R & D : A Companion Work to Hello, Richard.

The Gala: Part 1

Hello, Richard : Chapters 56-57
Milestone celebrated: #1 on the FF list

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Point of View: Maine - Alden

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The Burgeounix Grand Hall glistens with glass dècors and metal accents everywhere. Gold, silver and old-rose paint the Tiffany chairs, the grand stairwell, and most of the drapes. The place looks beautiful and the decorations just exquisite.

Huge glass chandeliers hang from the high-rise ceiling and 4 thick pillars with cherub sculptures stand in equal distance from each other across the room. They give the whole place a royal feel and in effect, all the guests that feeling of... importance. Perhaps, when guests are expected to make donations, they also expect to be treated with importance.

Whew. Looks like I made it to the big time.
Lol

Maine looks up and admires the expensive chandeliers. She looks around and notices the guests all clad in Designer clothing and sparkling jewelry. An eye-roll escapes her before Alden grabs her hand, gives it a gentle squeeze to assure her, and then smiles sheepishly at her.

Smooth.

How will I survive this?

She takes in the sight beside her, appreciating how dapper Alden looks tonight in his tweed blazer, plum tie and still-perfect dimples. She doesn't even want to think about how perfectly her hand fits his.

You are looking for trouble, girl.

As she looks the other way, Alden steals a glance for himself and notices how her lips are her most prominent facial feature, and how the color of her dress highlights her gorgeous olive complexion.

She actually cleans up really nicely.
Wow.

"It's pretty breathtaking, isn't it?", Alden asks Maine looking her right in the eye. He intends for the question to have a double meaning but does not quite say it in the right manner nor phrasing.

Lame  pick-up, Alden.
How does it go, again?
"Pretty breathtaking."
She says "Yeah. Place looks great"
You say, "Oh, I mean you. "

You're so out of your game, man.

"It's amazing." Maine nods in agreement. "Thanks for inviting me by the way. I feel like I'm in a Jane Austen book.", she tells him.

"More like Interview w the Vampire.", Alden counters with a sly smile.

"Or Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.", Maine says a little too loudly as laughter was building insider her.

"I mean... she looks like she's about Lincoln's age.", Maine whispers and points with her eyes to the elderly woman who was making life difficult for two waiters, verbally harassing them, three feet away.

Alden looks at the old woman, and sees that while she somehow looks like Pilita Corales, she has a pale white caking layer to her face, horribly drawn eyebrows and a badly-done hair do that makes her look ancient.