Author's Note: Thank you times a million to psychotic honeybadger of death, lydiamartins, anonymous, cerulean cascades, Amazingxlivexlovexlaughx3, bullchizz155, guest, kneexsocks, hihihi, fjsms, & rweasleys for your amazing reviews. You are my inspiration.

Okay. So, I have this legit problem where I write Cam/Claire as dream fluff and Derrick/Massie as pure snark. I can't help it, I don't know why. Someone teach me another way. That's all that ever comes out of me when I try writing these pairings. Please forgive me.

Here's the second part of the dinner party. A look into Derrick/Massie dynamic and Josh reveals some interesting information.

Chapter Seven: Desserts and Opposition

##

"Here," Derrick Harrington called, holding out a dessert plate of colorful macaroons for his fiancée as he entered the staff kitchen. The state-of-the-art kitchen was all chrome and filled with counters and moving tables specifically for the dinner parties his mother threw. The staff had already cleared out the area, only a few people were still in there, transporting platters outside and another putting on the finishing touches. "Eat up, Block. You're too thin as it is."

"Thank you," she joked.

"That wasn't a compliment," he scowled.

"Did you talk to him?" his fiancée asked, with an eye roll of acceptance as she took the plate. She hopped up on one of the recently wiped down chrome counters and crossed her legs, taking a bite of a green tea macaroon.

"I tried," he responded, eyeing the chocolate chiffon cake in the corner being frosted by a worker. "You know Cam's clueless about these things."

"Well, is this even what he wants? Escalating things to the next level? What is he thinking, bringing her here? She's not cut out for Westchester. It's like he wants her to be eaten alive."

"He told me it was just a vacation together," Derrick shrugged.

"Come on, Derrick. It's not a just a 'vacation together'. That's not how girls think, and you know it. They've been dating for how long now? A year? Two?"

The blond scoffed. "And what? You think they're going to get married?"

"That's precisely what everyone is thinking. And I bet you, Claire's thinking about it most of all," Massie told him, holding out her plate of dessert, but Derrick waved her away. Massie shrugged, taking a bite out of a strawberry one. She only liked to take one bite of each. Massie was all about controlling her cravings.

"Why does shit like this always have to be filled with significance for you girls?" Derrick rolled his eyes, leaning back against the counter. This was why he always hated getting the female perspective; it always left things twenty times more complicated than it was before. Massie was always trying to explain these things to him. He preferred the devious, devil-may-care side of her better than the one who wanted a hand in everything.

"I promise you Cam's not thinking anything like that. I think he just wants to show her New York." Derrick thought about his friend's comments today and then admitted slowly, "And I think part of him wants to see how she'll react to it."

"And by 'it,' you mean Westchester," Massie elaborated. "Like, his parents and his friends and his house and everything."

Derrick was forced to nod. His friend was setting off and blowing up land mines without even realizing it. He hadn't even realized how serious it was for Cam with Claire until Massie had forced him to face it. His friend had always been so sheltered by his parent's blatant favoritism of his older brother. Or maybe it was just all the years he spent away from Westchester. He was out of touch. In their world, you just didn't bring home an unknown girl unannounced. He probably hadn't even realized he was making steps toward the white alter.

"She's all wrong for this, you know," Massie told him matter-of-factly, setting her plate down on the counter and slipping off of her perch in front of him. She straightened her blouse and smoothed down the creases in her pants. "She has no background, no etiquette training, no money, and worst of all; she's way too nice for this world. The girls are all waiting for the go-ahead to pounce. She's lucky Kristen wasn't here tonight, otherwise Dylan and her would be in a full on competition to get his attention."

"Your friends are crazy, Block. You know that right?" Derrick shook his head in disbelief.

He watched as Massie ignored his comment to riffle through hidden drawers and slide open chrome cabinets in his kitchen.

"What are you looking for?" he finally asked impatiently.

"I'm looking for that Silver Tips white tea that your maid always makes for me. She's got me addicted." Massie mused, ruffling through the contents of his sauce pantry.

"You're really habitual with food, you know. Truffles, macaroons, and white tea," he snorted, pulling her out of the way by her waist and reaching over her head for the box of tea leaves hidden on the top shelf. "It'd be really easy to assassinate you."

"Why don't you try, then?" Massie taunted as she grabbed the box from his hands.

"I don't need to." Derrick tugged the box back. He shook his head at her with a click of his tongue. "You're going to make plenty enemies all on your own, playing God and thinking you know best. You're basically pitting girls against each other. I still don't know why any of them listen to you."

Massie laughed, wrestling the box of tea from his hands. She gestured at herself, like look at me. He did, admiring her in the bright florescent lights. He raised a brow and she smirked, "Bitches know when they meet a superior model. It's in the pheromones."

"Oh shut up," Derrick laughed, pushing her head away and snatching the box back. Massie stuck her tongue out at him while she fixed the hair he had mused.

"Why?" she snapped. "That's not what you said last night."

The worker icing the cake in the corner glanced up at them in surprise. He snickered at Massie's sudden flush of embarrassment at the attention. He rarely got to see it and even more rarely, witnessed her causing it to herself. Massie slapped him in the arm until he stopped. "Alright, alright, okay."

"Maybe they'll be doing them a favor," she mused slowly, changing the subject back and tilting her head.

"Who, your friends?"

She turned to look at Derrick and shrugged a shoulder. "I mean, Cam didn't even prepare her for any of this. I feel bad for her, honestly. He tossed her right into the deep end and now it's a test to see if she sinks or swims. I don't know. Maybe it's for the best. All or nothing. I'll warn her, of course, and maybe… No. Nevermind, the sooner Claire realizes that she doesn't belong, the less heartache for the both of them, right?"

Derrick didn't know what to say. He had meant his words to his friend this morning. Claire was good for Cam. And she might be the right one for Cam, but Massie was also correct, she wasn't right for Westchester. She was too normal for the insanity that was their hometown. Still, he hated that Massie was so blatant and nonchalant about all this. Would Claire really not be able to adapt, though? Massie seemed on the fence about whether or not she'd be able to, but Derrick was a bit more assured. Cam must have seen something in her.

He opened the box opened the box in his hands and peered inside. "Do you even know how to make this type of tea?"

"No," Massie admitted. She adopted a pout. "Make it for me?"

"Just get out of here." Derrick rolled his eyes. Massie pressed a kiss to his cheek before flouncing back out towards the party.

##

"Please tell me this is how everyone in Westchester eats every single night," Claire said as she tried not to drool at the long banquet table of desserts. The selection was more varied than the café service at the St. Sherry's. There were elaborate cakes, complex soufflés, diverse tarts, arrays of sweet puddings, and assorted flavored éclairs. Servers with white aprons stood behind each stand ready to serve.

"Well, tonight was actually leftovers night for Derrick," Cam deadpanned.

Claire elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow," her boyfriend cried, rubbing his side jokingly. "And here I was going to offer you a slice of the best chocolate cake in the world."

"I just stuffed my face with twelve different types of pasta. I don't think I could eat any more," Claire moaned, pressing her hand against her stomach. She waved Cam ahead of the line and turned away from the tempting sight of the dessert table. She walked around the terrace, eyeing the huge urn pots of plants surrounding the patio.

She had never seen such an array of flowers. The one closest to her was brimming with a tangle of long stems, scattered with adorable dangling hood shaped purple and white flowers with long curving petals.

"Those are wild monkshood, you know," Josh offered, appearing beside her. "They're under conservation watch in New York. Anna's garden's won a million awards just for growing them. Not that she gardens."

"Wow," Claire breathed, taking in the small tiny flowers. Who would have imagined? As she walked around the Harrington side yard with Josh, Claire noticed Cam near the desert table chatting intensely with a striking lady in a Chanel suit.

"Who's that woman, talking to Cam?" she asked. "I don't think I was introduced."

Josh turned. "Oh, that's Jacklyn Ryan. An old Fisher family friend."

Claire tilted her head in consideration. "She looks like a movie star," she commented in awe.

"Yes, doesn't she?" Josh tilted his head too. "Her husband's is one of America's most esteemed plastic surgeons. Rumor has it he wears these special lambskin gloves to protect his skilled hands from—anything really, weather, wear and tear, dirt."

"What?" Claire laughed at the absurdity. "No way."

"You're right. All rumors," Josh conceded.

"She looks so natural," Claire mused as they observed Jacklyn with her perfectly permed blonde hair and ballerina-like figure. "I don't even see it."

"Well, rumor has it that Jacklyn was a beauty even before she met Mr. Ryan. Toured France as the 'companion' of a Monte Carlo gambling tycoon, married Mr. Ryan and then divorced, married a British marquis and then widowed—quite the scandal—and then back together again with Mr. Ryan here in Westchester. We all really tend to stick in the same circles. There was story I heard growing up here in Westchester: Jacklyn's beauty was so legendary that when she visited Europe for the first time, her arrival attracted a horde of admirers at the airport. Men clamored over each other to propose to her and fights broke out in the Terminals. It made the European papers, apparently. I always thought that it was a pity she's never done anymore more with herself than disarm men with her looks."

"All that because of her beauty," Claire mused with wide eyes.

"Well, yeah, that. And her bloodline. She's the granddaughter of Warren Buffet."

"Um, who?" Claire asked, hating that she was so clueless about these apparently big named people.

"One of New York's most revered philanthropists. Built schools all over the world or something. Not the Jacklyn is following in his footsteps, unless you count the fake charity balls all the ladies of Westchester throw and donations to Manolo Blahnik," Josh joked and Claire giggled.

"Do you want another piece of juicy gossip?" Josh quipped as they watched Jacklyn lean in close to Cam.

"Please," Claire told him, amused.

"I'm told Cam's grandfather really wanted Jacklyn very, very much for Cam's dad. Her lineage is practically impeccable, but she didn't succeed in winning Matthew over."

"He wasn't swayed by her looks?" Claire asked with a raised brow.

"Well, he already had another beauty on his hands—Cam's mother. New money, it was quite the scandal apparently. You haven't meant dear Ella yet, have you?"

Claire blinked at the new information. "No, she apparently went away for the weekend, Cam told me."

"Hmm, interesting. Mrs. Fisher never leaves or goes anywhere when Cam is in town. He so rarely visits as it is. She takes all the time she can get with her youngest son," Josh mused, licking his lips with relish. He turned and eyed the terrace, making sure they were alone and that no one was in earshot before leaning in closer to her. Claire mirrored his movements. "I'd be extra careful around Ella Fisher if I were you. She maintains the rival court and her minions are your rival opposition."

Claire straightened up instantly, not knowing if she should be offended. Rival of whom? Opposition of what? Her?

"Why are you telling me this?" Claire demanded of him. Was this a trick or something to get her to be on guard with Cam's parents? She hadn't even met them yet. She wasn't even one hundred percent sure if she would on this trip. Why would Cam's mom have minions that were her rivals? Was Josh trying fluster her up and have her obsessed with these kinds of questions so that she'd mess up in front of them? Or was Josh just messing with her for fun? "What are you gaining from this?"

Josh didn't seem surprised by the steel in her voice. Instead, he seemed to be appraising her. "I'm telling you all this, Claire, because I understand what it's like to be new to the world of Westchester. It's a whole new set of cards, baby. All the rules and plays you think you know are out the window. As for what I gain, I'm sure you'll remember who helped you out from the start when that Fisher princess-cut diamond engagement ring is on your finger."

Josh snickered when she spluttered from shock. A what ring?

##

Cam stood at one end of the desserts table, wondering what to have first, the dark chocolate fudge brownie and ice cream, the blancmange with fruit sauce, or the chocolate cake.

"Anna's cook's chocolate chiffon cake!" Jacklyn thrilled as she stepped up next to Cam, running her fingers through her shoulder length curls and smiling at him. "Now, this is the reason I make it a point to always show up to her dinner parties. So tell me, Cameron, why haven't you been calling Livia? You've only seen her a couple of times since you moved to Chicago."

"Oh," Cam replied slowly. "Well, we tried getting together a few times these past years, but she's always busy. Isn't she dating some high-profile surfer?"

"It's not serious," Jacklyn chuckled, waving her hand as if to brush the comment away. "That man is twice her age."

"I see her pictures on television sometimes," Cam shrugged.

"And that's exactly the problem. That has to stop. It's so unseemly. I want my daughter to mix with quality people, not the so called California jet set. Surfers and reality stars and B-list celebrities. All those pretenders are riding Livia's coattails, using her for her name and money—she's just too naïve to see that."

"Oh. Somehow I doubt Olivia's that naïve," Cam told her with a small laugh.

"She needs proper company, Cameron," Jacklyn continued as if she hadn't heard his comment. "Our own kind, upstanding people like yourself. I worry about her. She's so far away and barely ever answers my calls, its gives me heartache. I want you to look out for her. Will you promise to do that for me?"

"Uh, yeah, of course," he nodded absentmindedly, offering his plate up for a slice of cake to the server. "I kind of spoke to her last month, but she told me that she was too busy to come back for Derrick's wedding."

"Yes… and that's a shame, isn't it?"

"I'll call her when I'm back in Chicago or if I'm ever in California. But I think I'm far too boring for Olivia nowadays."

"No, of course not!" Jacklyn shook her head roughly. "What nonsense," she laughed. "Livia would benefit from spending more time with you. You two were so close once upon a time… Now tell me about that charming girl you've brought home to meet everyone. She's a sweetheart, isn't she? I see she's already won over Derrick, Massie, Josh, and all your little friends."

##

Claire was sitting down at a white iron wrought table watching a woman in a flowing silk gown play the violin near the end of the terrace for guests. She was mesmerized by the speed of the woman's fingers and the melody traveling the entire yard.

Her attention was pulled away by Massie slipping into the seat beside her.

"How are you doing?" the brunette asked her with a raised brow.

"Good," Claire answered. With, Josh's words running in her ears, she found it weird to talk to Massie without wanting to get the gossip she had heard off her chest. Were she and Derrick really getting married for money? They had seemed so genuine together when they had picked her up at the airport. And was she really the same Block as the ones branded on all railroads across the country? Was everyone here not only rich, but famous or gorgeous or important or something? It was unbelievable. "Uh, really good. This place—Derrick's house is amazing."

"It's something, alright." Massie quirked her lips into a wry grin. "Though it's nothing compared to some of the other houses in Westchester. Been in families for generations and all that jazz."

A redhead making her way over to them captured Massie's attention. There was a subtle shake of her head and Claire turned to see what was happening. Dylan Marvil faltered and changed course to the dessert table. Claire wondered at the exchange. Massie turned back to her with a smile. "This is different from your Chicago life, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Claire admitted, wondering where Massie was going with this. Claire had never been a stranger to money. She'd bordered the poverty lines before, sure, but when she moved to South Carolina her mother had made it sort of big as a real estate agent and Claire had seen her share of nice things and she'd been pretty well off working odd photography jobs in Chicago until she met Amy. She'd just never seen anything up to the level of Westchester. She could never even have imagined it.

The wealth and the luxury was mindboggling. Nothing could have prepared for her this.

"You should know, Claire," Massie hummed, "that this is nothing yet."

Before Claire could come up with a suitable response to the half-warning, Derrick slid into the empty seat besides Massie, holding a cup of steaming hot tea and a plate of half-eaten chocolate cake. He handed the cup of tea to Massie and held out the plate of cake to Claire. "Claire, you've got to try this—it's one of our cook's greatest hits."

"Ew, Derrick." Massie cried, shoving the plate away before Claire could accept. "Get her a proper slice of her own."

"No need," Cam said, appearing behind her and presenting Claire her own plate of cake. Claire accepted it and the small fork with a bright thanks. She took a small bite, her eyes popping open instantly. It was a delicious combination of chocolate and cream, with airy dissolve in your mouth fluffiness.

"See? It tastes like what it's like to have sex with me," Derrick joked with an eyebrow wiggle through a mouthful of his own cake.

Massie elbowed him instantly. "How could a slice of cake be selfish?" she retorted.

Cam and Massie cracked up at the expression on Derrick's face. Cam learned into Claire and whispered, "They're always like this."

Claire giggled. "It really is good, though. I like that it's not too sweet, but not too chocolaty either," she mused, taking another bite of her cake and closing her eyes.

"This is why I could never eat any other chocolate cake. I've been spoiled by Derrick's cook. They're always too spongy, or too sweet, or something weird," Cam told her, taking a bite of his own slice.

"If you get me the recipe, I could try making it at home," she smiled at him with a small shrug.

Massie arched her brow, taking a sip of her tea. "You can try, Claire, but trust me, my own cook has tried. It just never comes out this good. I think Derrick's cook is withholding a secret ingredient. Cam could probably try getting it out of her, since he's her favorite, but—"

"Cam's always been scared of her," Derrick told her with glee, recovering nicely from his fiancée's low blow.

"You were?" Claire turned to her boyfriend with raised brows.

"Oh yeah, Cam used to finish his food last on purpose just to make sure she'd be gone from the kitchen. He'd sneak into the room, toss his plates into the sink, and then run for cover."

"Cam was the biggest wimp," Massie teased.

"Please stop discussing my secret shame. I still have nightmares of her smothering hugs," Cam told them all.

After a few more minutes of playful teasing, Derrick and Massie stood to chat with other people and Cam left to grab another plate of dessert for the two of them to share. Claire continued to people watch, still marveling at everything around her. She watched as Dylan Marvil and Alicia Rivera take a selfie together, observed Derrick and Massie's father's sitting with a cluster of men engrossed in a heated political debate with the Mayor, and the surveyed the courtyard filled with illustrious laughing people sipping imported French champagne.

She breathed in the lovely smell of beautiful exotic flowers and savored the sound of complicated string music drifting through the yard. The slight summer breeze in the air sent the copper lanterns strung up around her to swaying, like hundreds of glowing orbs in a drifting ocean in the darkening sky. Claire felt like she was floating along with them, swept up in some bizarre amazing dream.

She wondered if life with Cam would always be like this.

##

"Is your girlfriend having a good time?" Anna asked Cam while they were out of earshot of everyone else.

"Yes, Mrs. H. She's having a great time. Thank you again for inviting her," Cam replied with a smile. He knew how hard it was for Anna to accept anyone outside of her social circles to one of these parties and even more so, a stranger. It had taken Derrick's help to even get her to consider it.

"She's the talk of the town. Everyone is either trying to tactfully ask me about her or trying tactfully to tell me things about her."

"Really?" Cam asked in surprise. "What have they been saying?"

"Some are wondering what she's really doing here. What it means. Alicia's been all flustered up."

Cam felt his face pinch. "What does Alicia have to do with Claire?"

"Oh, darling, you know how these things are. She's concerned for you. Thinks you're going to be trapped."

"Trapped?" Cam echoed hollowly, defensively. "I'm just on vacation with Claire, Mrs. H. Not that it's really any of her business, but there's nothing to be concerned about."

"That's exactly what I told her." Anna smiled fondly at him. "I told her you're a smart man, that you would never do anything without your family's proper blessings. Alicia is just being Alicia. It seems that the ending up in the papers isn't enough for her these days. She looks for more drama wherever she goes."

"Would you like me to bring Claire over, Mrs. H? So that you can get to know her better?" Cam ventured carefully.

"You know I won't be able to stand all the craning necks and gossiping masses if that happens. Why don't you just both come to stay with us this week? It's so silly to be staying at our ratty hotel when we have so many guest rooms, right here at the estate, closer to home."

Cam was thrilled to hear those words from someone he considered a second family. It seemed that he had her seal of approval of Claire now. He always knew from the very beginning that Claire would be able to charm everyone. "That sounds awesome, Mrs. H. But I'd have to ask Claire how she'd feel about that. Thank you."

##

In a deserted corner of a darkened guest room of the Harrington estate, Jacklyn Ryan stood in front of huge window overlooking the garden terrace and the party outside.

She was in the midst of a heated conversation with her youngest daughter in California.

"Stop making excuses!" Jacklyn hissed into her cell phone, fuming angry. "I don't care what you've told the press. Do what you have to do, say what you have to say, but make sure you're back by tomorrow evening!"

She ended the call with a jab of her finger, looking outside to make sure no one had heard her raised voice. Life continued on below outside without her.

There could be no denying that Cam looked completely smitten with the Lyons girl, but her Livia was a beauty no one could deny. An exquisite work of art destined to be part of the finest collection.

A collection she herself had once failed to become a part of, once upon a time.

But Jacklyn had learned her lesson in humility once. And that was all that was needed. Timing was everything.

And destiny was giving her a second chance. Because with Ella knowing the consequences of new money latching on now, Jacklyn knew just who she would prefer. Ella hated anything that reminded her of her old self. Olivia was the best match available for Cam in Westchester now. Old money she just couldn't afford to turn away, especially if the opposition was a gold digging nobody named Claire Lyons.

##

Author's Notes: AHAHA. I picked Olivia on purpose because of her semi-relationship with Cam in the later books. Aftermath next chapter and mostly likely one w/ PC interaction. Thanks for reading! I love you all.

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