Juliet placed the silver pearl chandelier earrings in her ears, dropping one to the floor with her shaky hands.
"It's been forever." She whispered to herself, slipping the fallen earring into her ear. She took a step back to examine herself in the mirror. The dress was a deep, elegant burgundy that kissed the floor and swooshed with each step. She slung the shrug over her shoulders, thinking of when she had received it.
"It's for you." Ethan said, beaming, handing it to her. "For everyone's favorite baby doctor!"
Juliet looked puzzled, as she gazed at the white fur shrug.
"It's a white rabbit shrug….From Ben." He added. Juliet half nodded, taking the sleek fur in her arms. As soon as Ethan had left, she remembered seeing two snow white rabbits caged on Ben's coffee table two days ago. Dropping the thing with nausea, Juliet abruptly proceeded to toss the contents in her stomach into the sink.
Juliet gathered her clutch, and then walked outside onto the balcony. The party was already starting, with spotlights and secrets littered among the elusive crowd in the giant courtyard of the Uganda Embassy.
"Follow the music." Juliet thought to herself. It was dark, powerful piano music that she followed, until it invaded her ears, clear and cleanly cut. The woman perched behind the grand ivory piano was surrounded by tuxedo-laden suitors, who stood around her to listen to her adaptation of Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp Minor, or more direct men who placed tiffany boxes tied with blue bows under the cushioned piano seat where she played. She was petite, with dark hair and freckles that made her look sixteen. As soon as her brown eyes looked up to Juliet, she immediately stopped playing and beamed.
"Zuliet!" She said, an accent defying the 'J'. She stood up. "Oh, leave me for a moment." She said, brushing off the suitors, who reluctantly left. Juliet's eyes were wide, as the pianist named Hannah Linusmanch tugged her arm into an empty sitting room, away from curious ears.
" 'ow are you?" Hannah asked, taking Juliet in a sisterly hug. Juliet smiled. "Wonderful. You don't have to keep the accent around me, you know."
Hannah's smile faded. She looked around, and shut the doors, locking them. She drew the curtains across the wavy century old glass that touted the party in the courtyard, and bathed the room in dark.
"Widmore isn't here yet." Hannah said, in a normal American accent. "We were expecting him to arrive soon, along with the Mercenary Group."
Juliet groped around for a chair and sat down. "We?"
"Charlotte's here as well. She's serving hor'dourves."
Juliet smiled blindly as Hannah continued. "How did you get off the island?"
"That's a story I'm not willing to tell just yet.."
"Have you seen Ben?"
The question echoed in Juliet's mind. She could almost see the concerned passionate expression on her friend's face, whispering intimately of the air that troubled her mouth.
"No, I haven't, Annie."