open starter | event: white party | no cap go crazy
The city always seemed to exist at a different speed than the coast.
Perhaps that was why Izzy found herself drifting farther from the heart of the celebration, away from the laughter spilling across the terrace and the clinking of champagne glasses, until the music had softened beneath the steady rhythm of waves rolling onto the shore. The evening had settled into that fleeting hour where everything seemed dipped in gold, Villa Aurelia glowing behind her like something plucked from the French Riviera.
Her dress caught the last of the sunlight as she leaned lightly against the terrace railing, one hand resting around the stem of her champagne flute while the ocean breeze coaxed a few loose strands free from the neat twist at the nape of her neck. It was beautiful in the effortless, almost intimidating way only places built for the unimaginably wealthy could manage. Every detail had been considered. Every arrangement of jasmine and white roses placed with intention. Every guest dressed as though they'd stepped from the pages of a magazine.
For the first time in weeks, she wasn't thinking about early morning rounds, consults, or the inevitable call that would pull her back to the hospital. Tonight, there was only the ocean, the salt air, and the luxury of having nowhere else to be.
Her gaze lingered on the Atlantic for another moment before she glanced toward the person who'd wandered close enough to share the view, an easy smile finding its way onto her face.
"I was beginning to think Manhattan had convinced everyone sunsets were overrated," she admitted, motioning toward the horizon with her glass. "Glad to see at least one other person escaped the party for a minute."
