Tea at Montague Hall

Tammie

Tammie clinked her glass with her colleague Louise and took a tiny sip of the complimentary champagne. She didn't want to be too buzzed out tonight. She needed to be clear headed.

Montague Hall's Annual Ball was in full swing. As the 17 piece orchestra began to take their places for the performance, Tammie looked around the ballroom and took in the grandeur of the place. It was really quite marvellous although she could tell she didn't belong. Among the extravagant hairstyles and tailored suits she was merely an imposter, only invited along as a few of the executive board members had a bout of food poisoning and HR didn't want the £700 to go to waste. A charity case, really.

Nevertheless she deserved this more than those arrogant balding twats and middle aged ladies with sharp tongues who looked down their noses at the world, each with a toy-boy on call in a pathetic attempt to recapture their youths. There was a particular arrogant twat that Tammie despised the most. Ethan Moore. She observed him on the opposite end of the table just like she observed him everyday at work in his glass-panelled corner office, throwing a ball against the wall like life was a game.

Ethan had boyish good looks and was kind to a fault. When he had first taken an interest in her 5 years ago as they started working together as juniors at the bio-tech start-up, she was swept off her feet. She couldn't believe her luck. Tammie had always been an outsider and it was like going to high school again and being doted on by the prom king. They had 2 blissful years together and just as she had inklings of a proposal, she made the grave mistake of introducing him to her best friend, Lisa Young.

Tammie roughly shook her head to clear away thoughts of that day. Fuck it. She downed the contents of her champagne flute in one swig and trained her gaze back on Ethan. Ethan caught her eye and raised his glass in her direction, his eyes full of the same apologetic expression that had plagued her the last 3 years.

"I don't need your fucking pity." she growled under her breath.

"What?" said Louise, turning her perfectly tousled head.

"I said, look! The orchestra are starting to play!" Tammie smiled sweetly and indicated for a refill of her glass.

Scanning the faces of the musicians, it didn't take long for her to spot her former best friend. Eyes trained on the music score, hands expertly manipulating the bow, just like she had manipulated Ethan 3 years earlier. Tammie's fingers curled into a fist and she dug her fingernails deep into her palm to keep from screaming or doing something else she'd regret.

Turning her attention back to Ethan, she caught him staring rapt at the stage, clearly admiring Lisa. The way he looked at her made Tammie's blood boil. It was the way he used to look at her.

Taking several large calming breaths, Tammie thought back to the morning of the tea in which she would introduce Ethan and Lisa. She had had a peculiar feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was it dread? Was it her body warning her against what was about to happen? She should have known then. But she plundered ahead, dismissing the feeling as nervousness. After all, two of the most important people in her life were about to meet for the first time.

Tammie swallowed a huge gulp of her refilled champagne and turned her attention back to the stage. To her surprise, the orchestra was taking a break and Lisa was staring straight at her. Tammie's face twitched involuntarily and then broke into a large, deliberate smile. She indicated for Lisa to meet her after the performance. Lisa looked taken aback at first, then she sat back heavily on her seat and smiled back, nodding, visibly relieved.

Dumb fuck, thought Tammie. Did she really think she had forgiven her? Did she really think she could get away with this? Tammie laughed a dry laugh, downed the rest of her champagne and got up to go to the restroom.