A/N: Sorry, it's taken so long. I didn't mean to leave this one so long, but it happens. This chapter was fun to write. I think it's pretty characteristic. At least I hope it is. I tried to fit in some of those details you love so much; clothes, drinks, etc . . . I realize the second season has already started but I doubt seriously I discuss any of the happenings, but I haven't really decided. As I said this chapter was fun to write. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Again, I don't own anything except the first season on DVD. It all belongs to Fox and the genius we know as Josh Schwartz. No copyright infringement necessary.
On with the show . . . .
Julie Cooper Nichol was right. It was the party of the year. It was definitely going to be ranked as one of Newport's greatest affairs. Someone had even exclaimed that this was the best party they had been to since Truman Capote's Black & White Ball of 1966. However, that same person had had six Grey Goose Martini's already and didn't look to be slowing down. Another person who didn't seem to be slowing down was Kirsten Cohen. She looked stunning in her silk, magenta Marc Jacobs number that paired perfectly with her third Cosmopolitan. Having her father married to Julie would do a number on anyone.
"Kiki, you look beautiful." Caleb replied, as he kissed his daughter's cheek.
"Thanks, Dad. This is some party." Kirsten answered.
"It was all Julie. This was her idea of an end-of-summer bash. The caterer cost me a bundle, but isn't it worth it for Maine lobster and Maryland King crab legs?"
"At least you didn't have to charge it on your company's Visa, huh Caleb?" Sandy loved making snide remarks against his father-in-law. And he still wondered where Seth got his sarcasm.
After giving Sandy the Nichol glare, Caleb retreated to the bar.
"Do you have to anger my Dad every time you see him?" Kirsten asked her husband.
"It's a gift!" He exclaimed with a wide smirk.
On the other side of the party, Seth and Summer were throwing down, both with their Coast Casual attire. Summer made sure she was dressed for the occasion with a gorgeous, turquoise Roberto Cavalli covered in white hydrangeas and her grandmother's pearls. Summer also dressed Seth in Burberry with a linen khaki suit paired with a turquoise and cobalt plaid Oxford which of course matched her dress. In their fabulous outfits, Summer had previously called them, they danced to some inane Sinatra tune.
"You guys look great." Marissa complimented, interrupting their dance along with Ryan and Theresa.
"Don't even, Coop. That gown looks fab on you! I'm so jealous." Marissa had been waiting for an occasion to wear her Oscar de la Renta sear-sucker gown and golden Stella McCartney mules. "And I must say, Theresa, you look so great. Is that Koos? I'm impressed."
"It's Marissa's. By the way, thanks for the shoes. It's a wonder my swollen feet even fit into them!" They all chuckled.
"Don't mention it!" Summer had obviously had a few drinks. She just didn't loan shoes to anyone, especially Mui-Mius. Marissa assumed that if they were Manolos, it would have been out of the question.
Seth was quietly chatting with Ryan when Summer spoke again. " Chino, you sure are quiet tonight. Got something one your mind?"
" I'm always quiet, Summer." Ryan stated truthfully.
"Too quiet if you ask me. You've been in the Ghetto for way too long. You realize poor isn't just about money; it's a state of mind, and those poor people have been screwing you over!"
Seth's eyes widened as did Marissa's.
"Sum!" Marissa exclaimed, somewhat outraged.
"Chill, Coop!" Summer replied, casually sipping from her Guinness.
Marissa did not have time to calm herself before none other than the life of the party joined their drum circle.
"Hello everyone." Julie Cooper Nichol snidely greeted.
A round of hellos consisted of Mother, Julie, and Mrs. Cooper.
"Ryan, I'm so glad you made it. You even brought your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend, Julie. We're just friends."
"Then, that's not your baby she's carrying?"
Marissa saw the wickedness of her Mother's interrogation and the agony on Ryan Atwood's face. She decided she would be his savior.
"Ryan, I'm gonna go get a Shirley Temple," She lied, "you wanna come with me? We needed to chitchat anyway."
"Sure."
He took her hand and she led him up the stairs to the upper level of the Nichol Estate. They walked into her extremely large bedroom, and Marissa flipped on the light.
"Wow!" That was all Ryan could muster.
"Yeah, it's a little extravagant, but you know my mom is a decorator and a narcissist."
"How could I forget."
There was a pregnant pause.
"So, um, how're things with you and Theresa?"
"Okay, I guess. I glad we're still friends."
Marissa swallowed before speaking. You could tell she was nervous. " Then what does that make us?"
"Honestly? I have know idea. We were never exactly friends."
She chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you wanna try to be friends?"
Ryan looked longingly into her glassy eyes. She knew right away that this was not just any look, this was one she had seen before. She saw it when he lit her cigarette in the Cohen driveway, when she paraded down the catwalk in Donna Karen, when they danced at the wedding.
"Marissa, I could never be just friends with you. I don't even wanna try. Seth is my friend, my brother even. You are not someone I wanna play Grand Theft Auto or go bowling with."
She chuckled. That was a mouthful for Ryan. "My thoughts exactly, baby or no baby,"
"Therefore," she continued, as she flopped herself on the bed, kicking off her mules, and taking the pins from her hair, letting it fall to her bare shoulders, " we need to do something about it."
"Marissa?" Ryan raised his eyebrows in curiosity, as he sat beside her on the four-post bed.
"Ryan," she slid off and stood in front of him, " I love you. That will never change."
She brought her hands behind and meticulously unzipped her designer frock, letting it fall to the floor, and she stood there in all her glory.
"Not that I don't . .uh," he gulped, "what I mean is that . . ."
She put a finger to his lips and then slid his jacket off his prominent shoulders and unbuttoned his Oxford shirt, letting his infamous wife beater shine through.
"Marissa, there's a party going on downstairs."
"All the more reason for you to be quiet." She said with a smirk, continually fiddling with his buttons on his sleeves.
"I don't, uh, I don't know if I can do, do that." He swallowed hard.
She grinned slipping of the Oxford shirt and pulled the undershirt over his head. She then put yet another finger to his lips.
"Try."
With that, She pried his mouth open with her own, and he wrapped his bare arms around her torso and pulled her on top of him on the bed.
As the party upstairs was just getting hot, the party downstairs was at its apex, especially outside by the pool and the Tiki bar which every one had been two at least twice, including Summer Roberts.
"Hey, bartender!" She yelled. "Can I get a . . ."
She was interrupted. " Cosmopolitan. Two cherries."
"How did you know that?" She asked the handsome gentleman beside her.
" ESP?" He quipped.
She chuckled. "Sorry, I don't watch sports."
"Cute. Very cute," He replied, handing her the pink concoction. "I'm Maxwell Richards."
"Well, Maxwell,"
"Call me Max."
She smiled. "Well, Max, I'm Summer Roberts."
"Your father wouldn't happen to be Neil Roberts would he? The plastic surgeon?"
"Why, yes! Do you know him?"
"I met him once when I did that article on him in Riviera."
"I'll be sure to tell him you said hello. He's in Los Angeles for the weekend. He's giving Lindsey Lohan her check-up."
His eyes lit up. "So, she did get a boob job!"
"Oops! I wasn't supposed to let anyone know that."
He chuckled, as an unfamiliar voice was heard.
"Summer, Sweetheart, Baby, who might you be talking with here?" Seth Cohen inquired, in a very "Seth-like" tone, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in such a way that said, "She's mine. Back away."
"This is Max Richards. He's a friend of Daddy's."
"Really? Neil and I go way back. We're big sailing buds. You know we sailed to Tahiti once?"
Summer elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Cohen, stop being so emphatic. Max doesn't want to hear about that."
"Actually I've been to Tahiti. It's all right. French Riviera? Now, there's a place to vacation!"
"I've been. Went the Cannes Film Festival. I saw Kate Hudson but that was post-200 Cigarettes, pre-Almost Famous/Black Crows Bitch days. So, basically, she was still known as Goldie Hawn's daughter."
The Richards guy looked confused. "Excuse me?"
"You know, Kate Hudson. Billy Crudup, Jason Lee. Stillwater. Hold me closer Tiny Dancer. I started listening to Zeppelin because of that movie!" Summer exclaimed.
"You listen to Zeppelin?" Seth asked, wide-eyed as ever.
"To be a rock and not to roll, Cohen." She smiled widely.
"That's possibly the hottest thing I've ever heard you say." He replied, still shocked at her reference.
"So, you've never seen Almost Famous?"
"Nope. Can't say that I have. Maybe we can rent it sometime. You can give me the play by play." Max hinted.
"Blockbuster not needed. I have the special edition DVD."
"Summer!" Seth squealed, his voice almost cracked.
"Stay out of this, Kid." Max told him, trying to get closer to Summer.
"Summer, Seth." A voice called, joining the three of them.
"Hey, Theresa." Summer responded.
"Are there any other bathrooms in this palace they call a house? There is a huge line for the one down the hall. Pregnant chicks need to know where the bathrooms are."
Summer giggled at her semi-joke. "Yeah! Coop has a bathroom in her room. She won't mind. I'll take you," she turned to her boyfriend, "Cohen, keep Max company while I take Theresa to the bathroom."
"Yes, Dear." He answered gruffly.
The two girls walked away, deep in conversation. But before they reached the glass double-doors that entered the living room, they heard a splash.
The various party-goers and members of the Newport Group scattered around the pool.
"And that will teach you not to ever hit on my girlfriend!!" Seth shouted at a drenched Max Richards, but looking back and forth from his wet victim to his scarlet-colored hand. He figured it would be bruised tomorrow.
Summer, completely embarrassed, bypassed all the gawking, drunken rebel-rousers until she reached Sandy and Kirsten who too were trying to ignore the spectacle and continue to sip champagne and chitchat with the guests.
"Summer," Kirsten called, "please tell me that wasn't Seth."
"It wasn't." She lied.
"Good!" Kirsten and Sandy unanimously exclaimed.
"Theresa," Summer said, "let's just go to the bathroom."
Upstairs, the party was calming down. Ryan Atwood's eyelashes fluttered open to find a sleeping Marissa Cooper nuzzled next to him, her head resting on his bare chest like a make-shift pillow. He slowly leaned over and lightly brushed his lips on her forehead. Her eyelashes then fluttered as well.
"Hey." She said softly.
"Hey."
"You think anyone's noticed we left?"
"With that much booze, highly doubt it."
"Good. 'Cause I wanna snuggle some more." She grinned, rolling over onto him.
"Do I know you?" He chaffed.
"I think so, but I was really wasted earlier so I would have slept with any—,"
He kissed her deeply.
"One. Wow."
"Yeah. Wow. I could smoke a cigarette. I haven't touched a cigarette since that night in the driveway last summer."
"Mmm, can I take that as a compliment?"
"Maybe. Anyway, now that we've taken care of the getting to know one another factor, can I tell you something?"
"Sure as long as its not something cynical. I don't think I could handle it."
"Speaking of that night in the driveway," He leaned down to her ear, "I was totally crushing on you."
"Since we're confessing," she leaned over to his ear, "I was totally crushing on you too."
She giggled and he smiled. They had not had a conversation in months that was just banter. It was nice, pleasant, drama-free.
Then, they heard a noise outside the door.
"Coop, definitely won't mind if you use her bathroom. Speaking of, where are Coop and Chino? I haven't seen them all night!"
"I don't know. Come to think of it, I haven't seen them either. They're probably around somewhere."
The two girls opened the door to Marissa's larger-than-life bedroom, and four mouths went completely agape.
Well, did you like it? I hope so. If you did, R&R or leave me an e-mail. I just love cliffhangers, don't you? Next chapter? Expect more financial problems with Caleb and Kiki, cute philandering between the two S', Theresa's opinion on you know what, and everyone finds out about Ryan and Marissa and the 3-letter-word. Wink. Wink. Peace, love, and Cali- Moi.