Flat Iron Pub, evening.
“I certainly do hope so, madam,” she replied with a warm smile.
Georgie felt Chrysanthe’s hand on her arm, and let herself be guided through the throng of other ladies getting ready to leave and out into the cool evening air. The street was quiet, and it was a stark change from the thrum of conversation and all those fields all pressed together, brimming with energy and excitement. Out on the street it was just the two of them. Georgie gave a quiet sigh, slightly relieved to be out in the open air again. It was dark enough now that the phosphor street lamps were beginning to glow, casting the street in their blue hues. The light glinted off Chrysanthe’s golden hair as she adjusted it and smoothed her fingers over the short, straight strands. Chrysanthe turned to look back at her, and the blue light hit her face in just the right way. She was all angles and lines, the light and shadow bringing out the sharpness of her cheekbones and the blue of her eyes in a way that made Georgie wish she had her camera spectra to hand. Had she always been so pretty?
Chrysanthe mentioned that the place she wanted to go for drinks was down the road away, snapping her out of her reverie, and Georgie nodded, following her with a smile. This was, she thought, perhaps not the best place to be having such thoughts. Or the best person to be the object of those thoughts. Chrysanthe had always been her brother’s friend. They had been familiar in school, certainly, but only by virtue of Chrysanthe and Baz spending time together, and all the times in their last four years that she had been invited to the house for lunch or dinner by their parents. She was sure that Chrysanthe knew where her inclinations lied; she had not exactly been secretive about it in her youth, nor was she now. However, she had no idea about Chrysanthe herself. Best not think too hard, Georgianna, she told herself, she’s only a friend and you’re only catching up.
Chrysanthe, blessedly, offered something else for her to think about. She smiled warmly. “It was lovely,” she said, “I’m so glad I was finally able to attend one here. I’ve been in the city for about a month and a half, now, but I’ve been so busy, and then there was the issue of them moving around every time. I had to write to a friend in Brunnhold who knows one of the ladies here in order to find out where they were meeting next. I’m glad I did. They seem like such a wonderful bunch.”
They came upon the pub now, and Georgie followed her inside and to the booth where she wanted to sit, taking off her own coat and hanging it on a hook as well, sliding into the seat across from Chrysanthe.
“A blushing hingle,” Georgie said, smiling as well, “with pomegranate, if they have it. And perhaps something to nibble on? You've been here before, I'm guessing, so I'll defer to you on that.”