Party

The festivities started in the late afternoon. I considered not going, but then I would either be keeping William away from his fun, or I would have to go home early and spend the rest of the evening alone. Neither of those options appealed to me, so I pretended that I recovered my cheer and followed him to the edge of the empty field where the celebrations were being held.

"Wait here. I'll go get something to drink", William said, and hurried off to join the small crowd that was laying siege to a giant barrel of fruit punch.

I stood and looked around with interest. The people were still gathering, the musicians were tuning their instruments, the refreshments were still being laid out on the tables, and there were children playing various games all around the field.

"Hey", an unfamiliar male voice called from behind me. I turned around and found two young men holding cups full of liquid.

"Yes?" I replied politely.

"So we heard you're the new girl. Would you like a drink?" one of them said, and offered me one of his cups. The smell of the drink wafted up into my nose. It had a sharp scent underneath a mixture of sweet fruit scents.

"Alcohol?" I asked to confirm. The men winced, though the reaction was nearly unnoticeable, then shrugged.

"Just something to help you relax. You looked stiff, standing alone like that away from everybody".

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm waiting for someone", I replied.

"Mind if we keep you company until she arrives?" the man asked.

"He. And I do mind, actually". The party hadn't even started yet and they already tried to trick me into getting drunk, so they were obviously up to no good. The two of them shared a glance, then shrugged and moved on to their next intended victim.

"Did those two guys try to bother you?" William said from behind me. I turned around and found him returned with a pair of cups in his hands and a look of disgust on his face.

"They tried, but I sent them away", I said.

"At least they have eyes, and that's about the only good thing I can say about them", William spat. I smiled. Was this a backhanded way of saying I was pretty? Although he'd said it directly before, there was no such thing as saying it too many times. He handed me a cup.

"Someone's already spiked the punch, so be careful how much you drink", he said, then nonchalantly added "although I wouldn't mind carrying you home", but his cheeks were a little red when he said it.

Imagining the scene made me blush as well. Whether he carried me in his arms while gazing into my eyes, our lips within reach of each other, or whether he gave me a piggyback ride with his hands supporting my thighs, my arms wrapping his chest, and my chest pressed against his back, it seemed incredibly intimate.

The idea of being carried like a small child also made me feel protected and cared for. I didn't realize quite how much I missed that feeling until this moment, when William assumed that role in my imagination. It made him appear bigger and manlier, somehow.

I drank to cover my face and my embarrassment. The alcohol warmed me from the inside, and provided an excuse for the redness in my face. By the time I calmed down the cup was already empty. I handed it back to William.

"Thank you. It was good", I said, and it was. Although I didn't usually enjoy hard drinks, the sharpness and bitterness of the alcohol added to the fruit drink made it feel more mature, somehow.

While we waited for the party to properly get started a few of William's friends came over to tease him about finally getting a girl again. It seemed I wasn't his first sweetheart, which stirred some jealousy inside me. Then again, I could hardly complain when I knew from the start that I couldn't be his last, either. I smothered the sadness that thought provoked before it could take root, and exchanged some polite greetings with William's friends. I then pretended to drink from my empty cup while he verbally sparred with them and fended them off.

At some point light and cheerful music started playing, and the people gathered in the center of the field for fast-paced dancing. Men and women paired off with each other, and occasionally would switch partners. The children also danced on the side, imitating the adults. The mood was infectious, and the dark cloud that loomed over my consciousness faded away. A genuine smile spread across my lips, and I began tapping my foot and swaying to the tune.

William took my hand and bowed with a flourish, like a nobleman from a novel.

"Would my lady care for a dance?" he asked while pressing his lips to the back of my hand. I curtsied.

"I would be honored", I answered with as graceful and ladylike a fashion as I could muster.

Soon I forgot all my worries in the exhilaration of the dance. William's feet were almost as nimble and well-coordinated as my own, and we spun around so fast that I had to take multiple breaks to adjust my shawls to prevent them from flying off, especially the one around my neck, since the collar was bouncing around so hard.

Many songs later the first dance finally came to an end and we collapsed on the ground, covered in sweat.

"Would you mind fetching me something more to drink?" I asked William after a few minutes. "I'm parched".

William nodded and ran off to the food stands. While sitting I looked around, enjoying the commotion and seeing the little moments of romance that were blooming all around me, between young lovers and married couples alike. If my cheeks weren't already flushed from exertion I might have blushed at some of the more affectionate displays.