The Rhinehart

Chapter 12


The girls had all agreed to meet at Jen and Shannon's, where Darren and Kyle would be joining them before they headed off to Ian's suite. Jen gave Charlotte the room number and the time to which Charlotte replied that she and Brad would join them as soon as they could. Connie and Nomi arrived just before 7:00pm, and the four of them were flush with excitement. The girls almost huddled around each other as they reviewed their respective outfit choices for the evening.
“You look smashing," said Connie to Nomi as she admired the light blue draping blouse that she had topped with a steel grey vest. Strings of dark blue and silver beads and chains hung almost to her navel. Paired with the low rise black jeans and spike heels, Nomi looked fabulous. She had made up her eyes with heavy eyeliner and shades of smoky blue eye shadow.
All the girls wore different variations of jeans. Jen donned a wrap-around apricot tunic that bled from a pale hue to a rich finish at the bottom. She completed the look with a wide caramel belt that perfectly matched her open-toed platform sandals. A delicate gold necklace with a small gold cross completed the look. Shannon opted for a vibrant green and black blouse over a black lame camisole, tucked in, with a chunky silver belt to accent her narrow hips. Connie's newly acquired fuchsia ankle boots were perfectly matched with the low-draping cowl neck silk shirt. It featured the same fuchsia amongst a purple floral pattern and a dark blue background. The neckline draped far enough to expose the royal blue lace camisole that instantly drew one's eyes to her generous cleavage. The girls were all abuzz when Darren and Kyle arrived.
“My God,” said Darren as his eyes barely left Nomi. “You girls look absolutely amazing. You definitely mean business.” The girls all laughed and gave the boys a ‘thumbs up’ on their apparel. Kyle was cautiously personable as he stood a bit behind Darren, giving Shannon her space. Shannon instantly picked up on Kyle's reserve and moved around Darren to where Kyle was hanging. Looking into his questioning eyes she gave his arm a light squeeze.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered, as she leaned in and brushed against his thigh. No more words were needed as the group left the room. They made their way down to the front doors, where the boisterous chatter continued as they meandered down the back path that led from Res. to the rear entrance of the hotel.

Ian couldn’t remember a time when he had been as stoked as he was tonight. He went over the final preparations with the bartender and server. Although he expected the crowed to be about 18 or so, he assured the staff that he wanted a totally relaxed vibe. The guests could either go to the bar or give their orders to the server. Nothing rushed. All of the girls’ drink requests had been laid in with a generous variety of beer for the guys.
Ian was thinking about Connie since their meeting, and although there was no one thing he could put his finger on, he honestly couldn’t remember the last time a woman had intrigued him to such an extent. He was deep in thought as he heard the slight commotion in the hall as the first of the crowd arrived. No one in the band had a steady lass in waiting, so he had told the them that they were welcome, and a guest or two were no problem but definitely no groupies. The lads picked up on the not so subtle hints and promised to be on their best behaviour.
The group was ushered into the suite where they were all amazed at how gorgeous the décor was. Ian was definitely a surprise. The hotel had several humongous Grand Suites, each offering their guest a distinct level of sophistication all the while providing an array of décor tastes. Ian’s suite could have been transported out of the 1930’s. The furniture was formal and luxuriant. There were heavy gilt mirrors on the walls, a fabulous art deco chandelier and one whole wall was given over to the large stepped fireplace flanked on either side by large, recessed bookcases. There were thick burgundy drapes, slung floor to ceiling on either side of the large double French doors that opened onto the expansive balcony and patio area. The outdoor patio had sets of white wicker lounge furniture, as well as a shaded table and chair set. There were strategically placed candles that gave the area a soft glow, while leaving several areas discreetly dim, providing the ideal draw for couples to visit.
The venue was absolutely beautiful, and surprising that this would be his choice. Connie scanned the suite before giving Ian a warm smile.
“Make yourselves comfortable and James and Neil will be happy to get you a drink,” said Ian. Turning to Connie, he offered to get her a glass of wine while the rest of the boys made their way to the bar to pick up drinks for themselves and the girls. There were two large wing back chairs that faced a generous sofa across an elegant coffee table. Soft music by a variety of today’s top singers and lesser known up and comers played in the background. The ambience was perfect for relaxing and good conversation. Connie chose one of the wing-backs while Nomi and Jen headed for the couch. Darren returned with drinks for them, and after handing them over he settled on the couch next to Nomi. Kyle and Shannon could hear the arrival of more guests, as they made their way out to the patio and over to the balcony wall to gaze out over the formal gardens, across the lake to the towering mountains in the foreground.
Kyle was thrilled with the thawing of Shannon’s recent attitude, but was still cautiously following her lead. Shannon leaned against the wall and paused. It seemed like forever to Kyle, until she finally broke the silence.
“I know I’ve been a bit of a bitch but I was really trying to rationalize what you were trying to say to me,” she said. Kyle started to interject his apologies for how badly it had gone. Shannon stopped him before he had a chance to get going.
“It’s really okay, Kyle. I really do get how incredibly awkward it must have been for you. I don’t know what made me attack you that way.” Kyle swallowed hard then took the chance. Reaching over, he drew Shannon to look at him face to face. By then, Shannon had dropped her chin and was awkwardly fingered her bracelet. Kyle bent his head and gently rested his forehead on hers. He moved his hands from her shoulders where they rested, to run them down her arms, finally taking her hands in his. They stood there for several moments before Kyle lifted his head, and cupping her chin in his hand, gently tilted her head until her eyes met his.
“You know, Shannon, I’ve loved you for a long time,” Kyle said. He searched her eyes as they gradually filled with tears. Kyle brought her face to his chest and as he gathered her in, he softly whispered, “A very long time. I swear I’ll never hurt you again.” They stood there, rocking and cuddling, oblivious to the growing volume of the crowd inside.

Ian was a very attentive host. The crowd now included Parker, the road manager, and Jane, the band’s publicist. Both of them arrived earlier that afternoon to pull together the final details, before their opening concert Sunday in Vancouver. The lads arrived shortly after the group and although they arrived alone, it wasn’t long before a trio of ladies joined them. It was all too obvious that they had met the lads at one of the clubs.
Ian was standing beside Connie’s chair, enjoying the easy conversation with Darren and the girls, when Brad and Charlotte made their entrance. Charlotte looked totally pulled together in a shear, flowing gold and turquoise blouse over a turquoise netted camisole. She paired this with clingy, low rise beige palazzo pants. The Jimmy Choo shoes, while impressive, were overshadowed by her spectacular earrings. Connie was dazzled by the earrings the moment Charlotte and Brad came in. Brad and his partner Brett owned Northern Impression Custom Jewellery and Gift Shop uptown. Brett was a master goldsmith and had produced some of the most exquisite pieces Connie had ever seen. Charlotte had worn her long, almost platinum blond hair down. It was gently curled, and the flowing tresses framed the neck of her blouse. But the earrings were truly spectacular and everything else was merely there to showcase them.
Charlotte moved over to the couch after introductions, as Ian guided Brad over to the bar to retrieve drinks for he and Charlotte.
“What a lovely suite,” said Charlotte. “I’ve always loved this particular décor.” The girls all agreed and the flow of conversation soon moved to the various aspects of the luxurious suite.
Nomi was aglow as Darren, seeing that Charlotte had made herself comfortable in the second wing-back, seemed as into the conversation as the girls. He could have easily excused himself and joined in one of the more manly conversations, but it was obvious that he was enjoying the proximity to Nomi that his place on the couch afforded him.
“I’ve always thought this suite captured the true spirit and grandeur of a Grande Chateau of that particular era,” Darren said. Connie caught his eye and gave him a smile and a wink. Darren was amazingly adaptable. He was like a chameleon with his ability to assume almost any required persona. This trait made him one of the most sought after employees and there was never any shortage of shift offers from the department managers.
Charlotte was a touch over-animated as she tossed her head about to lean into a laugh or to turn to engage in the conversation. With each movement, the earrings danced. Their design was unique: they corkscrewed seamlessly in a 2 ½ inch long gold spiral from the back, approximately 1 ½ inch wide. From the front hung a string of diamonds on a thin 1 inch long gold spear with a large tear drop pearl at the end, all of which hung down through the centre of the spiral. After you were caught by their sheer beauty, you were left to speculate as to how they were affixed through her pierced ears. Jen finally decided to bite.
“Those are absolutely gorgeous earrings you have on tonight, Charlotte. They’re so interesting. How do they go on?” she asked.
“That’s the best part of the design. These are a wedding gift from Brad. When we were in the designing phase, it was essential that they be secure in the ear, what with all that’s going on with them and the value. So Brett came up with this design. You see, you actually screw them in, following the flow of the spiral. There is exactly the same ratio of weight front to back. I told Brett that I would probably never wear anything so extravagant if there was a chance I could lose them. So that’s how the design came about,” she answered, as she gave a brief demonstration to Jen while the others looked on.
As Brad and Ian rejoined the group to stand beside the arm chairs, Nomi and Darren excused themselves and made their way through the French doors to the deck.
“Hey, man, how’s it going?” Darren asked Kyle as they joined the couple at the balcony wall. They all stood around chatting, grateful for the intimacy their foursome was providing. Shannon was a little quiet, laughing as required and happy with the fit she found under Kyle’s arm as he draped it over her shoulder.
Darren gently placed his hand in the small of Nomi’s back as he piloted her through the doors. He had since moved it around to her waist as he pulled her in to rest against his side. Both girls were in true bliss. They would later admit that they could barely recall any of the conversation, although they were out there for at least 20 minutes before Connie and Ian made their way out for some much needed fresh air.
“There you all are. We were almost starting to feel abandoned,” said Connie, captivating Ian’s attention with every word.
“What time did you say Tyson was arriving,” she asked Darren while lazily sipping on her generous glass of wine.
“Probably a little after 9:00pm. Surely you didn’t leave Jen to entertain Charlotte all by herself now, did you?” asked Darren in mock accusation.
“Hardly,” replied Connie. “I think she has caught the eye of Ian’s friend Parker. Not to worry, though. Jen can definitely handle the onslaught. But you’re right. We really should get back and rescue her.”
The food was just making its way down the hall on large serving trays and a cart with the chafing dishes of hot appetizers. Tyson met up with them just as they were about to enter the suite. It had been a fairly easy day, with no major incidents and he was feeling excited and perhaps even mischievous as he put his hand on the arm of one of the staff.
“Hey, would you mind if I made a bit of an entrance?” he asked. He quickly filled them in on his plan and they all entered with Tyson following in the rear.
With a serving towel draped over his arm and a small serving tray of hors d'oeuvres and cocktail napkins, he made his way through the crowded room, offering the guests delectables with a great deal of flair and bravado. Their group was barely holding it together as he was making up culinary descriptions as he went along. Turning to Jen he explained, in a surprisingly decent French accent, the advantages of her accepting one of his treats.
“It is guaranteed to heighten the enjoyment of your evening, in ways I dare not describe, Mademoiselle,” he said. By then everyone was laughing as Tyson could no longer keep a straight face.
Introductions were made by Darren, soon followed by Ian ushering them over to the bar to get Tyson settled into a beer. Jen rose to join the girls and the vacated couch was soon taken over by the lads and their guests. Charlotte joined the girls while the guys were deep into chilling, careful not to stray far from where the bar was set up.
The main dishes were set up and an extra server was at hand for the entrée course. The food was exceptional. In addition to the usual fare, there were bite sized croquettes, a soft potato, bacon and spicy vegetable ball tossed in crumbs and deep-fried, salad rolls, and California sushi rolls with a light Soya sauce and wasabi. The hands-down crowd favourite were the marinated Portobello mushrooms smothered in caramelized onions and roasted red peppers topped with melted gruyere cheese. Each mushroom was cut into wedges and served like miniature slices of pizza. Shannon couldn’t stop smiling as she nibbled on hers, giving Kyle a thumbs up. In addition to being Shannon’s favorite, this was one of Kyle’s signature appetizers and she knew he definitely had a hand in their creation.
Ian made sure that the patio heaters were on by then, in order to take the slight chill off the evening air. Connie motioned for Jen to join her on the patio as one of the servers moved off to bring them fresh drinks.
“Isn’t this just the best time?” said Jen as they found a set of chairs and made themselves comfortable as the server set down their drinks.
“Fabulous edibles,” said Connie as she leaned over and did a mock scan of the surroundings. “Do you think anyone would notice if I just undid the top button?” she asked as she leaned back and slightly lifted her shirt to reveal her jeans’ waist band.
“Do so at your own risk. You’re obviously forgetting Haley’s Birthday barbeque. Remember us trying to pin my pants back together after I loosened them and blew the teeth on the zipper when I sat down?”
“OHHH! I almost forgot,” said Connie as they broke into laughter. “The funniest part was trying to get you back up so we could get you to her bedroom without your pants falling off.”
The girls couldn’t stop laughing as the clinked their glasses in acknowledgement that even though Haley was now gone, the best tribute they could do was not to forget to share in their fondest memories. They would forever keep her near.