Leaves [gxg]

24

24

She had her laptop with her. And a folder. A thick folder. And she sat, waiting for River to carry the tray with a filled teapot, two cups and saucers, spoons, sugar (which neither River nor Celeste usually used) and a pot of milk on it to the table. The tray shook in River's hands and she paused twice as she moved towards the table where Celeste sat.

Neither said a word as River transferred everything to the table. She almost tipped the milk pot over and a little squeak escaped her mouth but the pot wobbled and then settled upright. If it had tipped over, it would have thrown its contents over the laptop and River didn't like the idea of having to pay for a new one. Not even taking into account all the precious data that her clumsiness would have destroyed.

The shop was empty. At this hour, even her new, immense volume of customers had fallen away, leaving only River and Celeste in the shop. Alone. Like that first night when River had agreed to their first trip together. Only, this time, the atmosphere was not nearly as relaxed. Even though River rarely had a relaxed moment around Celeste, this time felt even more unrelaxed than usual.

"Honestly, I'm not really sure this is a good idea anymore." The first words from Celeste's mouth, apart from saying River should surprise her with what to drink, since entering the shop and sitting down. "I feel like it's all causing you a lot of distress. That I'm causing you a lot of distress."

"Don't be silly. It's fine." River tried her best to sit in a more relaxed fashion than she felt. She adjusted herself on the chair several times. "We're friends. Just friends. Friends planning a trip to some remote corner of the world to spend a lot of time together. As friends. It's the trip of a lifetime, right? How can I not go?"

"It's not that remote. China is a thriving country with a fast-growing economy." Even after everything, Celeste still wore that amused look upon her face every time River talked. "Well, if you're sure, let me show you what I've worked out so far."

Celeste turned the laptop to face River and then shuffled her chair around for them both to see the screen. River stiffened as Celeste's arm grazed her own and then berated herself. She tried to take a secret deep breath and to think of empty, flower-filled pastures, sunlight dappling leaves, birds wheeling in the sky. Anything to reduce the tenseness she felt. It worked. To a point.

The laptop screen already had something upon it, Celeste having prepared herself, as River expected of the diligent, practical woman. Celeste tapped the trackpad and River almost fell from her seat. A slideshow began. No, a presentation! She couldn't believe how much effort Celeste had put into this. A trip to visit a tea plantation.

"You made a presentation." She could do nothing but blink. The most she had done was a cursory web search that ended in looking at embroidered hats on a crafting shopping site. She awaited that delivery, even now. "That's very ... professional. Incredibly professional, in fact. Did you do this yourself? No wonder you won an award. It's ... professional."

"This is just something I bodged together." Celeste waved it away as though it were nothing. "I made some enquiries and had my people in Hong Kong lay a little groundwork. This is just to give you an idea of the kind of itinerary we should probably take. I have copies of all the relevant forms we'll need to fill in, which you can read and fill-in when you have the time."

With a pat of the hand on the folder, to the side, Celeste sat back as the presentation that she 'bodged together' continued. It had music, and videos, transitions and charts. Charts! River found it both absolutely fascinating and overwhelming. Statistics and figures passed by upon the screen. And interviews! Interviews with Chinese people, with subtitles. River wondered what she had got herself into.