As Heather extended her hands to expertly light his cigarette, the young man commented that it was best to start young. [color=BC8F8F]“Touché.”[/color] she replied simply, putting the lighter back in her clutch.

She continued to mindlessly blow smoke circles, staring out into the never-ending  blue ocean, enjoying the peace and quiet of it all. However, out of the corner of her green eyes, she noticed the young man shamelessly staring at her. It was as if he wasn't even fazed by the gorgeous sunset stretching out in front of them and into the distance. All he seemed to be interested in was her. 

Well, that was weird.

Heather turned to look straight at him. To her surprise, the handsome stranger sitting beside her didn't even pretend that he wasn't staring. His gaze remained on her, now locked in her emerald eyes eyes. Heather raised a questioning eyebrow at him, and in response got… A flirtatious smirk.

[color=BC8F8F]“What?”[/color] she asked him bluntly, looking away and taking a long drag of her cigarette.

[i][color=steelblue] “You don't seem to be as uptight as the rest of the Huntsberg clan... Or you could be really good at hiding it.”[/color][/i]

The corners of Heather’s mouth turned upward and into the shape of a smirk. It was a common observation made by people when they put two and two together and figured out to which family she belonged to.

[color=BC8F8F]“You’d be surprised.”[/color] Heather answered mysteriously. She let the words hang in the air, taking another drag before answering. [color=BC8F8F]“Once upon a time, in the beautiful city of Philadelphia, I fit the mold of a picture-perfect Duclerc daughter. Then I got to college and stopped caring.”[/color] she said matter-of-factly, adding a shurg at the end of her statement. Having just noticed her cigarette had reached the end of its life, the young woman extinguished it with the heel of her nude pumps and threw the stub into into a nearby bush. She gave the young man a long look up and down, silently studying him for and second before turning back to the ocean. [color=BC8F8F]“Looks like the same could be said about you.”[/color] she told him quietly, remembering the unknown family she’d seen around and assuming they were his. It was in the eyes.

There was a pause when only the leaves could be heard rusting before the brunette spoke up again. [color=BC8F8F]“Name's Heather.”[/color]

[hr][hr]
Holding hands, the young couple exited Audrey’s bedroom and made their way back to where the rest of the guests were. They were seen by Alexandros’ family, who offered them enthusiastic waves. Audrey waved back at them, noticing the triumphant glow in Adrianna’s eyes, the satisfied look im Ava’s face, and the less than excited look in Elijah’s. Another pang of guilt rippled through her, but was quickly distracted from it by Alex’s comment about Delilah.

Audrey smirked, playfully swatting his arm as they entered the drawing room. They had let go of each other's hand beforehand as to avoid any awkward questions. [color=deeppink]“Seriously, though, she's a pro. I always tease her she will be a formidable boss one day. Lils is never amused.”[/color]

As if on queue, the expectant crowd at the drawing room was asked by Elisabetta to be seated in the dining room, that dinner would be served. Excited murmurs rippled through the guests, which followed all the way to the dining room. It was here where Audrey and Alex were separated, each taking a seat in opposing sides of the table. The young woman sat beside her father and Romina, while her boyfriend sat beside his mother and brother. The chatter in the dining room died away as the plates were served, and after the Thanksgiving prayer had been said (by Delilah, to no surprise), the guests finally dug in.

[color=FFEBCD]“So, Audrey.”[/color] Arthur began in his ever cheerful tone. [color=FFEBCD]“I was talking to young Alexandros earlier, and he mentioned he attends Beverly Hills High. Did you guys happen to know each other before today?”[/color]

[color=deeppink]“I - uh-”[/color]Audrey stammered, looking around at some her fellow diners. She hadn't expected to be put in the spotlight so quckly, much less in front of her whole family. Ava Mossos had a mischievous smile in her face, but a look from her mother instantly quelled her. Romina was looking amused, while Delilah had a case of the silent giggles. The Huntsberg girl secretly prayed the floor would ope and swallow her. [color=deeppink]“I mean, it's a [i]really[/i] big school.”[/color] she contined, still unsure of whether to lie or not. Finally, her eyes landed on Alexandros, and she read the reassuring look on his face. [i][color=dodgerblue]It’s okay.[/color][/i] 

[color=deeppink]“But, um, yeah, we have. He's okay.”[/color] she told her father, brown eyes falling back on Alex with a soft smile, her gaze playful. [color=deeppink]“He’s a pretty cool guy, but he has a [i]huge[/i] ego.”[/color]