THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY (PART 1)

Jade straightened her dress once again and ran her fingers through her open hair.

"Jade you look perfect!" Exclaimed Nicole who had entered the party with her.

Jade had been fidgeting with her dress and hair every two seconds.

She looked nervous and she kept wringing her hands.

"I know. Sorry. I'm just....." Jade started saying.

"Extremely nervous." Nicole finished the sentence for her.

"Yes."

Nicole laughed at the pained look on Jade's face.

She was looking beautiful in the black sleeveless dress.

"Nicky... Come here. Steve wants to talk to you." Jason said coming towards where they both were standing.

He had been pulled away by an excited and kind of nervous Steve as soon as the three of them walked into the party.

Nicole turned to Jade with a questioning glance.

"Go. I'll be fine! Don't worry." Jade said.

"You sure?"

Jade smiled, "I'll be fine! Go! Jason take her."

Nicole walked away with Jason while Jade went deeper into the room.

The room was crowded with people standing in groups chatting while sipping from their glasses.

She noticed Emma talking to someone. She looked beautiful in a blue dress.

She looked relaxed and laid back, completely unlike what she looked the first day they met.

Where was Alec?

She did not want to meet Alec today.

It was his party. His house. But she was going to do all she could to avoid coming face to face with him.

She started looking at people around her, smiling at the people she knew.

Suddenly she heard someone clear their throat from behind her.

She turned around, to see Matt standing opposite her.

.................

Matt was standing behind her, a smile on his face and his hands shoved in the pockets of his dark blue trousers.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" Then she realised how she sounded, "Sorry that sounded rude."

Matt laughed, "No it didn't. Emma called me and invited me to the party."

"Emma? How does she have your number?"

Why had Emma called Matt for the engagement party even though they barely knew each other?

"Well you gave her the number." He replied simply, "You look gorgeous by the way."

But the compliment didn't register in Jade's mind, "I didn't give her your number. I would remember if I had."

"Well you gave my number to Nicole, didn't you?"

Jade nodded, "Yes but that was ages back."

"Yeah... So Nicole gave the number to Jason, Jason gave it to Steve. Then Steve gave my number to Julia, she gave it to Mrs Carter and then Mrs Carter gave it to Emma. That's how she got my number."

"So how does that mean I gave her your number?" Jade asked with a confused look.

"Transitivity!"

"What's that?"

"It's a geometry thing. A is equal to B. B is equal to C. Then A is equal to C." Matt grinned.

"You're such a nerd!" Jade laughed.

"But the nerd got a smile to your face." He said.

Jade smiled, "Yes he did."

"So you came?"He asked.

"So I came."

"So did you speak to Alec?"

"So... No I've been a coward."

"So you're going to ignore him?"

"So.... Well yes kind of." Jade said laughing at her own stupidity.

How did she expect to ignore someone in their own house, during their engagement party.

"That's going to be tough." Matt said with a grin.

"You can say that again."

They both looked at each other and started laughing.

.....................

So she had come.

And she had got that doctor with her again.

Alec was supposed to be talking to Sheriff Preston. But instead of paying attention to what he was saying Alec was busy trying to catch glimpses of Jade.

The room was crowded and people kept coming in the way.

She was standing near the back of the room with Matt and they were talking and exchanging huge smiles.

"Alec... Sorry Sheriff can I borrow my fiancé for a minute?" Emma came from nowhere and stood next to Alec.

"Sure! Sure!" The jolly man guffawed.

Emma pulled Alec by his arm and started walking across the room with her hand tightly wound around his arm.

"Susan is introducing my parents to Amanda and her husband... It's Stuart right? So I thought we should introduce Jade too." She started saying while she dragged him in the general direction of where Jade was standing.

"She looks busy. Later maybe." Alec tried to make excuses.

Emma turned her face to him with a grin on it, "They look so cute, don't they?"

"They?"

"Matt and Jade! I invited Matt myself. I think they really look good together."

So Emma had invited Matt and not Jade.

Was Emma trying to act matchmaker with those two?

By the time Alec digested the fact that Emma was trying to get them together, they reached the place where they were standing.

"Jade!" Emma exclaimed and hugged her.

This was the girl who somedays back had spilled wine on Jade's dress.

"I'm so glad you could make it." Emma continued once they pulled back from the hug.

"I had to come. And anyways... Congratulation! I have to see the ring."

"Thanks! Here..." Emma held out her hand with a smile and Jade saw the ring which Alec had given her.

It was a traditional ring with a square cut diamond set in a platinum ring.

"It beautiful." Jade said, "Not bad Alec."

Alec who had been staring at Jade till then managed to bring a small smile on his face.

"Congrats to both of you!" Matt spoke up.

"Thank you Matt! I'm so glad you could make it too." Emma said, "Now I want both of you to meet my parents. Come."

.....................

"Mother this is Jade Tucker, Alec's best friend from when they were children. And Jade these are my parents."

Emma had almost dragged all three of them to the other side of the crowded room to make the introductions.

"Hello Ma'am. Nice to meet you Sir." Jade smiled at the couple standing in front of her.

Looking at Paula Burns gave her a glimpse of what Emma will look like 30 years from now.

She had the same face structure as her daughter and though Emma was a little taller than her mother they looked really similar.

"Hello Jade." Paula smiled.

Best friends is it? Then why was Alexander look at this girl with those glimmering eyes, she thought.

"Isn't Jade a lovely name!" Mark said while shaking Jade's hand.

"And this is Matthew Damon. He's a doctor and he's also Jade's boyfriend." Emma said cheerfully.

At her words, both Alec and Jade started coughing loudly. While Matt stood there with a grin on his face.

"Well actually..." Jade started saying when she recovered from her coughing fit. "We are not...."

"They broke up some days back." Alec completed for her.

Mark smiled, "Well Matthew I would love to have a chat with you sometime. You see our company deals with pharmaceuticals."

With this both Mark and Matt stepped away from the group and soon were busy talking about common acquaintances and experiences in the field of medicine.

"So Alexander and Jade, how did you both come to be such good friends?" Paula asked.

If Emma noticed the smirk and sarcasm on her mother's face she didn't let it bother her.

"Well we met in kindergarten." Alec started.

Jade followed him, "Yes and we became friends. Our moms are really good friends, too."

"Oh yes. I just met her. Amanda Tucker and Stuart Tucker." The older lady said. "But I always found it surprising when people from opposite sexes became good friends."

Where exactly was this conversation heading?, wondered Jade.

"They never had that problem, did you'll?" Emma spoke up.

Before either of them could say anything they were saved by Julia who walked upto where they were standing.

"Jade I need to talk to you. Hi Paula, Emma and Alec!" She said nodding at the others and then tugging at Jade's hand.

Julia was looking really pretty in a silver cocktail dress with black gladiator sandals. Her golden curls were pulled into a casual up do.

"Okay. Please excuse me." Jade followed Julia to the dining room which was empty and quite. "So what's the matter?"

"I've got to give you some news!"

There was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes and she couldn't bring the smile off of her face.

"News? What's going on exactly Julia?" Jade asked propping her hip on the dining table and making herself comfortable.

Julia clasped her hands and said, "I'm pregnant!"

"What!? Really? Oh that's such great news! Congrats!" Jade hugged Julia.

"Thanks! I'm so happy."

"And I'm so happy for you. When's the baby due?" Jade asked.

"Somewhere near Christmas."

"That is so cool. A Christmas baby!"

It's surprising how talk of babies and kids makes all the other matters in your life seem small.

Giving birth to a baby. Bringing a new life to this world is just a magical thing.

Jade forgot about all the problem in her life as she listened to Julia tell her about all their plans and preparations.

"I'm so happy for you. I can't wait for the baby to get here. And I have to talk to Steve." Jade said.

There was a knock on the door to the dining room both the women turned around to see Alec standing at the door.

He somehow looked tired while looking handsome in the black trousers and dark grey shirt he was wearing.

"Hello!" He said.

He was looking straight at Jade.

"Hi Alec! I was just giving Jade the good news. But what are you doing here? People outside are waiting to talk to you." Julia said, walking up to him.

"I know. But I need to talk to Jade for a few minutes." Alec replied, his eyes were still trained on Jade.

Jade frowned, "Me?"

"Yes."

Jade knew what he wanted to talk about. The kiss.

And she was not interested in talking about it.

"You should seriously wait... I mean... It's your party and you need to meet people." Jade tried to make excuses.

Alec turned to Julia, "Will you handle things outside? It will take us a few minutes."

"Okay. But you have a time limit. And if Emma asks about you I'm coming to get you." She agreed and left the room.

"We'll be on the front porch." Alec called out behind her and then motioned for Jade to walk through the door of the front porch.

Reluctantly Jade agreed and she walked out into the starry night.

...................