Fragment #55 - Dinner

I’m wearing the gorgeous dress Steve offered me on his return from Eastern Europe. It makes me look…
“Absolutely divine. If I wasn’t already in love with you, I think I’ll fall just by looking at you tonight…”
“Really?” I turn around to face him. “Do you mean that whoever looks at me tonight will fall in love with me?” I say, with a little smile.
“Well,… They might, yes. But hey, too late, no?”
“Definitively! Alright, I think we should go now, otherwise we’re going to be late.”
“Ok, Princess. If you may…”
He holds the door for me and we take the lift to go in the hall downstairs. There, we check with the reception if César is already here. Precious César. He is indeed and the car is waiting for us at the front of the hotel. We get out and sit in the comfy black limo. I take Steve’s hand, and come closer to his ear.
“I love you.” I whisper.

“Mademoiselle Collomb! Toujours aussi ravissante…”
“Monsieur Lane, quelle joie de vous revoir. Je vous présente mon ami, Steve Brymer. Il ne parle pas beaucoup français.”
Steve and the former ambassador of Senegal and long friend of my father, Abou Lane, shake hands. Steve tries out the few words we rehearsed in the car.
“Monsieur, c’est un plaisir de pouvoir vous rencontrer.”
Mr Lane thanks Steve and gives him his greetings in English. I’m relieved. I haven’t seen the gentleman for over fifteen years and I wasn’t sure how the meeting would have gone if he couldn’t speak any English.
We sit down and the dinner gets started. I’m seated between Steve and Madame Delancourt, one of the French Ambassador’s counsellors. On Steve’s right is Sir Conrad, another old friend of my father and secretary at the British Embassy. It’s quite a diplomatic dinner. The starters arrive when the host, Mr Lane, stands up for a toast.
“Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, messieurs, bonsoir. Bienvenue chez moi. Nous avons parmi nous ce soir des amis chers, qui viennent de partout dans le monde. Je propose donc de placer cette soirée sous le signe des échanges entre nos pays. Et une fois n’est pas coutume, let’s speak English. To the world’s exchanges!”
“To the world’s exchanges!”

We come back to the hotel a few hours later. I bid César goodnight, and Steve almost carries me back inside.
“I think I’ve drunk too much.” I say
“I think so too” he laughs. I sit down for a few minutes, long enough for Steve to get our key, and to check that our guide for tomorrow is booked. Once all of that is done, he comes back to me and gently, as if I was made of glass, literally carries me to our bed.