"Rey! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! When Beaumont told me you'd be here tonight, I said it would be a perfect night!" Stacy exclaims as she pulls Rey into a tight hug.
Begrudgingly, Rey hugs Stacy back as she fights a grimace. Her eyes flick towards Beaumont and he seems annoyingly pleased with the situation. As soon as Stacy lets go of Rey, she barks orders to the rest of the Kin family to begin preparations for dinner. Beaumont slides up beside a still bewildered Rey, trying to cozy up to her.
"Isn't this great? The whole family is together and we're all going to cook together!" he whispers excitedly.
"Sure Beau. But...wasn't this supposed to be our night together? Didn't your family know we had a date planned tonight?" Rey asks.
Before he can answer, the doorbell rings again. He rushes off to open the door where there are pleasant greetings and cheers heard. Rey peeks out from the kitchen and her stomach drops. There are at least a dozen other people in the foyer all dressed up in holiday garb. Nerves rattle through Rey and she jumps when Stacy places a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry honey! Didn't mean to scare ya! Why don't you help Beau's sister Tabitha with the lobsters?" she suggests.
Without a chance to reply, Rey is whisked by Stacy towards the lobster prepping station. She gulps as she sees the lobsters still moving around with their claws bound. Being a lover of all ocean creatures, her heart sinks and she doesn't want to do anything remotely related to harming them.
"Go ahead and drop them in the water, like this," Tabitha says as she reaches for one of the crustaceans.
Rey watches helplessly as Tabitha drops it into the boiling pot of salty water. Just before Tabitha covers the lid of the pot, Rey hears a high-pitched sound. It rocks her to her core in all the worst ways.
"Is that the pot making noise?" she asks nervously.
"Oh no, it's the lobster. They scream. But don't worry, they're like bugs. Disgusting little things," Tabitha replies nonchalantly as she moves to drop the second lobster into another pot of boiling water.
The screams are too much for Rey and she breathes heavily, looking about to see where else she can go. But she's trapped by Beaumont's arms on her shoulders. He presses a jolly kiss to her temple but she shudders from it. A few minutes later, Tabitha goes to remove the lobsters. Both are now a bright red color.
"Rey, can you be a dear and move them over to the side please? I'll handle the rest," Tabitha instructs.
Rey only nods and reaches forward to grab one of the lobsters. As soon as she touches it, the back of her hands break out into deep red rashes. She cries out in shock and drops the lobster back on the cutting board. Tabitha looks over annoyedly until she sees Rey's hands.
"Oh good lord! What happened?" she cries out.
"I...I don't know," Rey stammers, sniffly slightly as she tries to hold in her tears.
"Have you ever handled lobsters before?" Tabitha asks, hands on her hips.
"No," she replies.
"Looks like an allergic reaction to me. Why don't you head on out into the party area. We'll take it from here," Beau's sister replies.
Rey nods quietly and leaves the kitchen as Tabitha gets back to food prep. Stepping away from the kitchen, Rey catches eyes with someone across the way. He's leaning against the wall with a glass of apple cider in his hand. His eyes lock onto her own and he offers a gentle smile. Rey fumbles for a smile but ends up trembling. She begins to sway from side to side, her breathing quickening on each sway. Without another moment's hesitation, the man walks over and grasps her shoulders gently.
"Whoa, are you ok?" he asks in a gentle, low voice.
His hands hold strong and true to her as Rey gains focus again. She blinks her eyes and the man comes into full focus. His words are repeated, concern in his eyes as he continues to hold her up. Rey nods and whispers a soft thank you.
"Anytime," the man replies softly.
They stand together, the man's hands close by should Rey begin swaying again. After a few moments of quiet, the man clears his throat and speaks.
"Is it just me, or are we the only two people who don't want to be here?" he asks.
Rey can't help but giggle at his statement, causing the man to smile and chuckle along with her. She looks into his eyes and feels oddly calmed by his presence. The man gazes down at her and smiles warmly, holding out a hand towards her.
"I'm Ben. I work as an intern at the Kin Law Firm," he states.
"I'm..." she starts.
But before Rey can answer fully, she is whisked away from Ben with an arm around her waist. Ben looks after her with a mixed expression of confusion and a bit of...anger?
"Come on Rey! It's time for one of our classic holiday party traditions: the 12 Days of Christmas!" Beaumont exclaims as he carries her over towards the family room, party guests in tow.