Yvonne arrived at the reunion later than she had planned. The delay was entirely Ethan's fault—his desperate pleas and the emotional whirlwind he had stirred up had cost her precious time. As she stepped into the elegant venue, she realized with a slight grimace that she was indeed the last one to arrive.
The moment she walked in, all eyes turned to her, and a chorus of mock reproaches greeted her. "Yvonne, finally!" one of her old friends, Sarah, called out, her tone a mix of teasing and genuine warmth. "We thought you were going to ditch us for one of your famous clients!"
Yvonne smiled, playing along with the light-hearted scolding. "Apologies, apologies," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender. "I was… caught up in something."
"Something, or someone?" another voice chimed in, and the group burst into laughter.
Yvonne rolled her eyes playfully. "Let's just say, my exit strategy took longer than expected." She walked over to the table where everyone was seated, already feeling the buzz of alcohol and good times in the air.
"Well, since you're the last one here, you know the drill," Sarah said, pushing a glass of wine into Yvonne's hand. "Three shots as a penalty. No excuses!"
Yvonne grinned, unfazed by the challenge. "You think three shots are going to slow me down? Please." She downed the first glass with ease, feeling the warmth spread through her chest. The second and third followed in quick succession, her movements fluid and confident, earning cheers from her friends.
"That's our Yvonne!" someone shouted, and Yvonne laughed, setting the empty glasses down with a flourish.
"Alright, now that we've got the formalities out of the way," she said, settling into a seat between Sarah and another old classmate, Jason, "let's get to the good stuff. What's everyone been up to?"
The conversation quickly turned lively, as everyone began catching up and sharing stories. The wine flowed freely, loosening tongues and making the atmosphere even more relaxed. It wasn't long before the bragging started, the subtle and not-so-subtle comparisons of who had done what with their lives.
"I just closed a deal on a new yacht," Jason said with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. "Took it out last weekend, and let me tell you, there's nothing like cruising around in the sun with a glass of champagne in hand."
"That's nothing," another classmate, Mark, interjected. "I just bought a penthouse in the city. You should see the view—worth every penny. It's like living on top of the world."
"And I've got the latest Ferrari," Sarah added with a grin. "Took it for a spin on the highway, and wow, the speed is something else. You guys have to come for a ride sometime."
As the evening wore on, the stories became grander, the successes more glittering. Someone had become a CEO, another had launched a tech startup that was gaining serious traction. It was a mix of genuine pride and a bit of competitive edge, everyone trying to outdo the other with tales of their luxurious lifestyles.
Yvonne listened with an amused smile, occasionally adding in her own comments, but mostly content to observe the scene. She could see how much everyone had changed—and yet, in many ways, how little they had changed at all. The need to prove themselves, to show off their achievements, was still there, just as it had been back in their school days.
At one point, the conversation turned to Yvonne herself. "So, Yvonne," Sarah said, leaning in with a curious smile, "what about you? We all know you've been keeping busy, but we want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. What have you been up to?"
Yvonne took a sip of her wine, letting the question hang in the air for a moment before responding. "Oh, you know me," she began, her tone light and playful, "I've been having my fun, working on a few projects, meeting some interesting people. Nothing as flashy as a new yacht or a penthouse, but I've managed to keep myself entertained."
"Come on, don't be modest," Jason teased. "We've all heard the rumors about your high-profile clients. You've been rubbing elbows with some pretty powerful people."
Yvonne shrugged, her smile enigmatic. "It's true that I've met a few interesting characters along the way," she admitted, "but at the end of the day, I'm just enjoying life, taking things as they come. No need to rush into anything serious."
Sarah gave her a knowing look. "Still the same old Yvonne," she said with a laugh. "Always keeping your cards close to your chest."
Yvonne winked at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
As the night continued, the alcohol flowed even more freely, and a few of her friends started to get noticeably tipsy. One of them, Kevin, got up from his seat and, with a bottle in hand, began to belt out a tune, his voice slurring slightly. The rest of the group cheered him on, laughing and singing along, the reunion now fully in party mode.
Yvonne joined in the singing, laughing as she swayed to the music. The scene was familiar, comforting even, but as she glanced around the room, a part of her couldn't help but feel a bit detached. These were her friends, people she had known for years, and yet there was always that lingering sense that she was different, that she was playing a game none of them could fully understand.
But for tonight, that was okay. She was here to enjoy herself, to indulge in the moment, and she wasn't going to let anything—least of all thoughts of Ethan—distract her from that.
As the night wore on, the bragging subsided into more nostalgic stories, the conversations becoming less about who had the most and more about the times they had shared. It was a reminder of where they had come from, the bonds that had formed despite their different paths in life.
But even as she laughed along with her friends, Yvonne's mind was already drifting to what lay ahead. The reunion was just a brief interlude in her life, a moment of fun before she returned to the reality of living with ten men, each one more complicated than the last.
As she raised her glass for another toast, Yvonne knew one thing for sure: this was just the beginning. And whatever came next, she was ready for it.