A few hours later . . .
"Clary. Clary. Clary! CLARY!"
"Hu, what?" I sat up as Simon grinned down at me.
"Wake up, we're here." He let go of my shoulders as I unbuckled my seatbelt and got off the car. It was a lush place with quaint cabins, a large lake, a clubhouse, and a fence that must have been for the employee lodging.
"Wow, this place is . . . nice." I smiled as I managed to inhale clean air with the smell of trees and something cooking.
"I'm starving!" Simon stretched out as Luke began unloading the car, a bellhop boy suddenly appeared with a grin slapped on his face as the hotel manager approached Luke, they shook hands and exchanged greetings as my mom was introduced as Mrs. Garroway. After they finished speaking, my mother suggested we wash up and have lunch. I looked down at my worn out jeans and paint-stained flannel top along with my old boots and decided a change of clothes and hot shower wouldn't hurt; my hair needed a good washing and brushing. I looked around and noticed quite a few good looking guys around and I felt the sudden need to wear makeup.
I walked out of the shower and decided a simple floral dress and sandals would do fine; my red hair began curling. I used a bit of brown eye shadow and black mascara to bring out my green eyes and hopefully hide my freckles. I heard a knock at my door.
"Come in." I continued to look into the mirror as Simon walked in.
"Is my bowtie straight?" Simon held out his hands, he had a goofy look on his face, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose and his dark hair was gelled back for once. He had on a pair of dark denim jeans, old converse and a button down blue shirt with a dark blue tie.
"Fancy." I smiled at him as he raised his thick eyebrows in a distinguished manor.
"Names Lewis, Simon Lewis." He held the ends of his bowtie as I walked up to him, fixing his bowtie as I heard my mother calling for us.
"Let's go Mr. Lewis." I took his arm as we walked to the clubhouse.
It was more exquisite on the inside than the outside, there were several crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling providing bright lighting, the tables were decorated with cream linens with gold designs, fine China set neatly on the table along with sparkling silverware and cloth napkins folded like swans atop each plate.
"Toto, we're not in Brooklyn anymore." Simon observed as I nodded in agreement.
"Lovely." Jocelyn smiled, holding onto Luke, they looked like a newly wed couple (which they were, if you count being married for two and a half years still newly weds). My mother wore a deep green floor-length summer dress with gold gladiator sandals, a thick gold bracelet and a pair of colorful stud earrings. Her dark red hair was pinned to the side with a flower pin I bought her for Mother's day; she looked regal, like a goddess, Luke on the other hand wore his best pair of jeans and a "vacation" flannel shirt (or so as he described) with little palm trees on it, his scraggly brown hair managing to stay out of his eyes and his glassed pushed up the bridge of his nose. We were seated and glanced at the menu, ordering and waiting while we chatted on about our summer plans. I looked around and noticed the majority working were young, attractive, waiters and seating-hostesses. Some waiters had fair skin with light eyes, others with golden skin and dark eyes, what was interesting were those with a mixture of dark and light; though each face had its own uniqueness to it. Square jaws, round faces, slim faces, curvy figures, athletic builds, small frames, straight hair, curly hair, wavy hair and all so diverse. I felt the urge to take out a sketchpad and some pencils and charcoal but suddenly I realized someone was calling my name.
"Clary." I noticed it was Luke who was gingerly calling my name, he was asking me if I'd like to go out on the lake with him, my mom and Simon the next morning.
"Oh uh, sure." I didn't have anything against the idea, I just wished there was something more invigorating to do, call it young adult hormones, but honestly I couldn't stand the idea of being out on a canoe all morning very "fun."
"We can take a picnic and stop by one of the small beach areas." My mom said as Simon began describing some video game similar to Friday the Thirteenth.
Later that evening we were lead into the main ballroom where music was playing, a slow waltz, Luke and my mother were dancing and I sat at a small table with Simon. Suddenly the tempo of the music began to change, a sudden drum beat completely changed the genre to a Latin tango as a beautiful couple came into the center of the ballroom. The woman (though she must have been around seventeen or eighteen) wore a deep red knee-length dress, a ruby pendent sat firmly around her swan neck, black hair curled and pinned in place, dark eyes hidden beneath long curled lashed, bold red lips curled into a smile, and long curved legs with silver sparkly six inch heals held up a stunning prima donna dancer. Her partner wasn't so bad looking either, with blond hair gelled back, his hair longer on top then on the sides, he had the build of a dancer but a devilish face. He knew he was attractive, his blue and brown eyes looking about the room without the movement of his angular face, he had on a nice suit with a bowtie and not a single wrinkle in his shirt. Suddenly the couple moved fluidly, as if they were one body and soul moving to the rhythm. The only word I could use to describe was breathtaking; I knew by the looks in the room that anyone would want to be with her, him, or both. My heart stopped beating as we made sudden eye contact, and though he had his attention back on his partner, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I'd do anything to be in her shoes, I thought as he lifted her into the air, spinning her as they separated and began dancing with the older onlookers in the room.
