The combination of ice water and a few moments of solace to collect herself did wonders in easing Maya’s nerves, at least temporarily. She was somewhat glad that she was among the first to arrive, if there were to be many guests filing this lavish abode shortly. This gave her time to prepare for their arrival. What would she say… and who should she be? Everything about this place and situation was unknown, and it was enough to put even the most tranquil of souls on edge.
Maya sipped from the crystal glass in her hands as she explored the great hall. It was finely decorated, from the rugs to the furniture to the art on the walls, everything had a purpose in enhancing the overall aesthetic. The color scheme and intentional placement of each piece led Maya to believe that one of the Wolfes had a keen eye for interior design, or they hired someone who did to decorate the place. Judging by how they had spared no expense thus far, Maya presumed the latter to be true.
The student paused in her meandering to inspect one piece of art in particular. There were four pieces, actually, but they arranged in a square to form one cohesive work. It was a depiction of a landscape with a field, a forested area, and mountains in the distant background. The perspective of the landscape was identical in all four paintings, but the seasons differed: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Maya’s gaze settled on the last — snowy and serene. The whites, grays, and delicate lilac and periwinkle hues were peaceful and calming. To date, Maya had never seen snow in real life, and she wondered briefly if it snowed in Montana. She wondered if snow made you feel the way that this painting did.
“Did you need a refill there, ma’am?” A voice asked from beside her.
With a slight startle, the young brunette peered to the side before turning to fully face the new person. Maya looked down at her now empty water glass — she had been a little dehydrated after that mid-flight tequila sunrise, apparently. She slowly spun the glass clockwise and counter-clockwise in her fingertips as she eyed the stranger warily. “That depends… are you a visitor, or a host?” Maya inquired cryptically, not that she was sure she could trust one more than the other at this point. Regardless, it was good to know who she was up against.
With a slight chuckle, Andrew looked down at his attire and then back at Maya. A raised eyebrow was followed by a smirk as he cast his eyes down at the scuffed boots beneath bootcut jeans and an untucked flannel shirt. To the middle aged man himself, his clothing didn’t exactly scream ‘socialite’ but he supposed if this woman was in the same situation as he was then it was understandable that she couldn’t be too careful, especially when meeting new people. Brushing aside his open suede leather jacket, Andrew put a hand to his hip as he looped a thumb between his wide leather belt and the waist of his jeans.
“Oh no, pretty sure if I had that kind of money, Montana would be one of the last places I’d want to reside.” He chucked before motioning back towards the glass.
“Did you still want that-” Andrew opened his mouth to repeat his question but the pair were interrupted as others began to pour into the room, soon followed by one of their esteemed hosts. He was an obnoxious young man, flamboyant and gaudy, Andrew noted as the young Wolfe made his way around the room. But there was something about Ezra that made Andrew’s skin crawl and he found himself very uncomfortable in the presence of the smug, arrogant young heir.
Thankfully the tension was relatively eased by the departure of Heather and the emergence of another Wolfe. Turning his gaze away from the woman he had been speaking to, Andrew watched the young heiress take control of the room as his gaze moved to the young woman’s perfect legs. Tracing her slender calves up to the short, fitted dress, Andrew found himself having to repress a low whistle as Valentina introduced herself to the group. There was a subtle authority to her words as she emphasized her position as Ezra’s elder.. What she lacked in outward expression, she more than made up in presence as she stood and addressed the group, her quiet voice somehow crystal clear over any other noise in the room.
Leaning back in his chair, Andrew began to relax as the introductions came to a close. Turning turned back towards the woman he had previously addressed, Andrew re-engaged their previous conversation from before they were interrupted by their hosts as he motioned towards the pitcher in the center of the table..
“I don’t suppose you still want that glass of water?” Andrew asked with a humored half smile as he stood up from his chair and took a step towards Maya. Brushing some unkempt tousles away from his face and tucking them behind his left ear, Andrew extended his right hand as he introduced himself to the woman.
“My name is Andrew by the way, Andrew Wright.” He smiled, “Looks like we’ll be spending the next month together,” He added with a carefree shrug, “Well, us and four other strangers.” Andrew continued, letting out a soft chuckle as he subtly gestured with his head towards the rest of the group.
“I wouldn’t mind heading to my room to unpack. You wouldn’t happen to know the way by any chance would you?” He asked, taking a seat on the edge of the table as he relaxed his posture a little, feeling slightly more at ease with the introductions out of the way.
The artist watched the show that the Wolfe children put on, silently studying them with a keen eye. Ezra was familiar territory, believe it or not. Despite her meager upbringing, Maya rubbed elbows with her fair share of rich kids. Her university was full of them, in fact — private school snobs… and the students who were there on talent scholarships, like herself. Snobby they might be, Maya never judged them for it, and a number of her friends fell in that category. Ezra reminded Maya of her best friend Caiden, actually, and if not for the suspicious circumstances, she might be endeared by his flamboyant display.
Valentina put things more into perspective, asserting herself as the mature older sibling. She looked a proper femme fatale in that tight white dress, the kind of girl you’d need to watch your back around, lest a knife wind up in it. Maya might be judging a book by it’s cover a bit, sure, but she had to trust her instincts when they urged her to be cautious — especially in a place like this. The people and property might be beautiful, but it was all as fake and plastic as a barbie dream house. The only people that might not be frauds were the other guests.
“I do think I’ll take a glass for the road.” Maya responded to Andrew once there conversation started up once again, passing him her empty water cup. “Thank you.” She took a few moments to study this man as he went about fetching them drinks. He had a scruffy beard, calm eyes, and slightly unkempt hair that curled rebelliously around his ears. He looked a lot like the type of professor she might have at art school — relaxed, easy going, approaching middle-aged, but still stylish enough to be hip and attractive. Perhaps he was married, a catch like him probably wasn’t single, but who could be sure with that obvious lack of a haircut? Maya inconspicuously glanced down at his ring finger and a shiny gold band confirmed her original assumption. Married, probably with kids — he had a dad vibe going on.
“I’m Maya, nice to meet you.” She introduced herself as he passed her the now-full glass of water. After taking a refreshing sip, she shook her head no. “I have no idea, I didn’t get to do much exploring aside from the room we’re in. We can go get lost in this labyrinth together, though.” She suggested with a delicate, close-lipped smile.
A chuckle escaped from Andrew’s lips as he nodded his agreement and took the first steps forward. As the pair moved through the lavish halls, Andrew began to speak.
“Did you have far to travel, Maya?” He asked, “The Wolfes were kind enough to fly me from Virginia to Montana, so I can only assume that at least some of the others in our little group there were also travelled quite far.”
Maya picked up on the intentionally stressed tone of the word ‘kind’ and silently nodded, filing that knowledge away. Andrew was just as displeased to be here, so it seemed. “I flew in from Arizona… quite a change in scenery here. We might not be the furthest travelers though, that one gentleman had an accent.” She remarked, remembering the other latino from the room that she had yet to properly introduce herself to. There would be time for full introductions once she figured out where her room was, and what exactly was going on.
“What kind of people have an elevator in their house?” Maya commented quietly as she pushed the button for the next floor up. Was this just a rich person thing? Or maybe she was wrongfully judging them, and one of the Wolfes was wheelchair bound or something. Had there been ramps? She couldn’t recall. Looking over to the man accompanying her as they stepped out of the elevator, Maya asked a friendly question to gauge him. “You said Montana would be one of the last places you’d live if you had this kind of money… why is that? Is there something a desert dweller like myself should know, or is it just your preference?”
“It’s uh, I guess almost ignorant opinion, you could say.” Andrew replied with a subtle shrug. “I’ve just always seen Montana as a real redneck state” With a slight chuckle, he raised his hands in mock surrender as he continued to speak. “I know, I know, ‘but you’re from Virginia’ you say, but I don’t know, I’d just rather the Blue Ridge Mountains over the Rockies.” He paused, thinking for a second, “Are the Rockies even in Montana?” Shaking his head Andrew continued to walk alongside Maya as he went silent for a second, thinking his next answer through.
“I think if I was to ever move, it’d be somewhere warm, sunny and on a nice white sand beach.” Andrew stated solemnly. “Maybe somewhere along the Pacific, Hawaii sounds really good.” He added before turning to Maya, “What about you? Anywhere in particular that calls your name?”
“Hmm…” Maya hummed thoughtfully in reply. She thought of some of the more artistic cities that it would be fun to live in, but also considered her pride for staying in the US. “I guess if we’re talking extreme wealth, probably Paris. Seems artistic and romantic… but perhaps that’s just an outsider tourist’s take on it. As for places in the states, any of the bigger cities… New York, Chicago, San Fran.” She shrugged with a smile. “I think this is my room, number three.” Maya said, observing that her name was on a small sign below the number.
“Will you look at that,” Andrew exclaimed with slight surprise at having reached Maya’s destination already. “Looks like I chose the right person to get lost with after all, I guess I will see you at dinner?” He asked with a cheeky smile already knowing the answer.
“Do we have a choice?” Maya joked with a smirk and pushed open the door.
“My gut says…” Andrew paused, “No.” He stated flatly before speaking once more. So... I’ll see you there.” He added with a grin before giving Maya a short wave and heading towards the closest staircase.
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