Could It Be You? |✓

(14) New Year

While most people congregated at the front of this large and lavish function room, dancing to the live band, Emma finds herself hovering near food. One can never get enough of fried chicken after all. She gorges a mouthful of this tender and flavourful goodness, then finds her eyes roving around to search for, of course, just one person.

She glances around, from the crowded photo booth to the game stations to the dance floor. You can perhaps describe the scene as a sea of people within another sea of lights. Guests sashay around with champagne flutes, socialising comfortably in masses. Golden helium balloons that spell Happy New Year ornate the walls, obnoxious but cheerful.

"Someone's late!"

Emma whirls around, to find Tess grinning at her. Having removed her spectacles, she is quite a beauty herself, with her gold tresses running down one side of her head to her shoulders and a body-hugging red dress that flaunts her figure. Her arm is tightly wound into that of another, one of the new additions to their department. Emma's eyes widen at this unlikely couple, and couldn't help but let out a knowing "mm".

"Have you found your snog partner?" she asks.

Emma cringes. "Whatever is that, Tess?"

"You know," she pauses to pucker her lips, "this, at midnight."

"Snog partner is a horrible name."

"Well, whatever. C'mon, you need to stop with the chicken. Let's go dance!"

"I dance like an elephant, Tess!"

Tess takes over her near-finished plate and throws it into the bin without hesitation. She grabs Emma's by her wrist and forcibly pulls her along towards the disco ball. "Oh show me how an elephant does it, then."

Laughing, she lets her. She doesn't mind a little letting loose at all. As they nudge past the hoards of people, Emma finally sees the elusive man she had been looking for, garnering all the attention at the beer pong station. Several girls huddle around him as he battles a company rookie. Brows furrowed and body hunched, he raises a ping pong over the table. He narrows his eyes, then, decisively takes aim. It lands straight in the opponent's last cup, to the resounding applause of his supporters.

A satisfied grin inches across his face, revealing his pearl-white perfect teeth. His opponent shakes his head in defeat, then gamely downs the glass of liquor as the crowd cheers. They exchange a five, and Matt glances up, bringing Emma into vision.

"Hey Em!" he shouts from across the room, drawing attention to himself from all over the room.

Tess promptly halts her footsteps too, as Emma stands in mortification at the unwanted gazes being hurled at her. It is as if the whole party stops just to watch the scene unravel, like a hook that grips them all.

Matt bends over and rests his hands palm-down on the edges of the table. He gazes at Emma; his eyes full of subtle mischief.

Maybe just the idea of him staring at her makes her a little bit jumpy. 

"I challenge you," he declares.

It is first a wave of silence, then overwhelming crowd enthusiasm. It doesn't take long for the competitive side of Emma to be riled up. She isn't a novice at this game either, and since he has set the stage for such a high-profile showdown, she might as well play along. She figures that nobody would love a party pooper.

Her lips purse up into a smirk, and she lets the words roll off her tongue. "Challenge accepted."

The crowd roars with delight as Emma takes her position. The game-master swiftly prepares the game. She rearranges the cups in the shape of a triangle, six on each end, and hands Emma a ball. She is all ready to slay, but when she catches sight of Matt's expression - a look of utter adoration, she pauses.