tall figure that emerged from the vehicle's back door.
"Armando!" she gasped in relief, racing out to him.
"Hi, sorry," he said, handing the driver a twenty dollar tip. "I couldn't get a cab to save my life and I didn't want to take the bus in a tux. How did you guys get here?"
"Jada's father loaned my mom his car," she said, pleasantly aware of the press of his hand against her back as he accompanied her inside.
"How's it going so far?" He rose his voice slightly to be heard over the music as he stopped at the ballroom's threshold.
"The guests are having fun, but Jada is bored and my mom looks like a wallflower."
Armando smiled, rubbing his hands together as his eyes danced over the bustling crowd. "I'll say hi to them in a minute, but...contacts first," he said, making his way towards the richest donors in the room.
Mallorie took a moment to survey the party, and then relaxed, feeling things were finally in order. She quietly sidled up beside her mother. "The buffet is out. Want something to eat?"
"Oh." Her mother smiled, surprised to see her, having been mesmerized by the band. "I already had a plate."
"You don't wanna mingle?" Mallorie questioned.
"I don't really know anyone here, but I'm fine, I know you're busy," her mother said, waving her off, sounding like she didn't want to be a bother. "You do whatever you need to do."
"Mallorie," Armando called her over.
"Sorry, Mom. One minute," she said, excusing herself to join him.
"This is Mr. Anderson," he said, gesturing to one of the donors. "He might be interested in having us do a T-shirt line to help promote solar energy."
"I'd love to do that," Mallorie smiled, and then frowned towards the man. "But, we'll have to get back to you on it...since my business partner is thinking of leaving the state."
"Your business partner," Armando said tensely, turning to her, "Is more than capable of running a virtual business from anyplace in the world."
"But the client...is here."
"And so...are you. I think we've got it covered."
Mallorie sighed, turning away in frustration, not sure she could handle more business by herself. She glanced at Jada, who was sitting alone at their table, watching people dance with her chin resting on her hands, and then she swung her head in the other direction as the guests broke into a murmur.
"Oh, god...it's Brooke," she gasped, grabbing Armando's arm. "She's a half hour early. Do something, please. You've gotta keep her full attention until I can get my mom out the door. And don't let her roam," she added, shoving him towards the young blonde.
"Hey," Valeria greeted her again as Mallorie popped up behind her. She tilted her head around her daughter, catching only a glimpse of a shadowy figure who had entered with a small child. "What's all the commotion over there?"
"Mom, come with me. I want you to meet someone," Mallorie said, grabbing her by the arm and scanning the room for a target. Then she dragged her hapless mother towards the bar. "Mom, this is Mr. Gant. Mr. Gant...my Mom."
"How do you do," he said politely. "You should be very proud of your daughter."
"Oh, I am," Valeria said, looking highly confused.
"Mom, Mr. Gant is the resident historian and supply manager at the shipyard.
"How nice," her mother said with disinterest, her head craning towards where she saw the small child.
"Mr. Gant," Mallorie said with desperation, "Did you watch The Walking Dead last night?"
"Uh, yes. Yes, I did." He nodded.
"What a coincidence," Mallorie said, shoving her mother closer. "So did my Mother."
"That's my favorite show," Valeria said, blushing.
"Mine too," Mr. Gant smiled. He started talking about how much he liked the latest episode and how he hated last season, and her mother chimed in with her own opinions, much in tune with his own. Their mutual dislike of one character in particular started them both laughing.
"Can I...buy you a drink?" he offered suddenly, nodding towards the bar.
"Oh," Valeria sounded surprised. "Well...sure."
Mallorie turned and bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder. Armando had introduced himself to Brooke and was engaging her in an animated discussion. Little Clara stared up at the ceiling, taking in the lights. And Jada had lifted her head and was watching Brooke with interest, having never actually seen her before. In one ear, she could hear Mr. Gant dissecting the show's current story line, and in the other, she could hear the band playing Moonlight Serenade, but her attention was almost completely focused on Armando. He had a genuine smile on his beautiful face as he bent to speak to Clara, and then he led her and Brooke to a dark corner table. Mallorie chewed on her lip. Brooke sat down and was leaning in closer, trying to hear what he was saying over the crowd's considerable noise.
"Would you like to dance?" Mr. Gant said behind her, followed by her mother's girlish giggle.
"I haven't danced in ages," Valeria responded, taking him up on his offer.
Several couples had taken to the floor at the sound of the popular song. The music was sweet and soothing. Mallorie leaned against the bar, watching Mr. Gant put his arm around her mother's waist, gliding her across the floor in a charming, slow dance, and for the first time she realized they actually made a cute pair. She hadn't given the man much consideration before than, since she only knew him from the shipyard, but he had an unassuming manner that she liked.
With her mother's attention elsewhere, Mallorie inched closer to Jada, finally taking a seat at her table.
"What are they saying?" she whispered to her friend, her eyes locked on Brooke and Armando.
"I have no idea," Jada said. "But it looks like your sister sure likes him."
(Just posted, so excuse me if I'm still editing it mid-read, lol)
