Joe sank onto the chaise lounge, dumbfounded. Guests? But who should he say that he was? And who would they be? Unfortunately he didn’t have the time to fret as the doorbell rang through the house. He quickly pulled on the clothes in the neat pile and ran a hand through his wet, dark locks before rushing out of the bathroom toward the front door. Surely he was dreaming, he thought to himself as he passed the large front drawing room, which had been transformed into an elegant entertaining area complete with dim lighting, a full bar in crystal decanters, and a string quartet poised to raise their bows. Several handsome house staff in jacket and tie stood at the ready and looked to him expectantly, awaiting command.

As Joe hurried into the foyer to answer the door, he saw the violet hue of twilight was pulling her dressing gown over the windows of the house. “But how.…” he began to wonder and then stopped as one of the staff opened the front door ahead of him and a small wave of tuxedos, cocktail dresses, bowties, and pearls washed over the entryway and gathered him up in a frothy swirl of conversation. Before he had an opportunity to make an introduction, he was pressed into a sandwich by a blond Bond and raven minx, who escorted him by arm into the drawing room as if they’d known each other since grade school.

A drink was pressed into his hand by the brunette beauty and his head began to spin deliciously as the musicians filled the house with a macabre web of song. There were only a half dozen or so guests, but their energy seemed to fill the room. Each was magnetic in a unique way, and Joe enjoyed watching the comfortable exchange of admiring glances between them. Conversation and drinks flowed generously, and before long Joe had satiated himself in both. As he sat quite accidentally in an ornate corner chair, allowing him to preside like a king over his court, he watched curiously as a beautiful olive-skinned girl glided her hands down the chest of a handsome black man in a short tuxedo jacket and pulled him into a languid kiss. Perhaps he was a little too drunk to cast a polite eye away, because Joe was entranced by the couple. Strong, white hands wrapped around the satin collar of the black man’s coat and slowly pulled it off from behind. Following the arms, Joe recognized the blond Bond with the strong jaw and piercing blue eyes who had escorted him into the party. He smiled at Joe casually before turning the face of the black man with a finger and meeting his lips.