After they'd hung up Katya's precious coat, Tori made her way back behind the bar, flirting every step of the way. Katya hung out near the entrance to the hallway, looking around the crowd. She didn't recognize anyone at first, and while she was sociable, she wasn't particularly good at striking up conversations with people she'd never met. Luckily, her eyes landed on a small knot of people across the room and she smiled before making her way over to them.
“Hey! I didn't know you guys would be here!” she exclaimed, stepping up between her neighbor Gaten Shepherd and Wulf's sister Vieve. Brie stood across from them, absorbed in her phone.
“Yeah, Wulfy invited me. I gotta say, the idea of coming to a sex club for a party made me nervous,” Vieve laughed. “But he assured me it would be rated PG-13 for the evening.”
“I saw a flyer in our lobby,” Gaten explained. “I remembered you saying something about that guy in my building owning the place. Then when I got here, I recognized Genevieve from the other day, so I came over and said hello.”
The way he was smiling at Vieve, it made Katya's mind begin to wonder. Obviously, he had probably assumed Katya would be there, and Katya and Vieve were friends – had he come hoping to bump into Vieve? That would be so sweet.
Vieve, however, seemed oblivious to the attention she was getting. She smiled at everyone and nervously fingered the pearls around her neck.
“And you?” Katya asked, directing her question at Brie. “I really wouldn't have thought you'd be here.”
“Is that an actual question?” Brie asked back, not bothering to look up.
Vieve may be a carbon copy of Wulf looks-wise, but Brie opens her mouth and it's like listening to him.
“I meant, it doesn't really seem like your scene,” Katya explained. Brie finally put her phone away into a tiny crossbody purse.
“Um, there's free alcohol and there's good looking men – rich men. It's my scene,” she assured her.
“Oh. I guess that's as good a reason as any.”
“Besides, Wulf said his partner would be here. I'm curious to meet anyone who can drive my brother insane,” she commented, her eyes scanning the crowd. Katya turned to look around as well and spotted the object of their discussion leaning against the end of the bar, laughing at something Tori was saying.
“He's right there – I'll go see if he can come say hi. Excuse me.”
Katya wormed her way through the thickening crowd and popped up at Liam's side. He did a double take at her, not recognizing her at first. Then his eyes grew wide and he turned to face her.
“Holy shit, angel cake. You look … incredible. Your hair,” he said, his eyes wandering all over her.
“Normally I hate to wear a dress to two events so close together, but I really do love it,” she laughed.
“So do I.”
“Me, too,” Tori chimed in while she shook a cocktail shaker up and down. “Does amazing things for your ass.”
“Uh, not as amazing as what those sequins are doing for yours,” Katya laughed back.
“An excellent point. Your ass is defying gravity tonight, Tori,” Liam agreed.
“Hush, I take sexual harassment in the work place very seriously,” Tori said.
“Really? Then why do you keep flirting with me?” he asked.
It had clearly been meant as a joke, and Katya even started to laugh, but she was surprised to see Tori blush a little. Tori never blushed. Her eyes bounced between Katya and Liam before a grin was fixed into place.
“Because you keep flirting with me. Go away now, I'm super busy because SOMEONE decided having liquor down here for the night would be a great idea,” she huffed out, then she skipped down to the other end of the bar.
“She has no concept of authority, does she?” Liam sighed, his eyes following Tori's movements.
“No, not really. C'mon, Wulf's sisters are you – you met Vieve, now you can meet Brie,” she offered, linking her arm through his and turning him to face the crowd.
“Oh lord, I can't even remember the one, and now you want me to meet the other? Where are they? Are they just like him?” he asked, searching the crowd.
“Brie kinda is,” Katya snickered, then she pointed to the other side of the room. “They're standing over there.”
Under her arm, she felt Liam tense up. She glanced up and saw that he was frowning a little. Gaten was laughing at something one of the girls had said, Vieve was playing with her necklace again, and Brie was back on her phone.
“Those are Wulf's sisters?” Liam double checked.
“Yeah. You met Vieve, remember?” she asked.
“I … I guess I don't. It was a crazy weekend, and I took a punch to the head,” he said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the other group.
“Well, the tall one who looks just like Wulf is Genevieve – she's the older one.”
“Oh, close to Wulf's age?”
“No, she's only twenty-one.”
“Oh god.”
“Don't worry,” Katya laughed. “She acts more like she's forty, totally low key, super sweet and polite. Brie is the one you have to worry about.”
“Uh … why?”
“Because she's only nineteen, thinks she's smarter than everyone, and pretty much hates the world. C'mon, let's go say hi,” she urged, trying to walk forward. He refused to move, though.
“I can't, angel cake,” he said, pulling his arm free from hers. “I have to go upstairs, there's a raffle going on that I have to announce. Then I have to check on a missing case of champagne, and then a million other things. Maybe later.”
“Oh, okay. Maybe later.”
She watched in surprise and confusion as he jogged up the stairs. Surely, he could've spared two seconds to meet the Stone girls. Of course, he didn't care for Wulf, so maybe he wasn't interested in getting to know Wulf's family. She supposed it made sense. She shrugged off his weird behavior and rejoined her friends.
It really was a great party. A band had been set up against the back wall, playing jazzy versions of modern hits. Gate twirled her around the floor a couple times, then she convinced Vieve to go out and dance with him. And by convince, she more like shoved the other woman into his arms.
“I think he likes your sister,” Katya laughed, folding her arms as she watched the pair awkwardly dance together.
“Bummer for him,” Brie grunted.
“What do you mean? He's a nice guy, she's a nice girl.”
“Exactly – he's nice and normal. Vieve isn't normal at all.”
“Could've fooled me.”
“Again – exactly. It's what she does best. Now if he were to get hooked on drugs or develop cancer or lose a leg, she'd be all over him like white on rice,” Brie said in a casual voice. Katya finally turned to look down at her.
“What's that all supposed to mean?” she asked.
“It means my sister has to feel needed. Indispensable. She has to be saving someone. She only feels like she's worth something if she's taking care of someone. Why do you think she's always mothering us?” Brie pointed out.
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Why do you think she married a guy with terminal brain cancer?”
“She knew he had brain cancer? Before they got married?”
“Try before they even dated. Whatever. She's a head case. I'm gonna go get a drink,” the younger girl sighed and dragged herself to the bar.