High C

7. With All of the Folks At Home

Bob had barely slept, perfecting his new routine over the weekend with another dancer named Lena he'd seen to be a quick study. She was charmingly game, and he'd collaborated with the choreographer so there'd be no hard feelings. The bosses loved it and eventually Ivan did too, growling his snow monster's approval from atop a ladder dressed as a mountain peak at the last, late rehearsal.

The Christmas Train launched Sunday afternoon to group after group of happy families whose past and present medical misfortunes had at least given them the small pleasure of being first to board the ride and experience all the marvels that came with it. The amusement ride began with a long line outside before winding its way inside of what looked like a quaint train station. Special effects made it seem as though snow was falling outside even though the weather was still behaving like a dry fall day. Visitors would advance by the dozens until one ride's limit was being held in the space which looked like a ticketing area. This is where Bob's number would begin.

Posing as passengers, he and Lena would loudly begin a dialogue about the joys of going home for Christmas only to be told the train was heading to the North Pole. Bob would then seem surprised and a little disappointed. The ticket agent would ask, "What's so special about home that you don't want to go to the North Pole?" as a set up to the pair performing their dance number, singing to the classic song, 'Christmas in Killarney'. It delighted those waiting in line, not to mention explained why Bob and Lena never actually boarded the train.

By late Sunday evening they had done their Killarney bit twelve times, the last few performances given to those sponsors and privileged invitees attending the night's private gala. Maya opened the event with a small Christmas concert, oblivious to the fact that a video her mother had taken of her drunkenly reenacting her spotlight dance at Alarm Bar was now a TikTok sensation. Who helped Emaline upload it was anybody's guess, but 'Look At Me, Mama!' had gone viral with over three hundred thousand views and a number of parodies already. Further testing the old adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity, word of Alpinia's plot was starting to get around creating a special disaster-waiting-to-happen sort of buzz.

None of this could really be Natasha's concern. The ride was a hit, and her party was going wonderfully. Her clients had already congratulated her and expressed their appreciation. Throughout the evening, Rodney had been keeping his distance as instructed, teasing her with stolen glances from across the room. Once her parents at last confirmed via text that they were skipping the event, she wasted no time in giving him a come-hither finger crook. He looked around the room with dramatic hesitation before she snapped and pointed to the floor in front of her. After a few steps, he halted and spun his back to her. A breathy curse word had barely left her lips when she felt the presence of a server invade her space with a pushy tray of hors d'oeuvres.

"No thanks," she said.

"No thanks, what?" DeeDee asked.

Her sister stood dressed to the hilt in a gorgeous black dress, unaware of Rodney's presence or how easily she could be confused for staff hired to hand out canapés.

"What are you doing with that?" Natasha asked.

"Taking them home so I can tear them apart and figure out how to make them," she said sheepishly. "I've got one of each now, so my work here is done."

"How long have you been here? Why go home so early?"

"I came out to say I did, but I'm bored. The concert was incredible though."

"My own sister," Natasha said, shaking her head. "This is the most exclusive event in the city tonight and you want go home and decimate a plate of cheese puffs? Did you at least flirt a little? I tried to stack the deck in our favour, if you know what I mean."