Joanna and the rest of the family, plus Bruce’s girlfriend, Catherine, stood at the double doors waiting for the Bartholomews. They had just gotten word they were outside.
“It’s everything I can do not to start hopping up and down in this spot,” Selena said like a grinning fool
Trevor was standing behind Christopher. His eldest brother was a bit taller and wider than him so it was the perfect place to hide until he was ready for them to see him.
Gwyneth rushed up to him. “I can tell on your face they are here.”
Trevor knew he was smiling like a teenage boy who was about to do something he sh
Amish born Joanna Yoder had been seventeen years old when her and her friends began Rumspringa. It was Amish tradition that teens can experience the English world without Amish rule and restrictions; that included experiencing alcohol, electricity, electronics, cigarettes, and even drugs. Rumspringa participants were allowed to live outside of the community during the two year period. After two years, Rumspringa teens return to the community and decide if they want to be baptized into the faith, living by Amish rules for the rest of their days or leave the community to live in the English world and be shunned by those you once knew – never to be heard from again. Joanna and several of her friends had rented a five-bedroom house in Cincinnati. The Amish boys had rented a six-bedroom house a block away. Joanna had been in awe of the English
The second eldest son of the Hudson clan, Trevor Hudson, had just finished ravishing Ava Bartholomew in her bed at her penthouse. She was a trust fund baby and the youngest child of Lester Bartholomew. Trevor was thirty-one. Ava was twenty-four; just ten years younger than her father’s current wife. Trevor had been seeing Ava casually for almost a year. Of course, he dated and slept with other women, but Ava was his favorite among the socialites and middle class ladies in his list of girls. She was fun and gorgeous. With her thick brown shoulder length hair, height, and perfect skin tone and button nose, she had modeled for Vogue and a few fashion shows. Of course, she didn’t have to work, but she liked doing things that put her in the limelight. Trevor didn’t mind her vanity. She had every reason to be vain as far as he
Eight weeks later . . .For the first time in two months, Selena had left the mansion with the baby. She had brought baby Christopher to the penthouse she and her husband owned in the city. That’s where Selena and her friends would meet most of the time. Joanna loved going to the penthouse because she could really let her hair down and talk to Selena like the friends they really were. Beverly Balsom, the third BFF of their group, had just arrived with wine and snacks.“Beverly, I’m not sure if Cheetos go with white wine,” Selena said with a wry smile.“Sure they do,” Beverly said. “Just try it.”Joanna shrugged and popped a Cheetos in her mouth. Then, she sipped the wine. “It is pretty good.”Selena chuckled as she put little Chris in the bassinet.“How is the little nipper?” Beverly asked.“Perfect,” Selena answered
A month later . . . The holidays had gone off without a hitch. Joanna had spent it with the rest of the staff like she had done for the past three and a half years. They exchanged small inexpensive gifts and had Christmas dinner in the mansion kitchen. But, most importantly, Joanna had enrolled in the New York School of Design. She was working toward a fashion design certificate. She was taking three required foundation classes currently. The rest of the classes she would take as time went on. Joanna had enrolled as a part-time student so she could keep her job at the estate. A full-time student at the design school could earn a certificate in a year. But, since Joanna was attending part-time she had no idea how long it would take her to earn
Three and a half months later . . . It was spring. The flowers were in bloom and the birds chirped happily at the estate. Joanna had finished her three core courses at the New York School of Design and she was now taking fashion illustration and fashion fabric classes. In between work and school, she had been creating a ball gown for the Masquerade Charity Ball the Hudson Family was hosting next weekend at the estate. But, Selena had told her to forget it a few days ago because Christopher had bought her a designer gown he wanted to see her in. Selena hadn’t seen the gown Joanna had made for her. Joanna looked at the light pink flowing gown on the statue figurine. She imagined herself in it and going to the ball. What she wanted was Trevor to
A few days later . . . Joanna sat in the chair in her quarters as Courtney put the finishing touches on her make-up. She had curled and fluffed Joanna’s thick mane and sprayed it with so much hair spray that Joanna thought she was going to choke. “Not too much eye shadow, Courtney. I’ll be wearing a mask,” Joanna said. “I know, but there is space around the holes of the eyes,” Courtney countered as she continued to work. After another few minutes, Courtney was finally done. “When we have mo
Trevor stood in one of the corners of the ballroom with Bruce, Trevor, Christopher, and Selena. After dinner, he had become bored. Normally, he would have found a girl and whisked her away to a private spot where they could get better acquainted. Every time he entertained the thought, Ava or her mother, Whitney Bartholomew, appeared at his side. It was like clockwork.Then he had figured what the hell, he’d just take Ava and sneak her to his bedroom. She was his favorite girl. Ava wore a purple mask that matched her dark purple ball gown that showed so much cleavage that it was begging for Trevor to put his face in it. But, when he had whispered his idea to Ava during a dance, she had blushed and then refused. The way she saw it, there were too many important people there and they had to network. Trevor was the best networker in the family. He had made the rounds twice and would again
Ava looked around the ballroom with her mother looking for Trevor. There was no sign of him. “You see,” her mother hissed. “You can’t leave men for a minute without a commitment. What were you thinking coming to look for me?” Her mother was wearing a black ball gown that showed off her shoulders. She also wore a black mask with black feathers that hung out on the sides and the top. Her mother carried a black lacey fan. She had told Ava that it made her outfit more daring, but Ava knew she had to counter-act her hot flashes. “You were gone for so long I thought something happened to you,” she said defensively. “What could have happened to me walking to