Gathering: New Year's Eve Gala

[concierge]

The annual Nexus New Year's Eve gala began at 8 in the evening. Too grand to be contained by the lobby or dining hall, the gardens at the front of the hotel were employed, with long strings of white lights forming a twinkling canopy from the front doors all the way to the hedge maze. The weather was temperate and calm, and the night perfectly clear.

Drinks were served at various bars set up throughout the gardens and lobby, with champagne cocktails being the specialty of the night. Wheeling through the crowd was a bartender with golden cart providing warm drinks on the go: Tom and Jerrys, rum punch, negus, and Irish coffee.

Crisply-dressed wait staff wove through the collected guests with an abundance of hors d'oeuvres for all different tastes. The Bistro remained open with a limited selection of items for those who were wanting something more substantial.

Above the front doors was hung a large, gold-rimmed clock counting down the last hours, minutes, and seconds of the current year.

Comments

[theprodigaldoctor]

"Well, we've kept things good and casual," Chase points out, which does feel like they've done the adult thing about it, even if it's maybe not the most romantic way of going about it. "Got to know each other and made sure the physical chemistry is there," he says with a warm smile. "I don't think any of that's a bad thing."

[nebaritralk]

Chiana shakes her head, not because she isn't familiar with it, but because he isn't getting it. She pulls her wrist out of his grasp. "Missing the point, Harvey." Of course she's familiar with dirty talk - intimately so - but it's not as if he's been giving her any.

[nebaritralk]

"Probably," Chiana answers with a shrug. "There's all sorts of things where I come from." Too many for her to begin to pretend she knew them all, and skinchangers don't sound all that odd to her. She's seen much crazier than that.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

A wicked grin bends his mouth, then he leans in close to her ear and whispers several things to her - what he might like to do to her later, what he might be willing to let her to do him - all detailed just enough to be intriguing while still leaving just enough to the imagination.

[nebaritralk]

Her hands end up on his chest as he whispers in her ear, making her smile stretch with delight at the pictures he paints. "When do we start?" she asks when he sounds done, leaning back just enough to catch his gaze, lips so close to his.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He grins at her. He glances at his watch. "How long do you think it will take us to get upstairs?" he asks her. "Unless you feel the need to wait."

[nebaritralk]

"I think we've waited enough," Chiana tells him with agrin, and pulls away to head out of the hall.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He grins right back and follows her out of the hall, toward the stairs. "Your room or mine?" Because having a destination is helpful.

[nebaritralk]

"Yours," Chiana replies with a grin, and avoids the stairs to go for the elevator. Elevators are way better for these moments.