FIN

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REAL ESTATE TYCOON, Jacob Johnson, was the first one to arrive and he’d brought with him two platinum blondes. He’d probably sent his wife away on some long vacation in Europe or the Caribbean.

“Good evening, Mr. Johnson,” I said, briefly shaking his hand and then kissing his gorgeous female companions on their cheeks.

“Hey, don’t kiss my girls! Kiss your own girls,” he said and glanced at Maria.

Maria was standing ready with a tray of French champagne for the guests. She looked even more gorgeous than she had just a few minutes ago.

I looked expectantly down the driveway and couldn’t wait for Kelly to make her appearance, even though I knew she would probably arrive fashionably late like she always did.

She’d never been to my home, but I’d attended some fancy parties around New York where Kelly had also been invited and she never arrived on time.

I felt a bit sorry for her. Since her parents had lost all of their money, she now had to look after them. They had become a financial burden to her.

I was convinced that she had never stopped caring about me. I could still see a flame of desire in her eyes whenever we spoke.

If it hadn’t been for her parents telling her not to marry me, I had absolutely no doubt that we would now be together.

Kelly knew I had made a success of my life. And I was sure that she was going to be blown away by the extent of my wealth when she saw my mansion and the opulent splendor of the party I’d put together. For her.

In a way, I had taken a page straight out of The Great Gatsby.

I had very definite plans for the two of us. Before the night was over, she was going to end up in my bed.

More guests were arriving, outfitted in shimmering dresses, long pearl necklaces, tuxedos and some even had masks on even though I wasn’t throwing a mask party.

All of the A-list Hollywood actresses and Hollywood movie producers had accepted invitations to my party and they were soon mingling in the reception foyer.

Strings of pearls and crystals hung from the gold chandelier in the foyer.

The stars were visible through the section of the roof which I’d had removed for the party.

Beautiful classical music, which the Swedish concert pianist was playing, danced through the room, much to the delight of the arriving guests.

The rock band was setting up their instruments in one of the Marquee tents on the front lawn.

I had also hired fire breathers and acrobats who would be putting on a spectacular show in the garden behind the mansion later on in the night.

I was quite pleased with the way things were going so far. This night was going to be one of the greatest nights of my life, of that, I had no doubt.

Some of the guests were already moving into the food court where tables were stacked with all kinds of delicious food.

The chef was walking around, making sure nothing was out of place and soon the guests were digging into all of the mouthwatering dishes.

I walked back to the foyer and was just in time to see Sally, my head housekeeper, walking up the stairs with a prominent New York businessman.

I knew exactly where they were going. Most employers would have frowned at such antics but I didn’t mind. Sally was a loyal and a great employee, and a good friend to Maria and she deserved some fun.

I returned my gaze to my guests. Maria was standing in the middle of the room holding a tray filled with champagne glasses. My male guests gawked at her from a near-distance.

Some of the models and actresses stared at Maria with obvious envy. It was clear that Maria was stealing the show. All eyes were on her.

There was something about her which defied explanation. The way she seemed to be unaware of her incredible sexuality and her ability to remain friendly and cordial while keeping all of the male guests at bay. She was the perfect blend of raw sexuality and pure innocence and I found myself wondering for the umpteenth time why nothing had ever developed between the two of us.

“Is there anything I can get you, Sir?” a familiar voice said from behind me. I turned around and it was Jeffrey, magnificently dressed in a black tuxedo.

Jeffrey was an experienced butler and I loved the way he lent a certain sense of dignity to the evening, even though everything was already getting slightly out of hand.

But then again, what did I expect when I decided to throw a Gatsby-style party? Things were bound to get out of hand.

“Thank you, but I have everything I need,” I said.

“She is something, isn’t she Sir?” he said and turned around before I could answer him.

I was going to ask him to whom he was referring but it wasn’t really necessary. There was only one girl he could have been talking about and she was wearing a black and white dress with a pink collar.

The house was jam packed and some guests spilled over into the balconies, terrace and lawn.

Chefs carried large platters of food over to the tents.

“The band is about to start playing!” someone shouted.

Guests began leaving the reception area toward the Marquee tent where the music was coming from, while others remained behind in the reception area sipping wine and champagne near the piano.

The party was off to a good start.