to go to dinner in San Francisco and stay at our apartment in the city. The staff were given the night off, although cleaners would be arriving at ten in the morning to make sure the house was pristine before my parents returned. Everything was nearly ready.
As soon as our parents disappeared outside, I rushed to the back of the house, where the others had been listening out for the sound of the front door closing.
“Freedom!” I yelled, sliding across the kitchen tiles with my hands in the air.
Everyone whooped, and Turner pushed the button on the blender, getting the first batch of margaritas going as Mena grabbed glasses from the cupboard. Harlow pushed a few buttons on her phone, and music started pounding through the speaker system installed in the ceiling.
“Thank fuck.” Amaya headed straight for the back patio, lighting a cigarette before she was even fully out of the house.
Harlow handed me a margarita, and I took it absentmindedly, mentally running through the checklist.
The staff had put up balloons and streamers in the main areas and cleared away some of the expensive, breakable items.
It was too cold to go in the pool in October, so the party would be in the main living area and on the patio where Amaya was smoking. A fire pit with chairs and blankets was set up and just waiting for the strike of a match.
Magda had prepared mountains of food.
I had a cake with eighteen candles ready to go in the fridge.
Drew and Will were bringing enough beer and spirits to give us all alcohol poisoning.
“Harlow, is the playlist ready to go?”
She nodded and planted her ass on the island counter next to the blender. “Yep! All of Mena’s faves mixed in with some bangers!”
“Amaya!” I called out to the patio as Turner poured the drinks.
She startled me by leaning over my shoulder and stealing my untouched margarita. “No need to shout. I’m right here.” She took a sip, giving me a teasing look over the salted rim.
“Guest list update,” I demanded.
“Should be just over a hundred. There’s always a few last-minute additions though.”
Mena choked on her drink. “A hundred?! We don’t even have that many people in our senior year. I don’t even know that many people!”
“You can’t have a Devilbend Dynasty party and expect under a hundred people.” Amaya shrugged and took another sip.
I stole my drink back and glared at her before addressing my cousin. “It’s just one of those things. If you invite certain people, certain others expect an invitation too. Then word spreads, and everyone wants to come so they can be seen at one of our parties, and it just kind of snowballs. Don’t worry about it. All your friends will be here, and we’ll have a great time.”
“Yeah, baby. Just enjoy it. You deserve a fun night.” Turner wrapped an arm around Mena’s shoulders and kissed her temple.
Harlow, Amaya, and I made a loud, over-the-top aww. They were so cute it was making me sick. Will never made me smile the way Mena was smiling at Turner now.
I finally took a sip of the margarita, and my eyes widened. “Jesus, fuck!”
Harlow had been the one putting the ingredients in the blender when I’d gone to the foyer to see our parents off. I frowned reproachfully at her.
“What?” She smiled sweetly.
“This is really strong.”
“So?”
“So let’s not write ourselves off before the party even starts, OK?”
“Yes, mom.” She rolled her eyes, and the others chuckled.
I glared at them but chose to let it go. This was Mena’s day.
We hung out for a bit, chatting and laughing, then headed upstairs to get ready.
A few hours later, I felt as if I could declare this party a success. Music was pumping, and a dance floor had been established in the living room. The cake had been presented to the birthday girl as a hundred people sang her “Happy Birthday.” People were drinking, laughing, and talking around the firepit, some of them smoking pot.
I’d hardly had time to have two drinks all night, but now I could finally take a bit of a break. My indigo dress rode up my thighs as I leaned over the island. Amaya had helped me pick it out the last time we went shopping. It clung to my curves and had long sheer sleeves and a completely sheer back. Careful not to knock anything over, I grabbed the vodka bottle.
Someone came up behind me, beer breath washing over my cheek as their hands landed