Author's Notes: Thank you to lydiamartins, psychotic honeybadger of death, anonymous, hihihi, tinatin, rweasleys, guest, tammywammy9, amazingxlivexlovexlaughx3, guest, and bullchizz155 for your reviews! I'm on a rooooooooooooooll. I have another chapter almost finished too. WHAT IS POSSESSING MY FINGERS.

SO CLAIRE FINALLY INTERACTS WITH PEOPLE IN WESTCHESTER. It only took, like, 6 chapters. Sorry.

/le sigh. I looked at so many mansions to find the right one for what I imagined Anna/Derrick would live in. I had so much fun. I picked the DotCom Mansion, holy cow. Google Image that shit for a visual. I wanted to cry because if only I had 200 million dollars too, I could live in a house like that. My goal in life is to live in a house with a hedge garden maze. I don't care how impractical they are. I want one. In America. Like, it's one thing if you're in the Secret Garden or England or something because it rains like, every two minutes. But here in America? It's a sign you've made it because who the hell would have one unless they were insanely rich? The amount of water you would need and the people you'd need to hire to take care of it… Now you guys probably think I'm a weirdo and will accept anything as long as it has a hedge maze. Like, a one bedroom shack made of cardboard, BUT IN FRONT OF A HEDGE MAZE. I would probs be okay with that. I'm weird. Please ignore this.

To all my guest reviewers [you should all get accounts so that I can properly respond to you]: Don't worry. Massington wedding will happen. It's the premise for the whole plot and why Clam is even in Westchester. I changed the rating per your suggestion. Thanks! I planned this PG when I started, but guy characters kind of take on a life of their own. Derrick was actually stalking Mila, though that would have been a funny side story. LOL. Sorry you guys dislike clueless Cam, but there's a reason for that that I thought I made pretty clear. Ask me for a clarification and I'll write a post.

AND THIS CONCLUDES THE LONGEST AUTHOR'S NOTE EVER. Here's a dinner party chapter for you. Nothing too dramatic. There's a whole rest of the story for that.

Chapter Six: Dinner and Teams

##

As the driver approached the porte-cochère extending out the house, Cam bounded down the limestone front steps toward them. "Hey, I was starting to worry that you'd gotten lost," Cam joked as he opened the door for her.

"I kind of feel a bit lost, actually," Claire mumbled quietly as she stepped out and stared up at the majestic residence in front of her. Her stomach was suddenly twisted into tight knots and there must have been a car driving around doing donuts in her mind, because it was as if she was suddenly viewing everything from a thin film of haze. She smoothed out the creases in her dress nervously. "Am I really late?"

"No, no, of course not. I guess I didn't realize how hard it would be to get here," Cam told her apologetically. He leaned down and waved at Layne. "Hey, Layne. Long time no see. How have you been?"

"Right," Lanye answered slowly. She seemed to be stunned by the surrounding acres of greenery. She shook her head and met Cam's eyes with a pinched expression. "I've been good… This place—is kinda outrageous."

"Yeah," Cam sniffed with a laugh. "It's been in Derrick's family for generations."

Layne raised her eyebrows and shot Claire a look. "Okay, well, you guys have a good time. And Claire, you know what to do." Claire couldn't do anything but nod at her friend's intensity with her boyfriend standing right there. Layne mouthed the words Call me later! with an eyebrow raise and a stern look that implied Claire was in for it if she didn't. "Bye, Cam. Nice seeing you again."

"Night, Layne. Get home safe," Cam called, patting the roof of the car. Claire gave her friend a quick smile and watched as the driver rolled back up the window and pulled away.

Cam wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close. When Claire glanced up at him, he looked a little sheepish. "I hope it's okay… but it's not just Derrick's family. Anna, Derrick's mom, decided to invite a couple more people to have a small party, all at the last minute. It seems like everyone wants to meet you."

Claire bit her lip. "Sounds nice, but now I'm feeling really underdressed," she replied pensively, eyeing the row of luxury cars lining the cobblestone driveway.

"Not at all. You look absolutely perfect," Cam assured her. He could obviously sense her anxiety, Claire was never really good at lying or pretending to be someone she wasn't. Cam placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the front doors. Claire felt the warm, electric spark radiating from his muscled arm and instantly felt a little better.

Her boyfriend was right by her side. Everything was going to be fine.

The first thing that caught Claire's eye as they entered the house were the shiny mosaic tiles sparkling from the light of the majestic chandelier in the grand foyer. The striking composition of golden brown and ivory cream captured her attention for a few moments before she realized there was a tall, spindly woman with her hair in a bun standing in the middle of the entrance room next to a circular marble table with an enormous pot of the same bright orange roses from her hotel room.

The woman tipped her head and held out a silver bowl filled with water and rose petals.

"For your refreshment, miss," she demurred.

"Uh, am I supposed to drink this?" she whispered to Cam.

"Oh no, it's for, uh—it's for washing your hands," Cam whispered back. Claire followed his instructions, dipping her fingers into the cool, rose-scented water before wiping them on the soft terry cloth napkin the woman offered next, feeling amazed (and really silly) by the ritual. Because what even?

"Everyone's already upstairs in the living room," Cam told her when she was done.

"Cam, you never told me you used to spend time in a mansion," she joked (but not really) as he grabbed her hand and led her up one side of the curved winding marble staircase.

Cam huffed a laugh. "This isn't a mansion. It's just a big house."

"Cam, where I grew up, this is a mansion," Claire corrected, gazing up at the iron framed staircase at the gallery above. More like a palace, Claire thought to herself. The murmur of the party guests and the slow keys of a piano could be heard as they reached the second floor landing. Claire refrained from gaping. Holy shit. She felt momentarily giddy at walking into a room she could only have ever imagined seeing on television or magazines or her dreams.

The 'living room,' as Cam humbly called it, was actually a gallery that spanned along the entire floor of the house. It featured sectional couches, plush velvet ottomans, quilted cabrioles, and divan club sofas causally arranged into groups for intimate seating areas. The side wall of glass window paned doors opened to a wrap-around veranda, providing a view of the lush lands surrounding the house and the sweet smell of flowers from the garden. At the far end of the room, a guy in a suit was playing on the grand piano.

As Cam led into the room, Claire had to force herself to ignore her surroundings and act as if everything was simply the norm. What she really wanted to do was gape at everything, from the classic glass chandeliers and milky lamps, to the garden urns with beautiful blooming plants, to the intricate wood-paneled wall decorations. Everything in the room seemed to be touched with a kind of elegance that made Claire scared to touch anything.

The glamorous guests, on the other hand, appeared to be completely at ease lounging in groups in chairs or mingling on the outdoor patio. A group of neatly dressed servants in tight tuxedo dresses circulated the room with trays of drinks. It was decidedly not a small dinner party.

"Here comes Mrs. Block, Massie's mother," Cam muttered to her. And before Claire even had time to even recuperate from the new surroundings, the classy lady from this morning's newspapers was approaching, tsk-ing at Cam.

"Cameron, you naughty boy, why didn't you tell us you were coming back today? If I knew you were coming back so soon, I would have thrown a dinner!" Kendra cried, pulling Cam into a hug and air kisses. She was dressed fashionably elegant in a Tom Browne leaf-blouse and sleek black slacks.

"Sorry, Mrs. Block. I would have thought that you would have been too busy with the wedding. Mrs. Block, meet my girlfriend, Claire Lyons. Claire, this is Kendra Block, Massie's mother.

Kendra nodded at her, offering her a small smile, boldly scanning her up and down.

"It's so nice to meet you," Claire remarked, trying not to be unnerved by her hawk like gaze. She was more intimidating than her daughter.

"The same, my dear," Kendra finally acknowledged, before turning quickly back to Cam. "Do you know when your parents get back in for the wedding?"

"Not a clue," he replied with a shrug. Cam knew Claire must be feeling out of place right now. He had grown up around these people, so even if he hadn't seen them in a while, it was less awkward than meeting them all for the first time. It must have been overwhelming for Claire, he thought, and he'd never been good in social situations. He looked around for a familiar face for her. "Has Massie arrived yet?" he asked.

"Oh, you know how long Massie takes to get ready. She's always late to these things." At that moment, Kendra spotted a redheaded woman heading up the stairs. "Merri-Lee, when did you get back from St. Tropaz?" she called, heading over to the woman as Cam tugged Claire out of the way.

"Oh my god," Claire said faintly. "Is that Merri-Lee Marvil? And her daughters?"

"Yeah, they live down on the edge of town. I went to school with Dylan over there. I'll introduce you later when Mrs. Block's done."

"They're all so much more stunning than in magazines." Claire couldn't help but be star struck.

"It's weird to think about honestly. I always forget they're on a reality show now," Cam told her as they headed over toward the bar. They unknowingly walked right into the path of one of the most beautiful girls Claire had ever seen. Dressed in a bright red lace Belensi dress that popped against her tan skin and sky-high Manolos (that would have broken Claire's ankles if she tried them on), the girl was a vision. She pounced on Cam. Claire blinked in surprise.

"Cam!" she squealed, pressing her whole body against him and squeezing him tightly. She completely ignored Claire.

Cam pulled away awkwardly. "Uh, hey Alicia. How's it going?"

"It's been really, really good. I've been involved with so many charities lately and I've had a string of photo shoots all over Manhattan," Alicia thrilled, her manicured hand still on Cam's arm. Claire couldn't believe how obvious this girl was being. She was standing right there and was obviously Cam's date. She would have been a little pissed if Cam hadn't grabbed her hand back immediately after Alicia released him.

Her boyfriend cleared his throat. It was obvious to Claire (and apparently not to Alicia) that he didn't really care. "Alicia, this is my girlfriend, Claire Lyons. Claire, this is Alicia Rivera. We were in the same grade at school," Cam introduced.

"Ah, Claire," Alicia smiled sweetly, as if she had only just noticed her. She swiped her dark glossy hair over her shoulder and held out her hand. Claire felt like she was watching a shampoo commercial, except nothing was airbrushed. "I met your cousin Lalia Lyons in New York at a benefit last week."

"Uh, no, you must be mistaken," Claire corrected politely. "I don't have family in New York."

"Oh." Alicia furrowed her brows. "Where is your family from then?"

"I live in Chicago, but I was raised in South Carolina."

Alicia looked surprised, her eyes widening, before that same sweet smile replaced it. "Oh, I must have gotten it wrong then."

Claire didn't know how to fill the awkward silence. Alicia had stated the obvious. Cam excused them and extracted himself from her grip and led Claire away. The next half hour was a blur of nonstop greetings, as Claire was introduced to all of Cam's parent's friends and extended 'family'. There were people he grew up knowing through his parents, there was the actual Mayor of New York, there were a few distinguished scholars that had intimidated Claire, and there were multiple celebrities that left her totally dazzled.

The entire time though, Claire had noticed a woman who seemed to command the attention of the entire room. She was aristocratic looking, with straight posture and long blonde hair clipped in a bun, dressed in a beautiful flowing haften gown. A stern looking man in a posh tuxedo sat next to her, chatting with a few of what looked like his work associates. Most of the guests orbited the room paying them tribute. When Cam finally led her over to them, Claire guessed that these were Derrick's parents.

As Cam made the proper introductions, Claire found herself oddly nervous. It wasn't as if these were Cam's parents, Claire tried to tell herself. This was nothing, she assured herself, like meeting a friend's parents.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you," she blurted the moment Cam finished their introductions. "Thank you so much for inviting me to your beautiful home. This is just absolutely—lovely," Claire choked on the last word awkwardly and for some reason in her nervousness, curtsied as if she were meeting royalty. She straightened up quickly with a bright flush.

Derrick's mom looked at her quizzically and replied slowly. "It's nice to meet you too, darling, but there's no need to be so formal. It's just a simple last minute dinner."

"Of course," Claire answered hollowly, feeling all eyes in the room on her, amused by her actions.

"Please, Claire," Anna smiled slightly. "Make yourself comfortable. Cam has told me quite a bit about you, and I was looking forward to meeting you. Thank you for coming," she said haltingly before turning back to her conversation with her husband and the men in tuxedos.

"He has?" Claire asked, flustered. "You have?"

Cam put his arm over Claire's shoulder and steered her away. "Let's get a drink," he said, leading her over toward a bar where a uniformed bartender was serving drinks and taking requests.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod," Claire whispered, fanning herself. "That was the most awkward moment of my life. I'm so embarrassed. Did I annoy her or something?"

"Of course not," Cam soothed her instantly, handing her a glass of punch that the bartender was scooping out of a huge glass bowl. "She was just in the middle of a conversation, that's all."

"Oh, right," she replied, stupefied. She accepted the glass of punch from him, noticing that the fine embedded imprints in the glassware perfectly matched the intricate framework of the domed ceiling. She leaned against a sofa for support, feeling completely overwhelmed. It was all too much for her: the glamorous and sophisticated guests, the many well-dressed servants circling the room, the confusion of so many new faces, the mind blowing wealth and luxury. How could she ever have imagined that Cam would know so many grand people? How could she ever have known that Cam was one of them?

And why didn't he prepare her for all this?

Claire felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Derrick's fiancée, waving her fingers at her. "Massie," she cried in relief, a friendly recognizable face at last. Massie was wearing the chicest outfit Claire had ever seen, a tight lace peasant blouse and pearl-grey cigarette pants and long dangling multi-colored earrings, completely different from how she remember her from last night. This was obviously Massie in her natural habitat.

"Hey, hey," Massie called cheerfully, pulling her into a hug. She smelled good, sultry like jasmines. "How are you finding New York so far? Are you having a good time?"

"An awesome time, though tonight… has been… It's just a bit overwhelming."

"I can only imagine," Massie replied with a knowing glint in her amber eyes.

"No, I'm not sure you can," Claire found herself replying before really filtering. She widened her blue eyes, but Massie didn't seem to be offended. There was a slight grin on her face before she turned to Cam. "Anna's about to serve dinner. She asked you if you could help Derrick and me out with those Venetian plates. You remember how she doesn't trust the help with them." She turned to Claire and rolled her eyes at the absurdity.

"Of course," Cam replied instantly. He turned to Claire. "We'll be back in a minute. If the dinner bell rings, just get started. I'll find you in a bit."

But the moment Cam and Massie disappeared down the stairs, Claire heard what must have been the dinner bell ring. Claire watched as the crowd began to make a beeline for the stairs and followed slowly after. A full buffet dinner had been set up in a side sun parlor, an octagon shaped room with glass walls. Three giant tables gleamed with silver platter dishes and the glass doors opened to the backyard terrace where there were white wrought-iron tables with tall thin lantern lights, scattered around the cobblestone patio like a high class bistro.

Claire marveled the variety of foods offered. One table was filled with French meats and delicacies, the other with classic Italian, and the final with deserts. And like at any other buffet, Claire was at a lost for what to eat first. She decided to start with the classic Italian, helping herself to a small bit of each type of pasta. She stopped in front of a platter of what looked like caviar, weird cheese, and Irish soda crackers.

"Iranian beluga caviar and Stilton bleu with fig preserves," a voice answered her unasked question.

"Oh, wow," Claire responded. She turned and saw a guy in deep green revealing v-neck and slim fitted chinos cuffed to show off his bright yellow loafers.

"Try it," he nodded, but Claire wasn't so sure. She wasn't a big fan of cheese. Or slimy things. She told him so. "I'm Josh Hotz," he introduced after a hearty laugh.

"Nice to meet you," Claire said again for the millionth time today. "I'm Claire—"

"Oh, I know," Josh cut her off. "Claire Lyons, not of Lyons Motorcars, but of the Art Institute of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois, and before that, South Carolina. Everyone's talking about you."

"They are?" Claire asked, trying not to sound surprised, even though she really was. She blushed a bit and prayed that it wasn't about or from her embarrassing faux pas with Anna.

"They are, though you're way prettier than I was led to believe."

"Really?" Claire assumed he was joking. She smiled incredulously. "From who?"

"Oh, you know, here and there. The gossip channel. Don't you know how much people have been talking about you since you've arrived?" Josh asked her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Claire blinked in surprise. "Um, no… I had no idea," she replied uneasily, walking out into the terrace with her plate, craning to look for Cam or Massie or Derrick. They were nowhere to be found. She noticed Merri-Lee Marvil and her daughters eyeing her unnervingly as she scanned the tables.

"Oh, there are the Marvilous Marvils. Don't look—but I think they're waving you over. God help us. Let's just start our own table." And before Claire could even respond, Josh had grabbed her plate out of her hands and was walking it over to a table at the far end of the terrace.

"Um, why are you avoiding them?" Claire asked in surprise and confusion. She would have thought that everyone would be clamoring to eat with celebrities.

"I'm not avoiding them," Josh told her with a raised brow as he settled down with his plate of lobster pappardelle, arribaita, and fra divolo. "I'm helping you avoid them. You can thank me later."

"Why?" Claire pressed on, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't take a seat.

"Well, first of all," Josh flicked a finger out and pointed his fork at her. "They're horrible name-droppers, always going on and on and on about their latest cruise at what's-his-name's yacht at St. Tropaz and or their most recent dramatic episode and how many viewers they reached or their lunch with some other random irrelevant B-list celebrity. So annoying and so obvious and you'll never get a real word in. And second, but most importantly, they're not on your side."

"Side?" Claire asked, slowly sinking down into the wicker seat in front of her plate of food.

"Yep. Side. The Team-Claire side. And Dylan and Ryan Marvil are decidedly on the opposite side of that spectrum. And Merri-Lee is back so soon from her vacation on this exact night precisely to spy on you for the opposition."

"Spying? Opposition?" She felt so confused.

"Again, yep. They mean to pick you apart like a rotting carcass and serve you up to the masses."

She had no idea what to make of a statement like that. She eyed him again. He had an open face, purposely mused dark hair, and wide brown eyes. He also seemed like a character straight from a movie. He didn't speak normal. But then again, nobody here did.

"I'm not sure I understand," Claire said finally, taking a bite of her pasta too.

"Don't worry, you will." Josh winked. "You look like a fast learner. I'd bet you'll pick it all up in week, tops."

Again, Claire didn't know how to take a statement like that. Was that a compliment? she wondered. She decided to move onto another topic. Claire chewed before speaking, "So, um, how do you know the Harringtons?"

"We're in the same circles, but then again, everyone in Westchester runs in the same circles. We're all like one big, nosy, extended family. I went to school with Derrick." Josh eyed her. "And your boyfriend too. We were buds."

"Oh, sorry. I had no idea. Cam… didn't talk about school or… his past much." She twirled her angel haired pasta around her fork slowly.

"Yeah, that's Cam for you." Josh clicked his tongue. "He hasn't been back to Westchester for this long since he left for college. Who would have thought it'd take Derrick's wedding to bring him back. And even that was an unexpected surprise."

"Cam coming back?" Claire asked for clarification. "Or Derrick getting married?"

"Cam coming back," Josh confided. "He told me he was done with this psychological prison and that he was gone forever graduation day. Derrick getting married couldn't have been a surprise, even if they tried to keep anything on lock. Everyone knew this was the next big step in Chase Harrington's grand plan."

Claire had so many questions from those two statements that she couldn't even voice them. Her mind whirled. She decided to start with, "Psychological prison?"

"Westchester, baby," Josh answered instantly.

Claire nodded slowly. "And Chase Harrington's plan?"

"Well, Massie's the only girl Derrick's age with acceptable wealth, lineage, and old money background. The trifecta. You know, she's descended from Alfred Royden. A strategic move, bound in vows 'til death do they part. Everyone saw it from coming miles away."

"A strategic move for what?" Claire asked in growing horror.

"Oh come on, Claire." Josh raised his brows. "Don't play dumb. You're smarter than that. For the money, of course. It joins together two family fortunes with no fear of underhanded divorce settlements, unjust swindling, or loss of property and status. It keeps everything neatly locked up."

"Who's getting lock up? Are they finally locking you up, Hotz?" Cam asked as he approached their table with Massie and Derrick.

"They'll never be able to pin anything on me," Josh retorted without missing a beat. Claire smiled as Cam slid into a seat next to her. She couldn't help but notice now that all eyes were on them and their table. "Holy shit, those earrings," Josh cried with wide eyes when he spotted Massie. "Wherever did you get them?"

"Fourtané, Austro-Hungarian amethysts," Massie answered in detail, knowing that Josh would want to know.

"Of course they are. Only they would sell something like that. Those must have cost at least half a million dollars. Not something I would have thought was your style, but you always surprise me," Josh pondered with a head shake.

"I try, Joshy, I try," Massie smirked, before leaving with Derrick to make rounds.

Claire stared with renewed wonder at the earrings as they left. Did Josh really say half a million dollars? "How did it go with the plates?"

"Good. Anna's just really overprotective about stupid things like that," Cam responded, rubbing her hip soothingly. It gave her tingles. "I see you've found and made friends with the only sane person here."

"And this friend is sane enough to realize when he's a third wheel," Josh announced, before giving them a jaunty wave and picking up his plate to head back the buffet tables for seconds. As he left, Cam pulled Claire up from her seat.

"Come on, I want to show you something," he told her. Claire followed him through a side door from the sun parlor, and they wandered down a long hallway with framed paintings that she didn't recognize, but could tell were renowned, and past darkened rooms that she longed to peek into. Cam finally led her through an arched doorway at the end of the passage and Claire's brow rose.

It was like they stumbled into a secret garden. A vast lawn was framed by huge hedge bushes enclosing them on all sides. Cam led her through the maze with an ease that told her he'd walked this path a hundred times. After they made some dizzying turns and Claire had thoroughly lost all sense of direction, they appeared at an entrance with elaborately carved white columns.

Overhead, tiny lanterns were meticulously threaded through the hedge branches. They flickered and glowed softly, lighting the square clearing. A marble fountain stood at the center, spouting streams of water from a painstakingly detailed stone quartz statue. She felt kind of magical standing in this hidden alcove.

"I wanted to show you this place at least before dessert and before I missed the chance," Cam told her in a hushed voice.

"Wow," Claire breathed in awe as she spun around the clearing, taking in all the different type of wildflowers growing around her. "This is beautiful."

"No, Claire, you're beautiful," he told her lowly, pulling her into his arms.

"Pinch me, please," Claire whispered as she stared up into Cam's blue-and-green eyes. "No, really. I mean it this time. Is any of this real life?"

"This is very real."

He wasn't talking about Westchester, she realized, as he tilted her head up. And despite feeling like she was in a whole other world, Claire didn't feel like Cam was any different. He was still the same old romantic. He kissed her and Claire slumped against him, leaning into him as she lifted onto her toes up to deepen this kiss. He tasted like berry punch, passion, and promises.

##

Author's Note: The dinner party is not over! I had to cut it in half because it was getting ridiculously long. I add way too much unnecessary details, oops. The second part of the party will be posted really soon. Important plot points happen, so... yeah. Be on the lookout.

Review if you like? The next chap is almost done. I'll post tomorrow if I get a lot of readers.