Jacqueline LeClare, “Jackie” to her friends, stopped at the edge of the group of people massed around the swimming pool in the apartment complex. The notice left in her door had said it was an informal opportunity for the residents to meet each other, but she had no idea there would be this many people. But then Americans always are amazingly social with people that they may have never met before, she thought. Looking around, she decided to edge up a set of steps leading to the second floor of one of the buildings adjacent to the pool, to look the crowd over before plunging in.

About halfway up she stopped and turned and looked out over the crowd. Okay, from up here it wasn’t quite as bad as from ground level, maybe only 50 to 60 people instead of the hundreds she had first visualized, but still a lot of people to meet. It looked to be a pretty typical crowd for an apartment complex like this, mainly 20 and 30 year old men and women, but with an occasional person (mostly men) who could be in their 40’s or even 50’s. As she stood gazing out on the crowd, a couple, probably in their late 20’s or early 30’s, brushed by her. “Sorry,” the woman called after them as they hurried on down the stairs and into the crowd. Since they were both reasonably attractive and well-dressed, especially for an occasion like this, she followed them with her gaze. They went by the pool and up onto a small platform at the opposite end of the pool where there was a cluster of tables. That’s when Jackie first saw her…a young redhead in a white sundress, probably 20 at most, at least 10 years younger than the man and woman who had just brushed by her as well as the other couple sitting at the table with them. Her instincts told her the redhead was the one she was looking for…She descended back to the ground, then slowly worked her way into the crowd, greeting each person and chatting for a minute or two with each of them.

It wasn’t long before she had become the center of attention for three reasons. First, she was exceptionally beautiful, a veritable Venus. Her long black hair flowed down her shoulders and halfway down the back of the yellow sundress she was wearing. She was not as amply endowed as many of the women at the party, but the combination of her breast, waist, hip, and buttocks size were in such perfect proportion as to render her even more attractive than the other women. In addition, she had full red lips and bright blue eyes that twinkled as she smiled at everyone she greeted. Second, her voice was a tinkly set of chimes, perfectly pitched, that combined with her light French accent to fall like music on even the most deadened ear in the crowd. Finally, each person she talked to was made to feel like she was only there to see them, even if she spared each only a minute or two. The way she lightly touched each person, male or female, on the arm while talking to them with her twinkling eyes focused on each individual face made them feel like they were the only person she was aware of. Almost all of the men and more than half of the women fell a little in love with her on the spot. And when she left each person in turn, she would wrap her arms around them and give them a quick hug and a little kiss on the cheek before moving on to the next person, leaving a slightly dazed person behind her.

Eventually she reached her target, the table with the five people around it. A sixth chair appeared as if by magic when she approached, and she took her place at the table. One of the men leaned over towards her, “What would you like to drink, my dear?”

“I thought this was a non-drinking area, here by the pool, ” she replied.

“When you own the property, you can break the rules as you like,” he replied, then winced as he was elbowed by the woman sitting next to him. “Oh stop it, Bill. She’s not going to be impressed that easily.” The woman smiled and extended her hand to Jackie. “I’m Mary Osborne, and this tactless man is my husband Bill. We are the owners of the apartment complex, but the rules have been waived for everyone tonight. This is Cindy and Dave Wallace, old friends of ours since high school who are our business partners in this and some other ventures, and this is my niece Eileen O’Hara who has an apartment here too. Welcome to our little party.”

“I’m Jacqueline LeClare. Since I just moved in two days ago, I’m glad to get this chance to meet some of my new neighbors.”

“That’s right,” Mary replied. Turning to Bill, “Jacqueline is our new tenant in apartment 204. How do you like it here so far, Jacqueline?”

“Please, call me Jackie like all my friends do. I really haven’t had much time to look around, I’m still finishing unpacking. Even though I have moved many times, I still find it takes me days to get settled in.”

“Why have you moved so much?” Bill asked, earning himself another elbow from Mary. “Ignore him, please, Jackie, he asks more questions than a kid does.”

Jackie laughed, “It’s okay, I’m used to that question. I’m a free-lance writer and photo-journalist, travelling around from city to city and state to state, taking pictures and collecting stories for a book I’m trying to write about local bands, bar bands i guess you could call them. One of these days I’ll finally settle down and pull all of it together, but for now I’m still collecting pictures and stories.”

“Maybe while you’re here, Eileen could show you around to a few of the local nightspots.”

“That would be great, if you don’t mind,” as Jackie turned her attention to the up-to-now silent girl.

Eileen shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, it’d be something different to do.”

“And maybe she’ll put you in her book,” Bill added, drawing an exasperated sigh from Mary and a laugh from Jackie. “Maybe I will at that. But now I need to go do some more unpacking, if you’ll excuse me?”

“Of course, and maybe the six of us can get together for dinner soon, after you feel more settled,” Mary replied.

“That would be wonderful,” Jackie replied. Standing up, she moved from person to person, giving each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek as they stood with her. When Jackie reached Eileen, she dragged a fingernail across the small of Eileen’s back with her hug. Eileen, startled, turned her face directly towards Jackie (just as Jackie had planned) and their lips met for a few brief moments before Jackie stepped back. “Oops, sorry about that,” she said to the slightly flushed girl, but with a twinkle in her eye that implied otherwise to a knowing observer. “And now I must go, but I’ll see you soon.” She turned away from the table and went over to the next table to say her goodbyes, before working her way back through the crowd, exchanging more hugs and kisses as she went.

Bill turned towards his niece, “Well, it looks like she really likes you, Eileen.