moretta

Adam deposits his champagne coupe onto a passing waiter’s tray, smiles and nods.

“I entirely agree, David, the FT is the best way to keep up these days, although I do have a soft spot for the Economist, myself.”

David shrugs expansively, “You can't trust them though, far too much liberal thinking.”

Katherine smiles, shows her teeth, “Darlings, must we talk shop? This is still the soirée! Not the board meeting.”

David inclines his head in agreement, “Of course, my dear. What would you like to talk about?”

“Well,” Katherine begins, eyebrow raising, smirk firmly in place, “We could talk about the woman that accompanied our dear Adam tonight.”

David grins, thrilled, “You dog! You brought someone and didn’t tell me?”

The waiter reappears, two new full glasses on his shiny tray, and once Adam takes both, vanishes again.

“I did indeed,” he says, “She’s far too lovely to waste on the likes of you.”

"They were sat next to Helen and Andreas," Katherine explains, "I can't believe Helen got to meet her before us!"

“I want to meet her!” David declares, “Immediately if not sooner.”

“Darling,” Adam calls over his shoulder, “Have you met the Davenports?”

Emily is a vision in red, hair up, diamonds glinting as she moves.

“Adam,” she says, kissing his cheek, “I thought you had abandoned ship when Mrs Hindelang brought up children.”

He put his arm around her, “Meet David, my CFO, and Claire Mitter, his far better half. I’ve told you about them.”

"Katherine and David of the rounds of golf and best roast lamb! An absolute pleasure."

"The pleasure is all ours," says Katherine, eyeing how close Adam and Emily are, "I have heard absolutely nothing about you in return, however."

"Oh, he's just shy," Emily winks up at him, "I'm an open book! What do you want to know?"

"How did you two meet? Was it romantic? Oh, is it that coffee shop he always stops at in the morning?"

David, sottovoce, "Or the bar he escapes to at night?"

Katherine smacks his arm, "Naughty."

Emily grins, "Not quite a bar. How would you tell it, dear?"

"I wouldn't," says Adam, raising his glass, "Because it would ruin the mystery."

She laughs at him, checking him with her hip, "Such a tease. We met at church, naturally."

"In an ancient Greek temple, on holiday!" Adam laughs back.

"Oooh, a friend's wedding?"

"A friend's divorce!"

Katherine laughs, "Oh, go on then!"

Emily smiles into her champagne, "I will end the supense. We met at a party, we have friends in common."

"I think they regret introducing us now," says Adam, "I keep putting poor Joe off to go out to lavish dinners with you."

"Don't let me keep you from Joe," she replies, hand on her heart, "He is a sweetheart. He can come with us to Core. Have you booked yet?"

Katherine gasps, "Core by Clare Smyth? We must all go, I love her. Such a wonderful chef."

"We must!"

"David, will you arrange something?"

"Of course, Katherine."

She patted Emily on the arm, "Where else has this rapscallion taken you? Tell me everything, David has lost all sense of romance since our last anniversary."

30 minutes, two more glasses of champagne, and a truffle and goat's cheese blini later, they finally escaped Katherine's interrogation of their love lives and out towards the car.

"I'm sorry about that, she just gets excited. I tired to warn you, but she's a bit... unexplainable."

"Hey, don't worry," Emily winks, dropping the posh accent, "It's what you pay me for, right?"

Adam quirks a smile, "Heh. Yeah. The money should already be in your account. See you next time?"

Emily stretches, clicking her joints, "You have a lunch with the Bouviers on the 12th. Glad we have our backstory settled into the consciousness of your circle, makes it easier to keep it going. I told you we needed one."

Adam sighs, "Yeah. I'm still not convinced. It still feels like lying."

"And yet," says Emily, getting into the car, "Here I am."

Adam collapses into the driver's seat, "Here you are."

"Now, darling," a snort, "Darling. Take me back to the office, will you? I have a breakfast quite early tomorrow and I need to go over my notes."

For the lovely swirlsofpurple, who almost managed to double-dog-dare me to write about porn. Almost.