Salven regained her footing, and even though he seemed unused to the
dance that the other couples on the floor, he and Cora would lead each
other through the rough spots.
"You aren't half bad at this." Cora was surprised.
"And neither are you." Salven said. Finally, the music faded away.
"Oh, thank God. I need some punch."
"Yes." Salven said, stiffening slightly and adopting a shifty look. "I, too, need some punch."
"What are you up to, Salven?"
"I'm spiking the punch.
"No you aren't."
"C'mon." wheedled Salven.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't put it in the purple stuff." Cora said. "I love the purple stuff."
Salven pranced off and Cora frowned to herself, debating whether that looked suspicious or not. Before long, he came back with a grin on his face.
"I spiked the red stuff."
"Oh Jesus Salven."
"What?"
"They're all gonna get drunk, you know that?"
"So?"
"So this place is going to be filled with old people. Old, drunken people. Are you insane, Salven?!"
"Ssh." Salven raised a finger to his lips. They're about to play a faster song."
Indeed, as Salven had predicted. A quick, high beat began to echo throughout the room. The older couples looked disgusted, and one old man began spluttering furiously. But the younger couples - there couldn't have been more than a dozen twenty five or under, and then another dozen younger than thirty. The rest were all gray haired and slow on the dance floor.
"C'mon, Cora." Salven said. "Let's dance."
"We have to, don't we?"
"Well, Turn is glaring at us." Salven pointed. Both Gabriel Turbull and Irene Dinzali were giving the young couple a cold stare. "I figure the best way to get them off our backs is to follow company protocol, and - well - dance.
"Says you." Cora said, but she allowed Salven to lead her out onto the dance floor.
"Ready?"
"I'm not that good."
"Whatever." Salven said, and then without another word, he began to spin her around the dance floor. Dipping and sliding and wiggling, the lead would alternate between Cora and Salven, the two of them attracting eyes and stares. Finally, Salven pulled her back into his arm, gesturing broadly to the crowd. It was a real movie finish.
"What are you doing?" Cora asked. Realizing that she was actually breathless, she scowled up at Salven.
"Dancing." he responded, and pulled her up to her feet. There was a great deal of applause - apparently, they had been the best couple on the floor. Even the older men around the room were applauding.
"We're a hit?" Cora asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I guess we are." Salven said. The strains of a slow dance began to fill the room.
"I'm getting some punch." Cora hesitated. "Which one did you put the spike into?"
"The red stuff. Want some?"
"Sure." Cora said. She felt warm, and giddy. The numbness had been chased away. Cora didn't even recognize this new feeling. Salven handed Cora a glass of red punch, and Cora downed it. The giddy, warm feeling in her stomach mixed with the warm feeling of the brandy in the punch.
"You're going to get yourself drunk."
"Maybe I won't be so embarrassed about getting on the dance floor then. Besides, you said it yourself- this party needs some kicks."
"That depends. Are you easy when you're drunk?"
"Shut up and get me another glass."
Salven sighed as he carried the smaller woman down the hall. He literally carried her in his arms - she had drunk nearly the entire bowl.
"This isn't what I meant by kicks." Salven muttered. "If Lydia sees me now ..."
Luckily, the halls were empty and Salven was able to carry Cora around without much difficulty. She was little more than a girl, barely above average height and slim even then. She hadn't been eating as much as she should.
"Jesus Christ." Salven said out loud. He wasn't falling in love. He even told the unconcious girl jus that. But what WAS he feeling? Compassion? Pity? "Dear Lord, I'm turning into a Disney Movie!"
"Mm," Cora stirred, then her eyes fluttered open. "I recognize it."
"What? Me?"
"No, the feeling."
"Oh God, you're not gonna vomit on my shoes, are you? I paid two hundred bucks for them."
Cora grimaced, it was amusing seeing her drunkness mix with her anger.
"It's joy." she told him. "Now, put me down." she was trying to speak like Dinzali or Scythe would, Salven could tell. But she was slurring left and right. It ws actually pretty funny.
"You can't walk."
"Shut up."
"Well, screw you if you think I'm sobering you up." Salven managed to shoulder the door to her room open, then put her down on the bed without ceremony.
"Th... Thank you." Cora yawned. Salven fought back the urge to say 'you're welcome.' What, was he going to stop slamming doors in people's faces next? Stop using the phrase 'out like a fat kid in volleyball'?
"Stop softening me up." he told the sleeping girl. She only muttered in response. Salven sighed, then left the room. He hadn't even copped a feel - what was wrong with him?
So much for 'Uber Pimp of the Year' he had been hoping for.
"You aren't half bad at this." Cora was surprised.
"And neither are you." Salven said. Finally, the music faded away.
"Oh, thank God. I need some punch."
"Yes." Salven said, stiffening slightly and adopting a shifty look. "I, too, need some punch."
"What are you up to, Salven?"
"I'm spiking the punch.
"No you aren't."
"C'mon." wheedled Salven.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't put it in the purple stuff." Cora said. "I love the purple stuff."
Salven pranced off and Cora frowned to herself, debating whether that looked suspicious or not. Before long, he came back with a grin on his face.
"I spiked the red stuff."
"Oh Jesus Salven."
"What?"
"They're all gonna get drunk, you know that?"
"So?"
"So this place is going to be filled with old people. Old, drunken people. Are you insane, Salven?!"
"Ssh." Salven raised a finger to his lips. They're about to play a faster song."
Indeed, as Salven had predicted. A quick, high beat began to echo throughout the room. The older couples looked disgusted, and one old man began spluttering furiously. But the younger couples - there couldn't have been more than a dozen twenty five or under, and then another dozen younger than thirty. The rest were all gray haired and slow on the dance floor.
"C'mon, Cora." Salven said. "Let's dance."
"We have to, don't we?"
"Well, Turn is glaring at us." Salven pointed. Both Gabriel Turbull and Irene Dinzali were giving the young couple a cold stare. "I figure the best way to get them off our backs is to follow company protocol, and - well - dance.
"Says you." Cora said, but she allowed Salven to lead her out onto the dance floor.
"Ready?"
"I'm not that good."
"Whatever." Salven said, and then without another word, he began to spin her around the dance floor. Dipping and sliding and wiggling, the lead would alternate between Cora and Salven, the two of them attracting eyes and stares. Finally, Salven pulled her back into his arm, gesturing broadly to the crowd. It was a real movie finish.
"What are you doing?" Cora asked. Realizing that she was actually breathless, she scowled up at Salven.
"Dancing." he responded, and pulled her up to her feet. There was a great deal of applause - apparently, they had been the best couple on the floor. Even the older men around the room were applauding.
"We're a hit?" Cora asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I guess we are." Salven said. The strains of a slow dance began to fill the room.
"I'm getting some punch." Cora hesitated. "Which one did you put the spike into?"
"The red stuff. Want some?"
"Sure." Cora said. She felt warm, and giddy. The numbness had been chased away. Cora didn't even recognize this new feeling. Salven handed Cora a glass of red punch, and Cora downed it. The giddy, warm feeling in her stomach mixed with the warm feeling of the brandy in the punch.
"You're going to get yourself drunk."
"Maybe I won't be so embarrassed about getting on the dance floor then. Besides, you said it yourself- this party needs some kicks."
"That depends. Are you easy when you're drunk?"
"Shut up and get me another glass."
Salven sighed as he carried the smaller woman down the hall. He literally carried her in his arms - she had drunk nearly the entire bowl.
"This isn't what I meant by kicks." Salven muttered. "If Lydia sees me now ..."
Luckily, the halls were empty and Salven was able to carry Cora around without much difficulty. She was little more than a girl, barely above average height and slim even then. She hadn't been eating as much as she should.
"Jesus Christ." Salven said out loud. He wasn't falling in love. He even told the unconcious girl jus that. But what WAS he feeling? Compassion? Pity? "Dear Lord, I'm turning into a Disney Movie!"
"Mm," Cora stirred, then her eyes fluttered open. "I recognize it."
"What? Me?"
"No, the feeling."
"Oh God, you're not gonna vomit on my shoes, are you? I paid two hundred bucks for them."
Cora grimaced, it was amusing seeing her drunkness mix with her anger.
"It's joy." she told him. "Now, put me down." she was trying to speak like Dinzali or Scythe would, Salven could tell. But she was slurring left and right. It ws actually pretty funny.
"You can't walk."
"Shut up."
"Well, screw you if you think I'm sobering you up." Salven managed to shoulder the door to her room open, then put her down on the bed without ceremony.
"Th... Thank you." Cora yawned. Salven fought back the urge to say 'you're welcome.' What, was he going to stop slamming doors in people's faces next? Stop using the phrase 'out like a fat kid in volleyball'?
"Stop softening me up." he told the sleeping girl. She only muttered in response. Salven sighed, then left the room. He hadn't even copped a feel - what was wrong with him?
So much for 'Uber Pimp of the Year' he had been hoping for.
