She can’t help but crack a smile when he tells her to fake a headache if or when she needs to get out of there. “Oh, darling, any woman worth her salt will know a headache probably isn’t the real reason for leaving,” Demi answers, the smile still on her lips as she adds. “When I’m ready to go I’ll just tell Rose I want to drag you back to the apartment, let them fill in whatever blanks they want.” It wouldn’t be an outright lie and it would play into their charade, even if all they would end up doing once back at the apartment would be to slink off into their respective spaces and spend the rest of the day likely recovering from whatever energy this little outing would drain them of. “But thank you, I appreciate you letting me call the shots here.” Demi adds, realizing she hadn’t acknowledge just how comforting it was to know that she was in control.
For nine months control had belong to everyone else but her, so it was stabling thing, an anchor in this chaos, to know that Isaac truly was going to follow her lead here.
Demi took a deep breath as Isaac reached for the door, preparing herself to plaster on a smile and take the advice that Sam had given her. Treat these women like she had her old dance instructors, and maybe, just maybe she might survive this whole thing.
The door swings open and Rose greets them and Demi has to do her very best not to roll her eyes. She had sent Rose a text that morning letting her know that she and Isaac would be attending, so this feigned surprise that they actually had was irritating to her. “We did,” she finally answered the woman as she and Isaac stepped into the apartment. “After all, I couldn’t waste a chance to wear the pearls Isaac just gave me.” Demi’s flashing a bright smile as she brings her free hand up to gesture towards the jewelry around her neck.
It’s a distraction, momentary, but still a distraction.
“Oh my god, those are lovely,” the blonde woman gushes, stepping closer to Demi to get a closer look at the pearls around her neck and the ones in her ears. “Isaac Callahan, who knew you had such good taste in jewelry!” Rose adds, turning her attention onto Isaac as she spoke.
Just as quickly as she had ushered them into the apartment, Rose was ushering them towards the living room where two other couples sat with who Demi could only assume was Rose’s husband. She recognized faces, but didn’t know the names of the other guests.
With a quick glance towards Isaac, she stood on her tip toes and whispered. “Do you know any of these people?”