Well, this is starting to become a habit, Myrtus thought to himself. He was lingering outside of the venue, watching the sky cars come and go. He wasn't feeling up to actually mingling with the others who had arrived already. So he waited. She said she would be here.

A sky car descended and parked and that same group of software programmers spilled out of it, chattering and laughing brightly under the streetlights. Myrtus took a step forward, hopeful.

Veronica wasn't among them.

He suppressed a disappointed rasp, waving back at them after they waved to him and passed him.

"Myrtus! Hi!"

He fairly jumped out of his plates, turning.

"Oh! Sorry!" Veronica took a step back, just realizing that she'd startled him.

She hadn't thought; she only saw the particular curve of his fringe and the set of his shoulders from behind before running for him, delighted with actually seeing somebody she recognized.

"It's nothing," Myrtus replied. "Ah..."

Veronica was transformed. He was so used to her in practical office attire, her hair restrained in braids or buns, her face... bare, for Myrtus' lack of a more polite term. Tonight, her hair was a sinuous fall of black past her shoulders and she'd put colors on; opalescent violet and gray on her eyelids and a bold red on her mouth that made her teeth exceedingly white as she grinned up at him. Her grin slipped down in intensity to just an excited smile and Myrtus decided he liked her colors. As vivacious as she was, calling that much attention to her lips suited her. Already, he could tell he'd be hard pressed to pay any attention to anything besides the play of expressions on her face when she spoke, highlighted by her colors.

"You look lucky!" she exclaimed, reaching out to touch his sleeve.

Myrtus' suit was black with contrasting panels of two different shades red and yellow.

"I do?"

"Very lucky," she nodded, her earrings swinging and catching the light hypnotically. "Red and gold are good Chinese colors."

"You're looking very... Shiny."

Veronica laughed and twirled, bare arms upraised. The fabric of her dress was smooth and rippled as she moved, like mercury. There was a translucent overlay shot through with glass beads no larger than dewdrops that glinted under the lights at her décolletage and at the hem of her knee-length skirt. Her legs were distractingly bare and she was bouncing on the balls of her feet in heeled shoes, which also dazzled with a hard metallic shine at the toes and heel caps.

"Let's go!" she tugged on his sleeve once before going for the entrance, keeping that jauntiness in her gait.

Inside the reserved room there was an open bar and plates of hors d'oeuvres as Daro had predicted, laid out on a buffet. There were round tables around the perimeter of the room for people to take their plates to with no set seating and a dance floor in the middle. Veronica squealed and darted for the gaggle of software programmers. Myrtus watched her mingle for a few minutes before making his way to where Beloxia was sitting with a drink.

"Lead Engineer Beloxia," he bobbed his head.

"Myrtus Daedjian," she acknowledged him.

She took a sip of her drink, her general posture relaxed and content with successfully completing the project.

"Keep up the good work," she continued. "Aside from your usual attention to detail, I think I will make note, for the next review, of your extra effort to accommodate new team members."

Myrtus blinked uneasily.

"Improving the spirit of the team is greatly commendable," Beloxia's mandibles flared approvingly. "Especially given the challenges of Miss Wei's unorthodox work habits and greater than usual human tendency towards impertinence. Now go enjoy yourself."

Myrtus took his dismissal, bobbing his head again before stepping aside to let another recently arrived turian coworker pay respects to the hostess of the gathering.

"Myrtus, my man!"

Myrtus turned and his mandibles fluttered in consternation. Davidson's presence was not unexpected because that man breathed parties as part of his job description. But Rubellin and Tenax were standing beside him and that posed a problem.

"Do I want to know?" Myrtus asked as he walked to them.

"We were feeling adventurous and decided to party crash," Rubellin smirked. "Strengthen the company spirit across departments."

"You're here for the bar," Tenax dryly replied.

"And a very well stocked looking one it is, too," Rubellin nodded. "I'm going to have to rectify that."

"You are not supposed to be here," Myrtus hissed.

"That's rather the point of party crashing," Tenax's tone was annoyingly patient.

"Sheesh, you guys are so grim!" Davidson interjected. "What's up with that?"

Tenax, thankfully, was all about discretion, so he nudged Rubellin before he could make any ill-advised statements about a certain woman who had expanded their understanding of human music.

"I think Myrtus will feel less out of sorts after a drink," Tenax began steering them towards the bar.

"Sure, sure," Davidson agreed. "But hold that thought. Dude! I see tamales!"

He went for the buffet.

"Why are you doing this?" Myrtus rumbled under his breath at Tenax.

"We aren't going to embarrass you."

"We just want to actually see the one mystery lady. And drink all the booze. Can't forget that."

Tenax and Rubellin were earnestly keeping his gaze, so Myrtus relaxed a little.

"If it would make you more comfortable, we'll just have to sit at another table," Tenax suggested.

"So, which one is she?" Rubellin was surveying the room.

"With a group. She's in silver," Mrytus tipped his drink into his mouth.

"Shiny," Tenax said neutrally.

"... I don't know what I was expecting, really," Rubellin finally said. "Maybe not that short?"

"You make her sound like she's volus-sized," Tenax snorted.

"Her people are generally shorter in stature," Myrtus felt compelled to say.

"Well, you've had your drink. We'll leave you to it," Tenax clapped Myrtus on the shoulder.

Myrtus dithered some more by piling food on a plate before approaching Veronica. She excused herself from her friends before going to him.

"Having fun yet?"

"Ah..."

"Not yet, huh? Are they your friends? I've never seen them before," she looked towards Rubellin and Tenax.

"One could say that. It's very difficult to tell sometimes," Myrtus' tone was wry, which made her quirk one side of her mouth, fascinating him with the odd asymmetrical movement.

"Well, that looks pretty good," she looked at his plate. "Want to sit here at this table? Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"I don't mind!" Myrtus shook his head quickly, putting his plate down.

"Cool. I'll be quick!"

She left just as Davidson sat down at the very same table, oblivious to Myrtus's displeased mandible clench. Myrtus didn't even need to look up to know that Rubellin and Tenax were probably laughing at the bad luck of it all. Scratch that, he could definitely hear Rubellin's cackling just fine.

tbc