Page 5 of The Dinner Party

“Fine,” she finally says, “but if there’s so much as a scratch on my car at the end of the night, you’re going to be very sorry.”

You do not doubt that. But you’re an excellent driver, so you’re not too worried. “Thank you! I promise I’ll be very careful.”

Avery didn’t mention if you’ll be expected to change into a uniform, so you dress in a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt that will hopefully be appropriate for serving an upscale dinner party. You tug on a coat because the weather is still chilly, and it’s only going to get colder as the night goes on. You pull your black hair back into a simple ponytail.

You feel strangely nervous about this job, which is odd, because you have waitressed thousands of times before. But you can’t seem to shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Still, you had a chance to say no, and you didn’t take it. It’s time to get going.

It’s colder outside than you thought. You zip up your coat to your throat as you walk down the steps of your building. As soon as you reach the bottom step, a cat materializes from the alley by your building. She nuzzles her head against your leg and looks up at you hopefully. She’s clearly looking for food, and based on how scrawny she is, it’s slim pickings around here.

You love animals. Sometimes you think you prefer them to people. On any other night, you’d scrounge up some food for this hungry cat, but you shouldn’t be dawdling. You told Avery you were going to head over right away, and it’s a long drive to Peyton’s Peak. There’s no time to worry about a stray cat.

But the cat looks so hungry. How could you leave her without at least giving her a nibble of something to eat?

To go upstairs and get food for the cat, turn to Chapter 8 (page 19)

To head straight to your car, turn to Chapter 9 (page 21)

8

Yes, it’s important to have money for the rent, but you’re not going to ignore a hungry animal. You’ll take five minutes to feed this cat, and then you can be on your way.

You hurry back upstairs, and thankfully, Blair and her boyfriend Griff are still in their bedroom. You yank open the fridge and scan the contents. There isn’t much in there, besides a bunch of Chinese food leftover containers. You grab the first one you see and pop it open. Hopefully, cats like kung pow chicken.

You palm a few pieces of chicken, then hurry back downstairs. The cat is waiting for you, meowing plaintively. She looks like she’s starving. You’re glad you decided to take a few minutes to feed her.

You sit on the steps of your building and rip a little piece of the chicken off for the cat. She gobbles it up in one bite, then looks at you for more. Apparently, cats do like kung pow chicken. You give her the rest, and within a few seconds, all the chicken is gone. After she finishes, she rubs against you gratefully, and you pet her soft fur. What a sweet cat.

Now that you’ve done a good deed, it’s time to get on the road!

Turn to Chapter 9 (page 21)

9

Blair’s father bought her a silver Audi as a graduation present, and you are going to do your best not to bust it up during this drive. You do not doubt that Blair will make good on her promise to make your life a living hell if anything happens to that car.

You slide into the driver’s seat and start up the engine. Oh wow, this car has both a heated seat and a heated steering wheel. All it needs is a toilet, and this car would be better than any place you have ever lived in your entire life. It will be a shame to hand it back over to Blair at the end of the evening.

Maybe you should steal it. This car can be your new home. It’s a victimless crime—Blair’s father can just buy her another one.

No, you need to stop slobbering over this car. You’ve got a job to do.

You get on the road, driving in the direction of Peyton’s Peak. You use GPS, recognizing that when you get closer to the estate, the GPS won’t work anymore. You have a sheet of scribbled directions that you will use when the signal cuts out. You’re especially worried that your phone likely won’t work at that point either. What if you get lost?

Once again, you wonder if you’re making a mistake taking this job. A remote mountain location? No GPS signal? A paycheck that is far more than any waitress job should rightfully pay? This is super sketchy. But you can’t change your mind anymore. You’re doing this.

While you’re still in the city, there are lots of cars around. After all, it’s Saturday night, and everyone but you is out having a good time. But after you get out of the city, the roads become less crowded, and the further you drive in the direction of the mountain, the more desolate it becomes. At some point, you realize that 15 minutes have passed by and you haven’t seen any other cars.

That’s okay, though. You don’t mind being alone, and it’s actually nice to be on this quiet drive. It gives you time to think.

For example, you can think about your legal problems. Your empty bank account. Your complete lack of a love life.

Ugh, this sucks. What’s on the radio?

The rock songs distract you while you continue on the deserted road. After you’ve been driving for a little over an hour, you notice something on the side of the road. You’ve got your brights on, but it’s still very hard to see. It’s only when you get closer that you can make out what it is.

It’s a man. He’s standing all alone next to the road, his thumb stuck up in the air, a duffel bag by his side.

A hitchhiker.