Genre: Romance
Rating: NC 17
Disclaimer : Standard disclaimers apply. The characters belong to Shalz R.
Chapter 9: A Party Is In Order
Preparations were on for the big house warming party. Tyler and Adrian had made themselves busy in getting the guest list ready, inviting the people, deciding the party menu, etc. It was decided that party would take place on the coming Saturday, a whole week ahead.
As the preparation for the party continued and everyone got busy with it, Ian found the solitude he was looking for. After the incident, he had never been left alone to be by himself, that he wanted so much. First, his friends were there, his mother came along, and then he went with her, and then the work schedule. Ian had reserved two weeks after the shoot for himself, and refused to take any projects for these weeks.
This time Ian was left alone. He would go for walks alone, or spend hours and sometimes whole day in the library reading, he would go riding in the woods, or boating in the lake or in the stream. He spent the days alone.
He would get up early in the morning, get his breakfast, and then get away from the rest of the house. One day he went to his library got a book, got his horse, tucked the book in his belt, went riding around the estate itself, finally stopped by the waterfall, and spent the entire day there, reading. Another day he docked his boat under the oak tree and sat in it, with his book. Carlton regularly kept him supplied with refreshments.
The whole week Ian spent like this. He avoided being without his book, for that led him to thinking. Thinking the same old things.
Tyler and Adrian noticed him not being there, but they knew that he wanted to be alone. Whenever they saw him, he was either reading or riding or out on a walk. They did catch up with him on dinner and updated him with the details of the party hoping to get him into conversation. With little success, of course. However, they were happy that with the family coming over for the party, he would have some good time. If not with anyone else, at least with the kids!
On the day before the party, Friday, Ian had again been alone. He had taken his horse to the woods and back to the waterfall. He had as usual been reading. Staying alone thus he didn't realize when the solitude he was looking for turned into the loneliness he was avoiding. Finally as it began to grow too dark for reading he tucked the book into his belt, started to walk along the stream for sometime, and then turned towards the party area. Tyler and Adrian had put some things there. Tables were put up by the swimming pool, counters for food and drinks were made, a dance floor was created, decorations hung around, and a huge banner that said "Welcome To The Maxwell House Warming Party" He walked up to them, barely giving them a look, lost in his own thoughts.
"Why did Samantha come into my life? I never was interested in any women, why did I let her in?
She came in, created a need for a woman, a companion in my life, and disappeared without filling the gap. I still am the same Ian; still have all that I want, all that I need, and anything I want I can get. Nothing is denied to me. I could marry several women like Samantha, divorce them, and be able to afford it. But that's not what I want. This one biggest need of my life, created by her has remained unfulfilled. Will I always remain alone?" Ian was lonely.
Thinking thus he reached the area that was prepared for the party. Nothing that was put up there interested him. He just walked on thinking, "At earlier parties in my house, I looked after each and every thing myself. Now, it just doesn't seem to be of any importance. Even if I were to do it, I would not enjoy doing it." He sighed and turned towards to house and stopped.
Facing him was the glass painting of his office, a very happy Ian in the picture staring back at him. He looked at it for a few minutes. He wanted to take a closer look. He had not been able to do that since he came back. When he had come to see it first Tyler and Adrian had barged in, and then he had forgotten about it. He walked into the door of his photo gallery, and opened the door that led to his office. He stood there in the office for a long time, looking at the picture. He stepped closer to it until he was just a couple of feet away from it. Inadvertently, his hand reached up and touched his lips in the picture, feeling the cold glass beneath his fingers.
"Stephens!" he thought suddenly waking up from his trance. "They have not invited Stephens to the party! I have been wanting to see her." He thought surprising himself, for he had thought that without knowing if had actually wanted to see her or not. "I must go and check their guest list!"
He walked out of his office giving the picture one last look. He spotted a servant and him the whereabouts of his friends. On being informed that they were in the family room, he walked up to it. Adrian and Tyler were giving their party checklist a final go-through, and discussing the tour they had in mind to give to some of the distinguished guests. They both saw him coming in and asked him if he had seen the party preparation. He smiled a bit and nodded. He went up to Adrian and picked up the several pages of their guest list, going through it.
He scanned through the list looking for Ms. Stephens written somewhere. Tyler and Adrian could make out that he was looking for something.
"Well, looking for someone?" Tyler asked.
"Umm… I see you have not invited Mr. McKenzie?
"We have. His name is somewhere on the list. Anyhow an invitation has been sent to him and we have received a confirmation from him too." Adrian informed him.
"Ok. Um.. What about Ms. Stephens? I don't see her name. You have not invited her?"
Tyler and Adrian looked at each other. They had not invited her. However, they didn't think that Ian would notice it! Ian noticed it; of course, she was the one he was actually looking for!
"No, we haven't. Should we?" Adrian asked carefully.
"She has done the house. She should be invited to the house warming party. I would like if she is sent an invitation too."
"Right! It will be done." Tyler said and Adrian nodded. This was the only guest he had asked for.
He dropped the list and was about to leave when he remembered that he had read Mr. Garrett and company in the list. He turned around, "What does Mr. Garrett and company mean?"
"Well, the important people of all the production companies you have worked for have been invited. So Mr. Garrett and the important people of Shelby Productions were also invited."
Ian just looked at Tyler for a moment, his face a question mark. Surely, this did not mean that Samantha was one of the guests?
"Besides" Tyler continued, "Dianne wanted us to invite 'everybody related to Ian'."
Ian did not say anything. He could feel Tyler's and Adrian's anger and helplessness. Their plan for a perfect party for Ian was spoiled, and there was nothing they could do about it. Unless of course, Samantha decided not to come. But she had sent her confirmation. She was not going to give up so easily on Ian. This was just the chance she required. A few more of such chances and she would wreck Ian's life for good. They had their dinner in silence in the family room itself. Ian's small consolation was that his family was going to be there with him.
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