1 - Celebration

"Congratulations and Happy Birthday!!!" The guests greeted me with applause after I entered the ballroom of my mansion.

Champagne and foods are abundant as the hired waiters are roaming around the ballroom to keep the foods and drinks available to my guests.

Today is my 23th birthday celebration. Today, I also finished a successful fashion show and winning an award to one of the prestigious award giving ceremony as best supporting actress. So, this celebration is like a triple treat for me.

As the guests continued socializing, dancing to the live band that's hired to play music for my birthday, and also networking with other well-known people in the industry, I looked around and wonder where is my errant boyfriend.

I'm expecting him to be the first one to greet me when I arrived from the shows that I'd been to, before I could be here tonight and celebrate with my friends, acquaintances and business partners.

This party is already a success since it's full of A-lists guests from the entertainment industry.

"Where's Richard?" I asked my assistant - Elaine - who is standing next to me.

Richard is my boyfriend of one and half year and he's also a bassist of a famous rock band. An acquaintance and co-actress at a film I was filming that time introduced us to each other at his band's after party. It happened that she's dating one of the band's member. When Richard and I exchanged contact information, we constantly talk to each other and go out on a date until we became official.

He couldn't be with me at my fashion and awards show as my date, since he also have his own schedule, so we decided to meet here at my birthday celebration, but he's nowhere to be found.

"I'll go and look for him." Elaine told me.

"Thanks." I said with a smile of gratitude. Since I really can't leave my guests who are chatting with me and look for Richard myself.

It didn't take long for Elaine to return to my side with a frown. Her eyebrows are almost nearing each other.

"Why are you frowning?" I asked Elaine.

"Your Butler said Richard arrived already, but he's not sure where he could be right now since the Butler is busy monitoring the party, to make sure the party will go on as smoothly as possible. He said that the last time he saw Richard, he was heading at the second floor. When the Butler asked a maid to look for Richard, she returned looking pale and scared. We asked, but she's talking nonsense, like she didn't want to get in trouble." Elaine told me with a frown.

Now, I'm also worried. "I wonder if Richard is already so drunk and then he threatened the maid? But why, though?"

Elaine shrugged. "Richard is a bit of an snobbish asshole, so anything is possible. Maybe the maid caught him getting high?" She offered.

I didn't refute what Elaine said. Richard liked smoking weeds, and yes he's kind of a snob, too, so there's a possibility that the maid got intimidated by him.

I sighed.

It seems I have to leave my guests and see what's up with Richard.

"I'll go and see him myself. The guests are also looking for him. Entertain and talk to the guests who'll look and ask for me while I go and see Richard." I told Elaine. She nodded. I left the ballroom to find Richard.

The Butler saw me leaving the ballroom and he approached me.

"Miss Katniss." The Butler greeted me. "Mr. Richard is still upstairs, as per the maid said. She got scared when he yelled at her from the door after she called him while knocking. Mr. Richard even told the maid that he'll fire her and he'll make sure that she'll have a hard time to find work again." The Butler told me in details what the maid told him. It was probably when Elaine left to inform me about Richard.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me the details. Tell the maid that she didn't need to worry about what Richard said. I'll go see him myself." I told the Butler.

The Butler inclined his head. "As you wish, Miss Katniss."

I went to the second floor of my mansion when I left the Butler. Even if I'm only dating Richard for less than two years, I already gave him his own room in my mansion whenever he's not busy and wanted to stay over and hang out with me at home.

Richard's room is at the opposite side of my suite of rooms.

I might like Richard but I like my privacy more. So, my suites of rooms are exclusive for my use only. If I want to hang out and make out with him, it's always in his appointed room, or any room as long as it's not my private rooms. I am meticulous and a bit of an OCD. I don't want my personal things to be moved or touched by others.

I recalled that Richard was frustrated about that. That's why despite dating for almost two years and making out, we never do the final deed of making love.

I want it to be special and memorable and romantic, and not just a messy and quick and done with type of sex.

If I'm gonna have my first time with Richard, I want it to be in a getaway vacation in Paris, Greece or some place memorable. Like a pre-honeymoon vacation where we'll get to spend time together without our busy schedules and people calling us every minute of the day. I want us to tour and sightsee while we're on vacation and that would lead us to a romantic night of love making.

And it seems like Richard is always frustrated with that. Unless he sets a romantic vacation for us and put serious effort on it, there's no way I'll be making love to him just like that in a snap of a finger. I value my self-worth and I want to feel special, so he needs to make an effort even if we only go around the touristy places here in America, I don't mind. It's enough just for him to put the effort that I'm his priority and I'm special to him.

I sighed on that thought and when I reached the front door of Richard's room, I grabbed and twisted the door knob open.

"Sweety, I'm home already!" I declared loudly. Wanting to surprise him.

But the jokes on me, I'm the one who's surprised.

My face is frozen in shocked.