Chapter 27: 27 The Party, Part Four

Okay, it was maybe a little bit cold. As Angharad made her way back toward the party she tried not to focus on the cold air on the back of her neck, but that meant she focused on worrying about what the gravel would do to her shoes, instead.

She'd left the party through the door on one end of the cafeteria that went straight outside, but the other end of the building had a narrow hallway with a ramp, and that was where Sophie had set up the table for everyone to put their hand bags. Why a building surrounded by gravel had a ramp, she could not tell. It wasn't like any part of Zapville was wheelchair accessible and a place with a brutally enforced sex ban was not likely to need any prams any time soon.

She made her way back to the light at that end of the building, so she could find her bag and check that her lipstick was still in place before she went all the way in to where the party still lived. Red could be so messy. There was always the danger that even the expensive stuff would move all over your face, away from the places you'd originally painted it on.

Josephine's lean figure stood against the table, body language uncharacteristically insecure. She'd wrapped her body in straight leg jeans, a loose printed shirt and a dark blazer, and when Angharad's eyes finally made it all the way up to Josephine's face, the way she looked back made Angharad swallow hot air.

She licked her lips, mouth dry, and tasted enough of her own lipstick to remember why she'd come this way.

"You, um. You look nice. You really put the effort in," Angharad said.

Josephine stood up straight, like she was deliberately putting on her usual pose. "But of course! If my dear friends are to put on a party to cheer up the people, then I must honour and respect that by dressing my best to show my appreciation."

"Right!" Angharad nodded and shuffled further in. As she got further in from the door the heat got stronger. Too cold outside, too hot in. If it was even an option she'd suggest they invest in temperature control, just so nobody got sick.

"Ah, you do look very nice, Angharad."

"Oh, well, I mean, I try."

"That dress looks very..." Josephine tilted her head like she was trying to think what to say. "...expensive?"

"Oh, this old thing? I mean, yeah, designer vintage isn't exactly cheap. But, like, don't tell anyone, but actually I make most of my own clothes and when people ask I just claim it's by some super trendy designer they've never heard of. Like, oh, you haven't heard of them? And then I act like everyone in London or New York or whatever has heard of them, and it's just the people around me that don't know."

"That's very sneaky," Josephine said.

Angharad stepped closer still. "Well, I'm a very sneaky person. That's why I'm sneaking back in."

"Ah. I haven't managed to go in yet."

Angharad got closer so she could bump Josephine's shoulder with her own. "I'd ask why, but it's probably not my business."

"You're a very good friend, Angharad."

She sighed and leaned against the table. "I'm not that good."

She didn't know what to say next. Whatever Josephine's reasons, if she didn't want to join the party then Angharad saw no point in dragging her in there. She knew she should go back in and find Sophie and Tabitha. But that would mean not staring at the way the lights touched the sharp lines of Josephine's face and the perfect contour of her mouth.

"Ah, I feel a little warm in this jacket," Josephine said.

Angharad snapped out of her daze. "Then don't wear it. It can sit on this table with all the bags."

"What a splendid idea! You always come up with the smartest plans."

"Not really, no."

Josephine took her blazer off and folded it carefully, then wedged it on the table under Tabitha's peach-toned bag. Angharad had almost forgotten how nice Josephine's arms were. How was that possible when only a month ago she'd watched Josephine do one armed push ups for what seemed like hours?

Angharad stumbled back and hit the wall. "I should..."

But Josephine looked up at her and she was caught by that heavy-lidded look.

"Your dress is so complicated. I was wondering how you get in and out of it," Josephine said, as if that connected to what they'd been saying at all.

"Oh, I, um. It's really not, u-um, not that complicated, see, there's a catch." She tapped her fingers against it. "Right where the beaded strands at the back all attach at the shoulder. Undo that and the whole thing comes off."

"Eleanor broke up with me again."

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"What? I don't understand. And after she interrogated me..."

"Interrogated you?"

"...because she wants to control who you're friends with or something. Like, I don't get it. You're so nice and you're so hot. Why wouldn't she want you?"

"I told her to choose between being with me and always thinking about that person at home. She didn't choose me." Josephine flipped her hair out of her eyes. "You really think I'm hot."

"Am I even allowed to?"

"Oh, screw it," Josephine said, grabbed Angharad, and kissed her.

Angharad turned hot all over. Opened her mouth to lick wet against the line of Josephine's lips. She felt like she'd been waiting for it for so long, too long, trying not to want Josephine's hands on her, Josephine's mouth opening against hers. The line of Josephine's body so hot against hers and yet she shivered all over, skin prickling like it was tightening from the cold. She couldn't stop herself from making noise.

Josephine pulled away for a second, leaned against her, breathing heavy, then kissed her again, and again.

Angharad couldn't think of anything else. She put her hands over Josephine's shoulders, then through her hair. Couldn't stop moving.

She dragged her hands down again to pull up the ends of Josephine's shirt and feel her skin.

Josephine was so strong against her, touching the side of her breast, her hip. She pushed one thigh between Angharad's legs and whispered, "El..."

Angharad pushed back as fast as she could, until she slammed against the wall.

"This was a bad idea," Josephine said.

"This was a really bad idea."

Angharad had never felt stupider in her life. With fumbling hands she grabbed for her bag on the table and pulled out some tissues and her mirror. Maybe if she wiped her face clean she could wipe the memory of this from her brain. She pressed her powder foundation over her face until she looked like she'd never been wearing lipstick at all.

"I'm sorry," Josephine said behind her, as she picked her blazer up off the floor.

Angharad ignored her to apply a new lipstick. Pale pink, unobtrusive.

"Please look at me."

Angharad pushed a tissue at Josephine. "Wipe my lipstick off your face first."

Josephine took the tissue and Angharad tried not to flinch at the touch of her fingers. It really was the worst idea she'd ever had. Suddenly she felt like the losing party in a love triangle she’d never realised she was part of.

At the moment she thought there was no way the night could get worse she heard the sound of a shot to prove her wrong. Then another.

Dr Yeoh pushed past them through the hallway running outside, followed swiftly by Colonel Huppert.

Angharad had to see what was happening. She got outside in time to see Tabitha take the third shot, somewhere into the middle distance, aiming at nothing.

"What is wrong with you?" Dr Yeoh yelled.

Tsuyoshi threw up on his own shoes.

"This party is over," Colonel Huppert said. "Everyone go to bed."

He went back inside and yelled the same at everyone else.

Angharad could not be more ready for the party to be done.

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