Page 2 of The Dinner Party

Even better, Blair has flicked on the overhead lights in the room. After scrounging for electricity for the entire year you’ve lived here, she has finally given you light. That shows you’ve made the right decision by standing up to her.

“Thanks,” you say.

But Blair isn’t listening to you. She makes a beeline for the one small window near your bed and yanks it open. You’re not sure why she did that, because it’s pretty chilly out, and Blair always throws a fit about “wasting heat.” But then her intentions become clear when she goes over to one of your dressers, scoops out an armful of clothing, and hurls it out your second-floor window.

“Hey!” You leap off the bed to stop her. “What are you doing?”

“You can’t pay the rent,” she says as she grabs another handful of panties and bras. “So I’m helping you vacate the premises.”

You stand in front of the dresser, blocking her from taking any more clothing. That’s when Blair’s boyfriend, Griff, enters the room. Griff is about the size of a linebacker. Every time he takes a step, the entire room shakes.

“What’s going on here?” Griff rumbles.

“We’re helping Sloan move out,” Blair explains. “Griff, would you please be a dear and help Sloan find the exit?”

Griff starts coming toward you, his tree trunk arms outstretched. Holy crap, this man is going to kill you if you don’t get the hell out of here. He’ll snap you in half like a twig.

“Okay, okay!” you cry, backing away from him. “I’ll go.”

You might as well. Half your stuff is already on the ground outside.

Turn to Chapter 3 (page 7)

3

By the time you get downstairs, you discover most of your belongings are scattered on the sidewalk outside the building. A bunch of your clothes landed in the snow that is still dotting the pavement. Thankfully, Blair was kind enough to throw down your luggage, so you start gathering items and shoving them in the bag.

That’s when you notice a man has stopped and picked up one of your bracelets that has slipped into a crack in the sidewalk. And wow, this man is handsome. He has thick bronze hair, penetrating chocolate-brown eyes, and his body looks like it was sculpted by Michelangelo. His lips part in a smile that makes him even more gorgeous somehow. He holds out the bracelet to you.

“Is this yours?” he asks you.

Admittedly, your luck has been horrible over the last year. You nearly went to jail, you are dead broke, and now you are homeless. But you have a feeling that things are about to turn around in a big way.

“Why, yes,” you say.

“Well…” The man’s smile widens. “It’s mine now. Finders keepers!”

He snaps his palm closed and shoves the bracelet in his pocket while you stare in disbelief.

“My girlfriend is going to love this,” he informs you happily.

The man turns on his heel, then walks away, whistling to himself the whole time. Wow. So much for finding true love on the sidewalk.

It’s a good thing you are so broke, because it means you don’t own very much. It takes you about half an hour to gather all your belongings. You then create a makeshift fort for yourself in the alley next to the building. This is your home now.

While you’re getting comfortable on the ground, a cat approaches you and nuzzles against you for warmth. She’s actually quite beautiful, covered in a thick orange coat that is only slightly dirty. It feels like you’ve made a new best friend as you reach out and stroke her fur.

“Sorry, Kitty,” you say to her. “I wish I had some food for you, but I don’t even have food for myself.”

As if she understands what you just said, she freaks out, letting out an eardrum-shattering howl. Then she lunges at you, first attempting to bite your leg, and when you try to disentangle her, she goes for the jugular. Her paw swipes at your hair, ripping out strands from your ponytail.

“What are you doing, Kitty?” you scream. “I was just petting you!”

Reasoning with this cat does not seem to be effective. She lunges for your leg again, and you have to abandon your fort. Embarrassingly, you’re only barely able to outrun her. You hide behind some trash cans until she loses interest and wanders away.

Why have all your interactions with animals gone so badly lately?

Once the cat is safely out of sight, you return to your fort to lay down for the night. But you sleep with one eye open, worried the cat might return.