Having emptied their plastic champagne flutes on the way to the venue, Izzy and her friends were mildly tipsy by the time they arrived at the formal. The chauffeur pulled up ahead of a red carpet just as the sun was setting over the horizon. Izzy felt her nerves rising. All eyes were on her and at least half a dozen camera lenses flashed as the group exited their ride. She tried to smile, while maintaining her poise in her unfamiliar ball gown and heels.
'Break a leg, Stormer!' Tommo joked.
'Shut up wise guy,' Cole responded.
Izzy laughed. She clutched her purse in her hand hoping everything was in order. This was not the moment for any sort of hair or wardrobe malfunction!
Izzy waited for Cole to take her by the arm. They both posed for a moment for onlookers to take their photo and then they were away. Nerves gave way to excitement as she climbed the stairs and entered the marble entrance to the venue.
'This is such a vibe,' Cole said.
'It's beautiful,' Izzy agreed.
There were chandeliers overhead and one entire wall of the giant hall was covered in white fairy lights. A backdrop of glass behind the dance floor provided a glimpse out into the manicured gardens beyond.
Izzy and Cole made their way to their table, with Tal, Tommo and Zara following closely behind them. Priya and Nikesh were already seated. Silver candles cast a soft light on each table, on which were laid place holders with their names in gold calligraphy.
'The committee has done us proud.' Priya said, glancing towards Izzy and indicating her seat 'Tonight's going to be a good night!'
Their group was a little late to arrive and the hall was nearly full by the time they sat down to dinner. Tommo seated his two dates and then left the table. He was the designated emcee for the evening. There'd be speeches and awards first, followed by the meal and then dancing. Izzy was disappointed that Dom and Em's table was all the way over on the other side of the dance floor.
The handing out of awards took forever and Izzy was starving. Em snuck over to their table mid-way through the ceremony to get a quick snippet for her vlog of Priya and Nikesh who'd won best dressed couple. Priya looked stunning in a stylish turquoise saree. She'd been debating whether to go traditional for months and she obviously made the right choice. There was a spare seat at their table, and Em sat down with them for a minute.
Izzy heard Tommo announce an award for 'most likely to marry a super model.' Cole whooped, as Dom strode across the dance floor to accept his award. On the way back to his seat, Dom glanced across at Izzy. Their eyes met for a second in a secret smile. Izzy hoped no one noticed. Em stood up and crossed the dance floor re-joining Dom at his table.
By this time, waiters were hovering to place their food down on the tables. Everyone was ravenous. Izzy was glad she'd gone with the lamb; it came with mashed potato and roast veggies and was more than she could eat. After a delicious desert of crème brulee, the DJ turned up Never wanna grow up by Katrina Stone and everyone poured on to the dance floor.
The vibe was incredible. Izzy was enjoying herself dancing and mucking about with her friends. Everyone was taking photos, and cracking ridiculous jokes. She tried hard not to pay too much attention to Dom and Em. It was difficult but she figured it was only one night. If ignoring Dom temporarily meant not upsetting Em, she was okay with it. There'd be plenty of time for them later. When Em had gotten over the hurt of the breakup.