17

Another member of staff, wearing a similar, very Scottish, outfit to the man, took River's name and led her to the table reserved for her and Celeste. She could feel her eyes bulging as she took in all the many and varied outfits around her. So many fabulous dresses that she felt almost underdressed in her own.

The staff member waited for her, gloved hands on the back of her seat, ready to gently push the chair to the back of her legs. She swung her dress into the gap between chair and table, smoothed down the back and turned her head as she sat, wary of the chair disappearing and finding herself falling to the floor.

Once sat, the staff member gave her a slight nod of the head before walking away, leaving her alone in the crowd. Her eyes drifted to the table, where she saw a cornucopia of knives, forks, spoons and glasses, each for its own part of the upcoming meal. She felt as though she hadn't blinked since entering the room and squeezed her eyes closed several times, bringing moisture back to them.

Sat stiff-backed, she rested her hands in her lap, picking at the material of her dress. All around, people wandered this way and that, meeting people they knew, shaking hands, exchanging pecks on cheeks, making small talk. River had no-one. Not yet, at least. She wasn't even certain Celeste would come after the way she had talked to her earlier in the day, and she couldn't blame her if she didn't.

Coming out to Celeste in a fit of anger was not how she wanted the woman to find out. How she wanted Celeste to find out about her feelings, she did not know, but blurting it out because they hadn't had any real conversations seemed the least productive way of saying it. She almost put her head in her hands, stopped only by the fact that she already felt red-faced and under the gaze of the people around her.

Of course, that was all in her head. A tumult of feelings causing her to overthink everything. A quick look with dipped eyes showed that no-one gave her more than a second glance. They all had their own interests, their friends and partners to pay attention to. River hardly registered in the minds of these people. She doubted she registered in the minds of anyone. Not here, at least.

It felt as though she sat there for hours. She hadn't even noticed the four-piece ensemble, playing chamber music, away in the corner of the ballroom. They sounded nice and she focussed her attention on them as she tried to stop herself counting the seconds, turning into minutes, where she sat alone at a table, becoming more and more self-conscious, even as the lighting began to dim.

Everyone had started to return to their tables, now, ready for whatever the night had in store and for the upcoming meal, and Celeste had still not arrived. Every table contained at least two people, couples, friends, parties of four and eight. And there sat River, at a table for two. Alone. It all started to become a little too much for her. Her fidgeting increased and, as she finally decided she could take no more, her eyes fell upon the doors to her escape.

Only to see Celeste. Silhouetted by the brighter lights outside the ballroom, Celeste looked tall and elegant. Somehow, she had teased her short hair into something magnificent. The dress she wore made River's breath catch in her throat. A long, slinky, shining silk. A deep red, almost Burgundy colour that shimmered in the light of candles upon nearby tables.

Looking around, Celeste caught sight of River and, passing the staff member ready to direct her to the table, walked towards River with such grace and poise that River felt like a clumsy beast in comparison. The hem of the dress flicked, showing elegant, tall heels in a complimentary colour to the dress. Towering above River as she reached the table, Celeste smiled, then turned, thanking the staff member as he held the chair for her to sit.

River knew she stared at Celeste, but she couldn't help it. She had thought the woman beautiful before, but now, in this place, dressed in that outfit, gold chain holding the gold ring dangling above the ruched, cowl front of the dress, she looked unearthly. Like a vision of what beauty should look like, beyond social norms and expectations. Perfection in female form. A goddess. River felt as though she had never seen what a truly beautiful woman was, until this very moment.

"You look amazing!" Leaning to the side, tilting her head in a most unladylike fashion, Celeste gawped at River from head to toe. "That dress is beautiful! And I love what you've done with your hair! I can see some envious heads turning."

Celeste jerked a chin towards some other guests at a nearby table, little wrinkles appearing at the side of her eyes as she grinned. River's hand began to lift towards her hair. She hadn't thought much about what to do with it. She had only a few minutes to get ready and had simply tucked everything up, securing errant strands in place. She dropped her hand and tried not to turn and look towards the table Celeste had indicated with her sly flick of the eyes.

"Thank you." River blinked, dropping her eyes to the table and the gleaming cutlery. "You look really good, too."

For once in her life, River could find nothing to say. Under cover of the edge of the table, she pinched her leg through the tulle dress, to wake herself up. Telling Celeste that she looked 'really good' did not do the woman justice, but River found her well of words, that overflowed at every opportunity, good and bad, had run dry. She found herself incapable of paying Celeste the compliments she deserved.

She had to admit to herself, though, after what she had said to Celeste, earlier, anything she could say now would come across as gushing, or, worse, pressing Celeste towards a situation River doubted Celeste would want. To acknowledge River's confession. To face it and address it. And, of course, in River's eyes, to reciprocate that affection.

Even as those thoughts ran through her head, she saw several people detach themselves from their tables, coming towards Celeste, smiling and shaking her hand. Celeste returned those smiles. It seemed as though she knew a fair few of the people within the ballroom and that felt more than a little off to River. As the stream of people greeting Celeste diminished and then drifted away, Celeste puffed out her cheeks, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry about that. But, you have to 'press the flesh' at these kind of events." Celeste looked up, smiling and thanking a waiter as they filled a couple of their glasses with red wine. "Still, once the formalities are over, we can settle down for the fun part."

Scowling, River took another look around the ballroom. It had seemed strange that she would need an evening gown to come to Scotland, in the first place, seeing as they had, ostensibly, come to tour the region's tea estates. River had brushed that off until now, thinking it a local celebration.

At the far end of the ballroom, beside the quartet of musicians, River could see a stage and, there at the other side from the musicians, she saw an easel, holding an elaborate sign. She had glanced at it as she entered, but thought nothing of it. Now, she took a closer look, squinting through the dim lighting until she read the words.

"What's a 'Franchise Management Conference'?" She turned back to see Celeste take a sip from her wine. River leaned forward, eyes flickering around her as she hissed at Celeste. "Have we gatecrashed this thing? Oh, my god! Are we not supposed to be here? I felt out of place before. Now I feel like I'm intruding!"

"We haven't 'gatecrashed'!" Celeste's wonderful laugh almost battered against River's red cheeks. Leaning across, she lifted River's glass of wine, handing it to her. "That's my job. Franchise management. Well, it was before I told my boss to stuff it."

Clinking her glass against River's Celeste turned in her seat, resting her arm atop the back. She lifted the glass towards someone on the other side of the room, giving them a big, toothy, fake grin. As Celeste turned back to River, she hid a roll of the eyes and dramatic grimace. Whoever that other person was, Celeste did not seem to care for them.

"So, this is, what, some kind of coincidence? A franchise-thingy at the same time as us coming up here?" Somehow, in some way, River felt a little used. As though Celeste had taken advantage of her. "I'm not sure how I feel about that. I thought we were here together for a trip out, not as some excuse while you're here schmoozing. I'm sorry. I think I have to go back to my room."

River began to stand, had a second thought, and sat again. She lifted the wine glass, drinking the contents in one long gulp, before putting the glass down. Then she stood up, ready to make a dramatic exit. It occurred to her that she felt a little relieved that she now had a reason to leave.

"Wait!" Celeste's long fingers caught River's wrist, the nail polish a similar shade to her dress. "You've got it the wrong way round. I wasn't going to come to this. I was going to just sit in my apartment, alone. I came to Scotland with you, for you. It's the conference I'm taking advantage of. To make this a special time. For you."

In two minds, River passed glances from Celeste's hand, to her earnest face and then to the closed doors of the ballroom. She could feel eyes upon her as she hesitated about what to do next. She chewed upon her bottom lip until the decision became made for her. The lights in the ballroom dimmed even more, a spotlight fell upon the stage and everyone began to clap.

River sat down again, uncertain of what the rest of the night would bring.