The Rose Ballroom was decorated in every shade of red imaginable, from the lightest and the brightest red to the deepest darkest shade of red. Round tables in rows on both the right and the left were arranged in the ballroom for the guests that would enter. Glasses were filled with champagne, and a gazillion red rose petals covered the white carpet that led up to the stage. On the stage, there were two chairs that looked fit for a king and a queen to sit on.
"Wow, this place looks magnificent! "Remarked Kayla as they came through the entrance.
She glanced up at the crystal chandelier that reflected the light and hung glittering in the center of the ballroom.
"It does", Ava agreed simply
"Impressive indeed," commented Mrs.Smith coming up behind them.
"Shall I switch on the music player?" asked Jaxon
"You could, but is there a specific playlist they might have wanted?" asked Ava
"Not that I know of, I'm going to play something," said Jaxon before walking over to the deejay's box.
"Cool set up," he said whistling, while checking out the equipment, he continued to plug it to the speakers. He took out his phone and selected 'Wedding' and Southbay's 'Still Into You' began to play.
One long table was prepared for all the various dishes of food, each one came out one by one as the chefs came over to inspect that everything to be in order. Two big glass juice dispensers were placed at the end of the table, one contained chilled rose syrup and the other had lychee juice.
The guests began to fill the ballroom, and even as they chose their seats. Aunt Cecelia and Uncle Mark entered in, with Mary-Ann and Jedidiah in tow. The bride and groom took their place on the stage, Uncle Mark grabbed the mike and spontaneously said, "hello, everyone welcome to our wedding reception, I am honoured to have so many of you gathered to celebrate my marriage to the love of my life Cecelia Hartwell, I hope you enjoy yourselves!"
"We will!" yelled an enthusiastic Ryan with both hands in the air.
The crowd laughed, and some nodded their heads in agreement.
The music started, and Jaxon switched the playlist to Sharon Rice's Wedding songs Volume 3.
"Please take up the dance floor as the floor is open for anyone who wants to dance with their partners," added Uncle Mark.
"Let's do it" said Jaxon looking at Ava.
"Okay."
They danced slowly to 'Love Runs Red by the Eastside Prince' as it came through the speakers. Mr. and Mrs. Hartwell joined them on the dancefloor as well as Mary-Anne and Jedidiah. Ava rested her head against Jaxon's chest and she almost could swear she could hear his heartbeat. She felt elevated at that moment as she was on cloud nine, happy, carefree, and wanted. She felt warm, and her heart sped up just a little as she was conscious of his hand clasping her waist and his hand holding hers.
"Hey you want to grab lunch? The smell of all this food is making me hungry," he asked.
She nodded her head.
"I think I saw a lemon meringue pie, my sweet tooth is calling for it," she commented wistfully.
"Not worried about tooth decay?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Nope, I see the dentist, so all is taken care of."
"The chicken curry with rice has my name on it," he says.
"Ooh, spicy I might try that," she said.
They left the dance floor and headed towards the long table. After filing their plates with food, they sat beside each other at one of the round dinner tables.
"I feel like every time we meet we're always eating," remarked Ava.
"That's not such a bad thing, we fall in love over food," he says teasing her once again.
"Oh my goodness! Jaxon look! It's a fluffy orange fur ball! It's so cute!" Exclaimed Ava, pointing at a stray orange cat with a fluffy tail that had snuck under one of the tables.
"I'm taking it," said Ava decidedly.
"Ava you can't take someone's cat," admonished Jaxon.
"Yes I can and I will, no one owns it, it has no collar. Look!"
"Let me get it then," said Jaxon leaving his seat and approaching a gentleman seated near the cat who was hiding under the table. "Sure," the gentleman said leaving the table so Jaxon had space to crawl underneath and take the cat gently with both hands.
The cat looked at Jaxon with huge yellow-green orbs and meowed as it was picked up. It calmly allowed Jaxon to carry it away from the table all the while looking up at him with her big eyes.
"It's a she" said Jaxon giving her to Ava.
"Awww....hello there" said Ava holding the cat and inspecting her.
"We'll call you Cleo the cat." She said officially naming the fur ball in her arms.
"Nice," commented Jaxon. "So what's next for you after you head back home, tomorrow?" He asks her as she cuddles the cat to her chest.
"I might start looking for work and maybe do some freelance consultancy for interior designing."
"Whichever comes first, I'd be happy to do. What about you?" She asks him.
"I'll be here at least for another two weeks. It's because of work, my boss has a meeting here," he answers her.
"You want to dance or talk for the rest of the evening?" He asks her gently.
"Talk" she says.
"But before you say anything, let me go to the lady's room," said Ava excusing herself. Ava got up and left the ballroom stepping outside to a corridor she located the lady's room on the right side. She pushed the door and let herself in, and found it completely empty. She glanced at herself at the mirror, her makeup was smudged and she did not have on any lipstick anymore. She took some tissue and wiped her eyelids and underneath her eye to get rid of the smudged eyeliner and mascara.
The door to the lady's room suddenly was pushed open and walked in a pretty blonde lady in her forties, wearing a beige colored coat and underneath a dark blue turtle-neck sweater. Her eyes were filled with terror as she looked everywhere except at Ava. Her face was streaked with tears, and she pulled up her sleeves to reveal red welts on her wrists. She turns on the tap and started dabbing at her wrists gently with wet tissue. "Are you alright?" asked Ava.
The blonde lady stops for a moment as if struck by something unseen, she turns her head slowly and looks at Ava, "I'm fine but someone I know is not."
"Oh, anything I can do to help?" asks Ava
"If you can protect her that would be great," she says sarcastically trying to hide the sudden tremor in her voice. "I don't have much time, do me a favour at six o'clock see if you can enter Room 402 on the sixth floor," she says pushing a key card into Ava's hands. "Please help her," she says with pleading eyes, before turning around and abruptly leaving the ladies room.