Vivian made sure that her posture never slacked and her hands never left her lap, unless someone needed something passed their way. She was afraid to move her head too much, lest her hair may become ruined, and she wondered if her decision to forego makeup for the evening was wise. She did not want to appear even more plain than she did next to these people but with her skills, any decision to apply makeup was a dangerous gamble. She sat like a statue with an unintentionally icy gaze, his friends all silently wondered how such a serious woman managed with someone so erratic and unpredictable.
She was full of uncertainty and fear but never so full that she would deny herself being as close to him as possible. Her left shoulder pressed against his right, and she was in a bloody battle against her desire to completely lean against him and rest her head on his shoulder. She had also repeatedly resisted her urge to gaze only at him, but, in this moment, he was talking and it was socially acceptable. He was hypnotizing. He moved animatedly, arms waving swinging dropping abruptly then flying up again hitting an invisible mark over and over again; his voice was light and polite then shy and abashed then loud and all consuming then silly and ridiculous then leveled and calm. Watching him took her on her a rollercoaster and the sight of him turning to her while laughing killed her.
“You okay, Viv?”
She nodded meekly. A smile had made its way onto her face, without her knowledge, and he was so happy. It was her first smile since the tea party started. Maybe the next thing would be some words, maybe even a laugh…More signs that she was enjoying herself and he wasn’t some inconsiderate ass who had dragged her to an event she wouldn’t enjoy.