Chapter 27
Sydney was brought down from her high mood after Jess’ birthday party because of her father’s insistence that they throw a big party in celebration of her quickly approaching twenty-fourth birthday. Of course, Sydney knew what that meant. It was merely an opportunity for a more efficient way of passing her off on new bachelors. She was actually beginning to be shocked that any more single men she hadn’t dined with existed in their small country. At least, men her father approved of; there were obviously far more men he did not deem worthy to be a future prince. Sydney protested the party, but in the end was able to get him to agree as long as she could invite a few special guests of her own, namely her new found friends Jess, Tina, Sue, and Jamie. Of course, she did not tell her father who exactly her guests would be, just that they were special and she wanted them there. Her father agreed and Sydney immediately went to Michael to request that he find himself a tuxedo, for he was invited as well.
“You realize Jess is going to have a stroke when she hears about this, right?” Michael laughed after Sydney explained her idea to invite the four girls to her party.
“Why? It’s just like a birthday party… only fancier,” she said with a slight shrug.
“Uh, try: it’s just like a birthday party, only it’s black tie and everyone in attendance is royalty or nobility,” Michael corrected for her. “Except for the five working class schmucks the princess took pity on.”
“Please,” Sydney rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not why I’m inviting you guys. I need friends there! Besides, it’s like paying back the favor to Jess for inviting me to her party.”
“Oh, this is so not an equal return of favor,” Michael told her. Sydney shrugged before giving him a quick kiss. Before she could rush off to call Jess though, Michael held her back, lowering his voice slightly with embarrassment. “The thing is… I know she doesn’t have anything to wear. I mean, my mom is making Jess’s prom dress…,” he said, not wanting to flat out say they couldn’t afford to buy one.
“Oh, that’s okay – she can borrow something of mine,” Sydney smiled at him. Then she gave him another kiss and skipped off to call Jess and invite her personally along with asking for the other girls’ phone numbers to invite them personally.
The moment Sydney explained to Jess what was going on, the phone went dead and, for a moment, Sydney feared Michael had been right and Jess really did have a stroke (or at the very least, fainted). It took a moment for Jess to come back on the line and, when she did, the squealing began. She was in utter shock that not only was she a) going to a fancy party, b) getting to borrow a fancy princess dress to attend that party, but also her friends were coming along as well. “You’re the best princess ever!” she exclaimed to Sydney. Before hanging up the phone, Sydney and Jess made plans for her to come to work with her brother later that week so she and Sydney could go through her closet and find something for her to wear.
On each of the other three phone calls, Sydney’s ears were painfully met with squeals from the other girls, who were ecstatic about being able to come to the princess’s party. Sydney was simply happy that they were happy and also glad at the prospect that she was going to have the best birthday she’d ever had.
~*~
“Holy felgercarb, you got a big castle,” Jess sighed as she looked up at Sydney’s mansion.
“It’s not a castle,” Sydney laughed. “Come on,” she said putting an arm around Jess’s shoulders.
“Is your dad here?” Jess asked. As they walked her eyes never rested on one thing for more than a second, while she tried to observe everything possible.
“Nah, he’s at a UN meeting,” Sydney told her. She led, well more like dragged since Jess was trying to touch all the statues lining the hallway, upstairs and into her room, where Jess practically fell down onto her knees from shock.
“THIS IS YOUR ROOM?! It’s awesome!” Jess squealed as she rushed over to the large TV on Sydney’s wall. “Your room is bigger than my parent’s house!”
“No it’s not,” Sydney said with a laugh, even though she’d notice that exact fact her first time at the Vaughn residence--not that she felt the need to point it out, she merely noted it.
“It totally is!”
“Well, wait until you see the closet,” Sydney said, ushering her towards a door on the other side of the room. She stepped inside, turned on the light and then waited towards one side of the room for Jess to come in. When she did, tears sprung into Jess’s eyes as she walked over to Sydney’s rows of shoes and touched each one carefully. “It’s just so beautiful,” Jess choked out.
“I know,” Sydney said, patting her back gently. “You can borrow a pair if you want…and if they fit…”
“I’ll make them fit!” Jess exclaimed seriously. Sydney laughed and led her over to the dress section of her closet. She pointed out the gown she’d be wearing and the offered a few suggestions to Jess for what would be appropriate.
Jess had the time of her life trying on every piece of clothing Sydney owned that she could get her hands on. She picked out a deep pink colored dress to wear to Sydney’s party, but kept on examining clothes until Sydney physically removed her from the closet and walked her down to the garage and to her brother. “Jess is going to marry my closet,” Sydney told him seriously.
Michael laughed at Jess’s slightly annoyed expression. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Shut up,” Jess muttered to them both.
“You found a dress?” Michael asked her.
“Yes, I only let her pick one, which was difficult,” Sydney said with a smile towards Jess.
“You’re both so mean,” Jess muttered to them. “You’re just freakin’ perfect for each other…”
Michael grinned as he put his arm around Sydney’s shoulders. “Well, it is the main reason why I love her.” Sydney gave him a gentle kiss to which Jess rolled her eyes.
LOL