Notes: Short update here. It should go without saying that none of this is real, Rooney & Cate & everyone else named here belong to themselves and I do not know them. This is all fake, fake, fake, and just for fun. Also I am looking for a beta-reader for this and a few other Carol/Price of Salt things I am working on or just any ol' person to bounce ideas with. PM me!

It was 6am and Rooney was back at work, waiting for everyone to set up. She was not sulking. If she stood a touch further away from everyone else, quietly warming her hands around her coffee, while surreptitiously watching Cate mingle - well she just wasn't a sociable morning person, that's all.

Anyway, there was nothing to sulk about. Everything was fine.

She took another sip from her cup. Black with a teaspoon of sugar, perfect. She idly scrolled through texts on her phone. Most of her friends were probably still sleeping, and rightly so.

When she looked up again, Cate was just a few steps away from her. There was a familiar fluttering in Rooney's chest. She leaned into the wall behind her, going for nonchalant and casual.

"Good morning."

"Hi," Rooney attempted to say. But nonchalant and casual came out like a dry croak. Great. She cleared her throat and tried again, "Um, good morning."

Was it just her or were Cate's eyes a little more knowing than usual? Her lips were twisted slightly down, as if resisting laughter.

"It's early…" Rooney said, by way of explanation.

"Late night?" Cate smirked and tilted her cup in toast, "Ah, to being young."

I might have been tormented all night by our scene yesterday and my completely unprofessional childhood crush on you seemed too creepy to admit, and was not something Rooney ever would say, so she sipped her coffee instead before responding - "I'm early to bed lately. I don't believe you can't party with the best though."

Cate hummed, then said a low joking voice, "Find us some decent vodka, perhaps you'll find out."

But before she could respond, Cate was already looking around, "Have you seen Sandy? She asked me to meet with her for a fitting, but she wasn't in her room."

"I - um, I think I saw her by the breakfast earlier."

"Wonderful," Cate said, touching Rooney's elbow in parting, "I'll see you in a few hours darling."

Rooney couldn't help but watch Cate's hips and the strong lines of her legs as she left.