2
Jared walked by the wall and tried to stay out of the way. The room was already getting crowded.
“Over here,” Curtis called, from a set of couches over to one side.
Ben and the others were already there. Jared recognized Ben and his date, Monique. She was a small girl with a bouncy, curly hairstyle and too much makeup. She always wore too much makeup and perfume. As he walked closer, he got a whiff of the wild oleander and jasmine fragrance she preferred. Beside them were two of Ben’s friends from work and their dates. The friends had made an appearance or two at Curtis’s parties. The dates were new.
“Are we ready to go in?” Jared asked.
“Not yet.” Curtis sat on one of the couches and motioned for everyone else to do the same. “They haven’t started seating the hall yet and we’re sti
