Careful with the tea

Part 13

The speech was held by a young woman, who studied in another group at the college, so I didn't know hear before either. She talked about nothing, and nobody cared at all. The audience started to whisper around within a few minutes. At the end she gave mercy by finishing it up, and wished us a great time. We all stood up with relief, and returned to the sandwiches and champagne glasses.

„Tell me about it, what's up with you?" Alice asked me after sending David away for new drinks. I wasn't quite sure what to answer, so I started to talk about the agency. She interupted aftre a few sentences.

„Who cares about work? Tell me about men!" she giggled, so I got embarassed again. I had nothing to be proud of, like she had. David was appearently mad about her, and I envied her for this very much.

„I didn't find..." I stuttered, then shook my head. Whom do I want to lie?

„I am happy now, Alice. I have a home, a job, and no need for another William,"

„Who is that William?" she asked, leading me to the willow trees standing at the lakeshore. We sat on a bank, where the branches almost hided us from the rest of the company.

„We dated for a shile. Buti t didn't work."

„She cheated you." Alice stated, and I was broken to think, how obvious it was, even for her.

„How do you know?" I looked at her with my head tipped aside, though I didn't expect her to answer. I turned to the lake with half a smile, and stared along the water to the other shore. I took a deep breath, and let the wonderful and peaceful view to charm and take me over.

„You didn't have much luck with him, that's all." Alice comforted me, though I didn't need it at all.

„I'm over it." I looked at her confidently, and so it was. I smoothed from my forehead some hair, that wind blew into my eyes. I fixed my hat. Alice realised the unwilling movement.

„Nice hat, indeed. Hwre did you get is?"

„Oh, nothing special. Just liked it. There's a shop at Thomas's, do you know that?"

„You can buy those bamboo bags there, righht? I know! And I love it!"

„I found it there. And wear it since then. It' s so confy..."

It took us only a second to switch from men to women stuff, but I didn't care. It was high time, as David returned with drinks.

„Did you have a nice chat?" he handed over the glasses. First for me, then for Alice. When she touched the glass, David pulled her closed and kissed her.

I turned my head away, and tasted my drink. The first sip went down the wrong way, and I started to cough. David pulled away from his lover, and hit me on the back in a friendly mood. Which made my hat fall and roll away, right down towards the water of the lake.

„Oh no, my hat!" I screamed with fear, as I got my voice back. I jumped up from the bank, pushed David aside, and ran after the hat. I saw, as my favourite and only hat is headed for the lake, and I simply got into panic.

„It's only a hat!" Alice shouted behind me, then I heard the protesting voice of David.

„What? What do you mean only a hat?"

The hat was just rolling and rolling and I rushed after it in vain, it was supposed to end in the water. I leant for it, but too late. In the very last moment a hand reached out and grabbed it. As I rose up, I got stunned.

The young man was turning the straw-hat in his hands. As he looked me in the eyes, he was still wordless for a second. Then he seemed to remember something.

„Kate?" he akes without much confidence, as he returned me my hat. „Kate Haywood?"

I nodded, so that I wouldn't have to asnwer anything. I couldn't trust my voice.

Luckily someone else did.

„Hi, Marcus. What's up?" Alice greeted cheerfully the savior of my hat. She had of course no such inhibitions like me. She waved to David to come closer to us.

„David, meet Marcus, he was a college classmate of us Kate and me."

„Hi." They shared a smile, as I tried to put the hat upon my head with shaking hands.

Alice saved me. She asked Marcus to sit down on our bank, and started to ask questions. Thus I had some time to get myself together, still nobody paid any attention.

„If I remember well, you planned to get into PR business, didn't you?" As Marcus nodded, she pointed at me. „Guess what, Kate's at a PR company as well.

So much about a saving...

I sighed, and tried ton put on some positive faces for this. Alice didn't wash away my embarassement caused by the appearance of Marcus. I cleared my throat, and sat beside alice. I had to answer something.

„Well, yes... it is so..." Then I started to pick the ground with the nose of my shoe to avoid looking at him.

„Marketing is an important thing. It keeps businedd moving." Said David in a serious voice, as he walked behind alice, and started to rub her neck.

„You must surely know alice looked up to him smiling widely, what made him bend and kiss her again. I looked away again, but instead of the lake the sight of Marcus crossed mine. His eyes gloomed with playfulnedd, and I felt blushing.

The whole situation was getting more uncomfortable.

Oh my, why did I have to come here?