The Office Party

Part 26

Inevitably, I am a little bit nervous about meeting Diana at the gig. I know I shouldn't be, because the pub is one I know quite well, and it was my idea to ask her, and our group will be all people that I know well and like and feel comfortable with. In fact, if anyone would expect to feel out of place, it should be Diana. Nonetheless, I take a great deal of care to make sure that I look casual. Nice, but casual. (Black jeans, pretty red and cream top, denim jacket, boots under the jeans, hair loosely pinned back.)

My housemate, her boyfriend and I meet Sandra and her husband at the pub about an hour before the band is due to start, so we can have a drink. Both Sandra and my housemate realise that I'm fretting about Diana turning up, and reassure me about how I look. Lizzie flops in just as we'd given up hope on her, and makes for the bar. I join her there, and she moans about how she was late being taken off her lunchtime shift in the pub, but Lizzie's work woes are a comfort to me. They let me distract myself from the fact that I've invited Diana to this night out and made ready to meet her and she still isn't here. I've gone from being nervous and slightly regretting asking her, to being quite cross that she hasn't bothered to turn up. Lizzie digs me in the ribs as we turn away from the bar and make our way back to our table. 'Cheer up, Fi. There's loads of time yet.'

Sure enough, Diana arrives a little later. I can't really see the door from my seat, so it's only when Sandra pats my knee lightly and says, 'Here we go. She's here,' that I realise. I twist round on my seat, and I'm slightly disappointed in myself at how relieved and pleased I am to see her stand in the doorway and look around. She notices the movement, and smiles as she starts over towards us. I give her a little wave. I'm pleased she's come, but suddenly I also feel very awkward. This is a kind of date, but we're also with my friends, and Sandra knows Diana very well from work. The dynamics of this evening are going to be very interesting, I think, not entirely happily.

I start to stand up, but Diana waves me back down onto the seat. Her eyes run casually over me and I wonder what she thinks of my outfit. She rests her hand lightly on the back of my chair, just touching my shoulder. 'Hello, Fiona. Don't get up.' She smiles at me, and I think the smile looks a bit curt. Then I realise that she's probably not entirely comfortable either, and that makes me feel a lot better, because suddenly I can worry about her instead of me. She looks round the others. 'Hello, all.'

'Um, Diana. This is Paula, my housemate, and Martin.' They all smile at each other. 'And Lizzie, from the pub yesterday.' Lizzie tips her glass at Diana as she sucks through her straw. 'Guys, this is Diana. From work.'

'Sandra,' says Diana, smiling at her secretary. 'Bill,' she says to Sandra's husband. 'You well?'

'Not bad, thanks.' Diana and Bill nod at each other in a distant but friendly way.

There's a little moment when things could just begin to feel a bit awkward, but Diana rubs her hands. 'Right, then. I'm going to get a drink.' She nods around the table. 'Anyone else, while I'm there?' There's a little kerfuffle while everyone declines Diana's offer politely, but is reminded that it might be a good idea to get one in before the band start. So Bill, Diana and Martin all end up heading for the bar together, to get us all another drink between them. In a way, I realise, that's quite a good thing because, like Martin, Diana is one of the 'partners' of the party tonight, one who's breaking in to our group, as it were. I hope Diana finds a bond with him, as a way to feel comfortable with the rest of us. I know that it can be difficult to come in as the new person to a group of existing friends. The fact that Diana is Sandra's boss doesn't help matters either, but it might at least help that the two of them and Bill are around the same age, so she doesn't feel out of place on that front either. I watch Diana and the blokes together at the bar, and realise I'm worrying for nothing, really. The three of them appear to be talking in short bursts, like strangers do at first, but at least they're talking and wanting to keep the conversation going.