Erica pulled her small red car into the marina's parking lot. She turned towards her friend Denn, who let out a yawn and a stretch. He turned to her too, looking bored and tired from the long drive, and Erica got out of the car. She stood next to her closed car door and smoothed her jacket while Denn took his time getting out. When she finally saw him emerge, she started to walk towards the party.

Denn matched stride with his friend. He checked his phone as he walked. [color=#b3955a]"8:10... Looks like we're right on time,"[/color] he commented. Rica didn't answer, of course. Good thing he hadn't been expecting her to. As they approached the docks, Denn heard some music coming from a boat on the water. The tune was familiar, but he didn't recognize the singer. Probably something he'd heard on the radio without really paying attention. Erica, on the other hand, recognized Jennings Taylor. She liked his music well enough, even if she wasn't particularly a fan of his. She thought she remembered hearing something about a tour in Europe, but she didn't really follow celebrity news. It must have been some other singer who'd gone to Europe.

Erica walked past a man who greeted her, and she nodded in response. Denn flashed a smile at him when he heard his name. Erica wondered how the man knew Denn's name, since there had been no RSVPs, and her name was the only one on the invitation.

Denn looked around, aware of how high society everyone seemed, hoping nobody would notice how cheap his suit was. Luckily for him, Erica was the one attracting all the glances -- her manly dress style prompted some curious looks. She didn't mind. She ignored the looks. She followed Denn as he noticed the bar and promptly bee-lined to it. She wondered if drinks were free. She didn't usually drink, but Denn did.

Approaching the bar, Denn and Erica both noticed a small gathering of people close to their age. Another woman and a girl who was probably her daughter had just joined the group. After ordering a drink -- they were indeed free -- Denn sauntered over to them.
[color=#b3955a]"Hi everybody! Isn't this a nice bar? I'm Alden Taverner, but feel free to call me Denn."[/color] He turned around and ushered Rica, who was lingering one step behind him, into the circle. [color=#b3955a]"This here is my friend Rica Allie. Just friends, mind you,"[/color] he winked at nobody in particular.

Erica wondered if she should correct him about her name. She didn't really feel like saying anything. [color=#9d9d82]"I am Erica."[/color], she interjected anyway, which earned her a surprised glance from Denn. Better to set them straight now than later. Leaving Denn to continue the conversation, she stepped back again. She smiled sympathetically at the girl in the pretty light blue dress, who looked kind of stiff, like she had to force herself to look like she was enjoying the party. Erica understood the sentiment, even though she did not share it. It was actually shaping out to be a pleasant evening. Such a pretty little town, and so many new faces to take in.


((edit:typo))