Leaves [gxg]

30

30

Something felt different about Celeste and River couldn't quite put her finger on what. She still had that vivacious air of confidence and authority that River found intoxicating, but there was something else happening. Celeste appeared to have a sense of nervousness about her which was so unlike the woman that it leapt out, flashing like one of the red lights that adorned the prostitutes' rooms along the canal.

Every so often, Celeste would reach up to fidget with her necklace. The one with the man's wedding ring upon it and the object that proved, to River, that Celeste still had unspoken feelings for the man it once adorned. It was a constant reminder that Celeste was straight and any feelings River had beyond friendship were doomed to remain unrequited.

River felt glad about moving beyond the café's and red lights of the district, to the bars and restaurants in a different part of Amsterdam. The Red Light District was not her kind of place. For that matter, bars and restaurants weren't her kind of place either and a sudden chest-tightening realisation came to her that she didn't really have 'a place', other than her cozy tea shop. Yet, she felt less out of place in a bar.

Of course, Celeste garnered much attention. A lot of attention. From a wide and differing range of men. Each of whom she brushed away without a second look towards them. Not a one noticed River, and she felt glad of small mercies. Celeste was like a dam, holding off the floods of male admirers that thought a few drinks could bring anyone to their beds.

"Shots. I think we should do shots." Celeste slammed a hand on the bar, grabbing the attention of the server. "And why not? Things aren't going as expected. I failed to anticipate human nature. That's my job! Might as well enjoy ourselves."

And that gave River the clue she needed. Celeste, unused to things not going according to plan, felt embarrassed about being caught out by the baggage handler's strike. It had bruised her ego in front of her friend and now she tried to repair that crack in her self-esteem. With drinks. That never ended well. At least, not for River.

Celeste ordered five different shots each, the server taking the time to fill each glass with an array of alcohols that River wasn't even certain she had heard of. She smelled mint in one, strawberries in another and one smelled like the kind of cough syrup her mother swore by whenever River caught a cold as a child. She did not relish trying that one.

"Are you sure we should be drinking like this?" River watched as another man slunk away, rebuffed by Celeste simply holding up her hand towards his face. Celeste only had eyes for River. "I mean, drinking. The last time went badly for me. I'm not against it, or anything, no. Go drinking! Yay! But, we'll be catching the flight before long. Isn't there some law against being drunk on a plane? Is it safe to be drunk on a plane? Do they have enough sick bags?"

"It's fine. I'm fine. You're fine." Celeste leaned forward, grinning, and tickled beneath River's chin. River wondered if her friend had sneaked a few extra drinks while she wasn't looking. "We're in Amsterdam! Stuck here because of me when we could have been almost in China by now. Drink!"

A finger pointed at each shot in turn, from one end to the other, as Celeste indicated which order they should drink in. Then, without warning, her fingers counted down from three and Celeste picked up the first shot, downing it with one gulp. By the time River's hand had moved to catch up, Celeste had already returned a third, empty glass to the bar top.

River drank four of the shots, but balked at drinking the cough syrup flavoured one. She pushed that aside, hoping that Celeste didn't notice how she had not kept up with her, but she did. With a mock look of disappointment, Celeste picked it up and finished it for River. This was so unlike Celeste that River wasn't certain what to say or do.