Turning, I offered the hors d'oeuvres I was carrying to the people standing behind me and froze when I saw it was the man named Fionn and Brogan's sister, Eileen. Eileen stared at me with a slightly shocked look on her face and Fionn smiled slightly. I lifted my chin. "Sweet potato rounds with herbed ricotta and walnuts?"
"Don't mind if I do," Fionn said, loading up a napkin with the small appetizers and popping one into his mouth as he winked at me. I almost smiled, but didn't. He was Brogan's and Eileen's friend. I had to assume he was enjoying my public disgrace at least to some extent.
"No, thank you," Eileen said, the tension in the air palpable. I swallowed, making a small curtsy before I turned and walked away. A curtsy? Really, Lydia? What the hell was that? A curtsy! My God.
"It can't be," a loud female voice said. "Lydia De Havilland? Seriously?" I halted and turned slowly back in the direction of Fionn and Eileen. Standing several yards away from them were Lindsey and company. "Oh my God," Lindsey breathed, bringing her hand to her chest and stifling a laugh.
I smiled a tight smile as they moved toward me. Holding the tray up, I tilted my head, and asked, "Appetizer?"
Lindsey burst out laughing even harder, looking gleefully happy with this turn of events. She put her hands on her hips and did a full circle around me, looking me up and down before she burst out laughing again. "My, my, how the mighty have fallen," she said, barely disguised delight in her voice.
I smiled again as if this situation didn't faze me in the least, but I felt the hot blush in my cheeks that was surely giving me away. It felt like every guest in the yard had suddenly turned to look at me.
I simply smiled. "I hope you have a wonderful time," I said, turning and trying to hurry away. But my heel stuck in the grass and I tripped slightly, causing the girls behind me to giggle maniacally. Straightening myself, I took a deep breath and continued inside.
The vultures had descended, and now I was going to be consumed.
After that, I wasn't left alone for a moment. You would have thought I was the only one working the party, not that I was one of a dozen servers. Just when I'd delivered a requested glass of champagne to Lindsey, Daphne dropped her napkin and needed another. Then Bridget Baker wanted more of "those delicious little thingamabobs," and no sooner had I brought out a sample tray of every appetizer we'd passed through the crowd, Crystal Adler needed me to fetch a wet cloth so I could help her wipe an invisible stain off her Louis Vuitton clutch. I kept a smile plastered on my face, acting as if I were pleased as punch to meet their every need, not allowing them to see me sweat.
I caught sight of Brogan several times, standing to the side, his jaw clenched as he watched me being run around relentlessly. His date still hung on his arm, obviously trying to get his attention with her chatter, but he didn't seem to notice her at all. Apparently he was having too much fun watching me. I held my head higher, increasing the size of my smile. My cheek muscles wobbled with the effort of holding it in place.
On my way back into the house, I almost collided with the man named Fionn. "Oh, sorry," I said, scooting past him.
He leaned close to me as we passed and murmured softly, "Good on ya, Lydia," and winked. I wasn't sure what he meant, but in any case, I hardly had time to try to figure it out because someone else had me running to do her bidding.
I came back out with a tray of mini desserts and the seltzer water with a twist of lime Maya Richards had asked me to pick up for her at the bar, breezing past Fionn who was again standing with Eileen.
I delivered the seltzer water to Maya who proceeded to spill it on the lawn. "Oh phooey!" she exclaimed. "Clutzy me. Fetch me another one, would you, Lydia?" She smiled sweetly.
I resisted the urge to claw her eyes out and instead took a deep breath and said brightly, "No problem, ma'am. I'll get another one for you right away." Maya turned away and began speaking to the woman next to her as if I suddenly didn't exist.
I inclined the dessert tray toward Lindsey who looked annoyed. I supposed I wasn't giving her the show she was hoping for. Tears perhaps, or maybe a complete and total emotional breakdown, clawing at my face, dropping to my knees and declaring that as God as my witness, I'd never work in catering again. "Something sweet?" I asked, giving her my most innocent smile.
Glaring at me, she took a small dish of chocolate mousse off my tray, picking up the tiny spoon and dishing a bite into her mouth. "Mmm," she murmured, a glint of something evil coming into her eyes. I'd seen that look before. Right before she'd decimated someone socially in the cafeteria. But before I could figure out what she might have in mind, a huge spray of chocolate mousse hit me square in the face, splatters of it raining all over my hair and down the front of my shirt. "Oh goodness!" Lindsey gasped. "This silly little spoon just slipped. I'm so embarrassed!"
I heard an intake of breath and everything seemed to grow quiet all around me. Had the band stopped playing? A glob of mousse that was stuck to my eyelashes fell onto my cheek and started sliding down my face slowly. Lindsey dropped her bowl back on my tray and snorted into a napkin. As I stood there, it seemed that the entire party had stopped and everyone was staring at me. Vomit rose in my throat as humiliation and loneliness engulfed me. I didn't have a single friend here, not one. I'd tried so hard to hold on to my composure, but standing there with food purposefully splattered on my face was the final straw. I couldn't do this. It hurt too much. Horrified, I glanced around at all the staring eyes, some mildly sympathetic, others amused.