Unwanted Company

Daisy barely managed to shut the closet door before the man exited the bedroom. The intrepid reporter had been left with only two realistic options. Either the closet to her left or the bathroom to her right. Fleeing the way she'd entered would've ruined any chance of obtaining badly needed information. Was Daphne meeting with Olena? Or was the bitter ex-reporter here to ruin Finn's mom's event on her own?

Crouching in the far corner behind a rolling suitcase, Daisy strained to listen. The man provided an almost blow-by-blow account to the woman.

"Nobody out in the hallway. Bathroom is clear."

"What about the closet?" the woman inquired.

Daisy cringed as the left side of the closet door slid open.

"Gawd, talk about paranoid much," the man muttered to himself before switching sides. This time, he slid open the door near Daisy. "It's my room that we're using."

Fortunately, the man merely glanced at eye level and saw no disturbance in the clothes hanging on the rack. Then, shutting the door, he reassured the woman that no one had entered his suite.

Unsure if she heard correctly in noticing a familiarity to the man's voice, the fearless girl carefully moved the suitcase out of her way. Then, she soundlessly opened the door by about an inch.

Listening, Daisy heard the woman say she wasn't sure about continuing in the sitting area. She preferred the bedroom, and with the door closed this time.

"What if your wife comes back? Are you sure you saw nothing in the hall? I can't have my husband find us!"

"Relax. My wife thinks I came up here for a meeting. She knows not to interrupt those," the man stated. Unseen by Daisy, the man kept his lover in the sitting room.

Daisy's eyes widened as she confirmed her earlier feeling. She knew this man, and he couldn't find her inside his room. Then, as the sounds of rather flimsy foreplay picked up, the reporter pulled out her phone. Typing a quick message, she sent it to the one person whom she knew would rescue her.

"How many times do I have to say not to worry about it?"

"Listen to your dad, girls. If he's not worried, then you shouldn't be," Rachel Stratton stressed.

"And we keep saying to stop bullshitting us. We're not five!" Lana responded.

"We know this isn't 'politics as usual' like you keep claiming. They called Dad corrupt!" Lacey pointed out. "They're trying to destroy his name."

"Alright, simmer down. Now you sound like my brother," Clive relayed. "Although he's mainly worried about the Stratton name, not Clive."

"Fuck Uncle Clarence," Lana spat.

"Lana!" Rachel admonished.

"Well, she's right," Lacey declared, sticking up for her big sister.

"Let it go," Clive said softly to his wife. He knew if Rachel continued, the facade they wanted to put up for their daughters would crack. "Look, my older brother might be a jackass, but he'll come around. Eventually. After he feels we all heard his complaints to his satisfaction."

"Right! And we all know that Marshall is always there for your dad," Rachel stated brightly, reverting to her old cheerleader voice.

The two sisters weren't buying it as they glanced at one another.

"If that doesn't soothe your concerns, then this should. My sister's going to be helping us counter these attacks. She's going to spend more time in Honey Hollow this winter. You girls love Aunt Blair!" Clive reminded them.

Lana and Lacey didn't need to make eye contact to know what this new development meant. If Cormac's mom had to step in to assume control, the situation wasn't as hunk-dory as their parents wanted them to think. That conclusion got doubly confirmed by the next bit of information.

"Not to mention that Emma is going to give Blair a hand," Clive revealed about the law firm's tough-as-nails name partner and counsel on the criminal side.

"You see? This is all going to work out great. Blair and Emma have always been such good friends. They don't get to work together anymore with Blair in Arbor Corners," Rachel recounted. "So this will be like a family and friends reunion."

"Speaking of friends, I need to meet a few upstairs," Clive said, checking his watch. "It's nothing important. Just to discuss what they've heard. But your mom will be around if you have additional questions."

"No, I won't. I'm coming with you, hun. This is impor...."

"I think it's better if you stay down here, hun. Finn needs you," Clive replied, using the one card that would work on his wife.

"Oh! Yes, Finny probably needs me around," Rachel agreed, actually scanning the ballroom for him. "Now, go and have fun, girls. It's New Year's Eve. Dance, flirt, and have fun with your friends."

"Just not too much, Lana. Aw, what the hell, let loose a little, honey," Clive added. That earned him a glare from Rachel, as her husband never encouraged their eldest to let loose.

Giving up, Lana and Lacey walked away.

"They are the worst liars," Lacey declared.

"But only to us. I've seen Mom run circles around people," Lana recalled. "Oh, shit! Remember that time when Ramsey's mom dropped us off early."

"Eww! Don't remind me."

"That was eight years ago? Nine? I thought their attempt to deny that we barely missed was the worst lie ever. They were so obviously fucking. But this one tops it."

"Definitely," Lacey agreed, still cringing at that old memory. "Hey, there's Pey. I'll see ya."

"Work your high school gossip network," Lana ordered as the sisters split off.

"So, how'd it go?" Peyton asked.

"Nothing to see here. Everything is peachy. Go have fun. My dad even said I should let loose tonight."

"Geez, it's that bad? So what do you want to do?"

"Not just go have fun. Alright, maybe a little fun," Lana admitted with a 'who me?' shrug. "I need to put my people to work and find shit out."

"I told you earlier not to put too much pressure on Barney. He'll crack and end up in a cast again," Peyton warned.

"Who said anything about Barney?"

"He's the only person you have digging around," Peyton pointed out.

"I have plenty of people. In fact, I can finally talk to a few since I'm free of the prison table's chains. Lana is free!" the redhead announced, changing directions to head toward the rear of the ballroom.

"Prison table?" Peyton repeated, shaking her head.

The two best friends ascended the stairs, with Lana taking a hard left turn. Realizing their ultimate destination, Peyton followed at a more leisurely pace.

"Lana, you're free!" Kristen "Kiki" Heeter cheered.

"Out on bail, fresh out of jail," Lana declared, hugging her housemate. "Damn, I love the dress. Now, how the fuck did you get tonight off?"

Kiki launched into the story about the strip club owner and his connections to Honey Hollow and Finn's mom. While that occurred, Peyton slid over to Jamie-Lynn Masterson, the housemate she shared more interests with.

"Where did Auggie go?" the blonde inquired.

"You just missed him. Eoin decided that he needed a wingman for his 'flyover.' I sense a crash landing happening any second," Jamie-Lynn relayed.

"Poor Auggie," Peyton responded, entirely meaning her sympathy.

"Yo, I thought I saw Zaylie with you girls. Where she'd go?" Lana questioned, bringing Peyton and Jamie-Lynn into the conversation.

"She got drafted away from our table for dinner," Kiki replied.

"Huh?"

"Zaylie is assigned to keep Nate in her sights at all times. Don't ask me," Jamie-Lynn said, rolling her eyes.

"Momma Toone's orders," Kiki revealed, flashing a wide smile.

"What the hell is Aunt Tinny up to?" Peyton wondered aloud.

"Knowing her, it's got to be good. C'mon, let's go find out." Beaming with interest, Lana motioned for everyone to follow her.

Impatiently weaving around ball-goers, Lana led her clique until she abruptly screeched to a halt while screeching verbally.

"What the fuck?!"

Peyton, Kiki, and Jamie-Lynn all slammed on the brakes as they reached Lana and saw the same thing. Standing before them were two familiar faces from Zurbrugg College. They weren't friendly faces. Although in one case, Kiki met the gaze of a former friend.

"Why, hello, ladies; isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Farah Vesper greeted in her southern accent.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Lana challenged.

"And you too, backstabber!" Kiki spat at Georgina Lueck.

A fellow pair of juniors, Farah and Georgina, served as members of Theta Alpha Theta, the notorious party sorority. The two girls also represented the closest thing to enemies for Lana and Peyton's group. That they showed up at the charity ball rankled the pair of best friends, as they knew Farah's motive.

A southern belle with long, straight black hair, dark-brown eyes, medium-to-large breasts, and a firm ass, Farah carried a snobbish aura around her. A highly sexual coed, Farah had an extremely picky taste when choosing her lovers. However, one person she saw something special in was Finn, and she'd made it clear that Lana's presence was a minor stumbling block to her long-term plans.

Her partner-in-crime, Georgina, had long, ginger red hair, hazel eyes, large breasts, and a curvy ass. A native of Beakburg, she'd once been friends with Kiki. However, Georgina's thirst for the spotlight and jealousy of anyone who dared to steal hers led to a major falling-out with Kiki. A schemer, Georgina always had a plan to make money after growing up in her poor hometown.

"I'm just here to support Finn as a friend. At a time like this, he needs friends who will act appropriately. Not ones that will lose their dresses and cause a scene," Farah replied, needling Lana.

"Friend, my ass!" the eldest Stratton sister hissed.

"You don't even live close by. Sweet Creek isn't a Sunday stroll in the car," Peyton pointed out. Farah's hometown lay halfway across the country.

"All the more reason for Finley to realize what he means to me. And a few-hour flight is a trivial detail when it comes to my future partner," Farah countered. "It's a shame that I never had the opportunity to meet Cassandra. Yet, it just means that I'll be the most important woman in his life."

"Like hell you will!" Lana roared, stepping forward.

Georgina countered by stepping in front of Farah. Kiki followed suit for Lana, leaving her and her ex-friend inches apart.

"Oh, I'm sure the generous check my family has donated to his mother's foundation will be noticed. Mommy and Daddy just adore Finley," Farah continued. "Face it, Stratton, you blew your chance when you dumped him. It's only a matter of time before Finn begins to see you as a sister. Once that happens, you're out of the game for creepiness reasons."

"You ever think that maybe he likes that kink?" Lana challenged, bumping Kiki into Georgina.

"And why are you here, bitch? Ain't no donations coming out of your bra," Kiki remarked.

"Really? I use my brain, not my hips, to earn money," Georgina countered.

"Please. As if you haven't fucked a guy for a vacation or clothes. I'm not the whore!"

"GG, let's go. It seems all of Lana's low-class friends want to create scenes at a charity event. So sad," Farah commented.

"You're the one who's going to be sad, shrew. Stay away from Finn," Peyton ordered.

"Or else," Lana added.

"Oh, girls, your childish threats only amuse me. But keep on thinking you're on my level," Farah teased, turning to walk away with Georgina.

Lacey scanned the cheerleader table as she approached. With the music and dancing now started, she wasn't entirely surprised to find it mostly empty. It's that neither Whitney nor Ramsey waited for her that felt like a letdown. Still, Roxanne rushed over to meet her.

"Lace, how are you? Is everything alright? Is your dad going to punch back?"

"Alright, I guess, and he's not telling us anything," Lacey replied, noticing most of the varsity and JV squads dancing. "Where's Whitney, and have you seen Ramsey?"

"I think Ramsey went to cover the speeches outside." Lacey nodded at Roxie's answer, as that made sense. "Um, I'm not a hundred percent sure about Whitney, as this came from Kizzy. Supposedly, she went to relieve Sean's erection."

"What?!"

"Kizzy and Harley came back and said that Sean was rocking a monster tent in his pants. The rest of us are calling bullshit. You know how this batch of Babybees is like," Roxie remarked. As the varsity squad's good girl, she could believe the mouths on some of the younger girls, especially her little cheersister, Yolanda.

"That's not like Sean, but it's also not far-fetched for Whitney," Lacey commented, weighing the truth of Kizzy's gossip.

"Yeah, Cat and Katie seemed pretty surprised. But they also mentioned what happened--uh-oh," Roxie warned. She'd caught sight of a person approaching Lacey from behind.

"Hey, wanna dance?" Austin asked.

"Excuse you?" his girlfriend replied.

"I asked if you want to dance."

Lacey remained silent as Austin appeared entirely nonchalant about his offer. Roxie took several steps back to stay out of the conversation. Yet, she also stayed close enough to jump back in if needed. Finally, when Austin spread his hands in impatience, Lacey reacted.

"Is that seriously the first thing you're going to say to me? Is it?"

"What? You like to dance, so I thought you'd want to."

"You know what? I don't have time for this. I have things to do," Lacey declared.

"Like what? Hanging out with me should be at the top--"

"No. What I am going to do is dance, have fun with my friends, and work on matchmaking a few people for the midnight kiss," Lacey listed. "As for you? I am not in the mood right now. So maybe think over why before you ask me to dance again."

"What's with the hostility? I didn't--"

"Get the hell away from her, dumbass!" Aurora ordered, arriving and pushing herself between her twin brother and her friend.

"Fuck off, Rory. I'm sick of your bitching. I listened to it the whole time during dinner and the speeches," Austin replied.

"And yet, your damaged brain thinks it's a good idea to march right over here. Did you even apologize?"

"For what?" Austin challenged his twin sister. However, he also noticed Lacey roll her eyes in disgust. "It wasn't-- I mean, there might be some misunderstandings...but they aren't my fault."

"Wrong answer, dingus," Rory stated after making a beeping game show sound. "I'd recommend turning your tail around and thinking your answer over. Long and hard this time, dear brother. As I'm willing to bet, this is only a two-strikes-and-you're-out scenario. So, move along. MOVE ALONG!"

Verbally kicked into moving, Austin scurried away. That led his sister to turn around and immediately hug Lacey.

"I'm so sorry. For everything! My brother's a dipshit, but my dad is a royal asshole."

"It's okay. I know it's not your fault," Lacey responded.

"Oh, no, you've got to hear this part. None of us had any clue what Dad planned. Not me, not Austin, and not even Mom. Who doesn't tell their wife that they're going to run for mayor?! A fucking asshole, that's who," Rory declared, her voice rising. "But I'm so proud of Mom. She snapped at him. I mean, she totally read him the riot act. I've never seen that from her. Dad looked shell-shocked. And then Annette and Uncle Tucker jumped in. Uncle Monty couldn't even find the words, and you know him."

"Seriously? Wow! I bet that was something to see. What did Austin do?" Lacey inquired.

"Sat there looking like everyone spoke a foreign language. I don't think he ever imagined Mom and Dad arguing at that level. She usually handles any issues quietly with him," Rory recounted. "But you know what? Forget my family for now. Let's go dance."

"I don't think I'm in the mood still--"

"Fuck that! Roxie, grab her other hand. Let's dance!" Rory screamed, dragging the petite redhead toward the dance floor.

"You stole her car?"

"No, no, we borrowed her car. Fawn's grandma did ask her to keep an eye on things while she was out of town. We just decided to do so with us in it," Brandy explained. "Arbor Corners is a two-hour drive."

Ten-year-old Tenille wasn't buying that description.

"Hey, we did this for your dad. Freshman year of college can leave a person feeling homesick. So he needed a surprise visit from us," Brandy insisted as Trey tried to contain his giggles by holding his hand over his mouth.

"But you didn't have permission," Tenille pointed out.

"Technically? No," Brandy admitted. "Hey, what were we supposed to do? It's not like any of us owned a car...or a driver's license. We were only fifteen!"

"Uh-oh. What tales is she telling now?"

"Auntie Fawn!" Tenille and Trey squealed. The two siblings rushed forward into Fawn's open arms.

"Oh, so you can rush over and hug her right away, but not me. Isn't that fucking delightful?" Brandy complained.

"What's your problem?" Fawn asked after kissing each of the kids' cheeks.

"Olympia's been telling them--Wait, what's wrong with you?" Brandy interrupted herself after noticing the worried expression that Fawn attempted to mask.

"We got a problem," the librarian said, standing up while patting Trey's head. "Daisy got herself into a pickle."

"How small is the jar?"

"She's in Morgan Barrow's suite. And it's not his wife with him," Fawn whispered in her library voice.

"The congressman? Oh, she's good! Well, let's go mount a rescue," Brandy announced. "C'mon, kids, time to return you to your pops."