Just then, Connie arrived at the table with three glasses of juice gripped between both hands. She greeted the Zimmermans by name, then proceeded to distribute the drinks to her friends.
The redhead took a seat between Mr Zimmerman and Annie. "A cold drink is perfect after a good dance," she commented before she took a careful sip.
"You danced beautifully, Ms Baker," Mr Zimmerman praised Connie, "Oh, that I were young again to ask you for a dance."
Mrs Zimmerman was not amused though. She gave her husband a rather unladylike backhand to the elbow. Mr Zimmerman, of course, apologized to her.
"I must comment that it is odd to find you here, Ms Baker," Mr Zimmerman said to Connie.
"What do you mean?" Connie asked.
"I'm sure you know that this is a fund-raiser," the elderly man explained, "It's politics, nothing of interest to youngsters like you and your friends."
After a pause, Connie replied, "My dad had extra tickets. It's a chance for us to try some good food."
"I see," Mr Zimmerman uttered with uncertainty. He then forced on a smile. "But please, do not feel distressed. Your presence is still a delight to my old eyes."
Connie and the elderly man contributed the most to the conversation at the table. Annie listened as they talked about various people that she did not know. She would have liked to talk to Mrs Zimmerman but being seated directly opposite each other at the table made private discussion difficult.
Sabine appeared to be listening in on the conversation, glancing inquisitively in their direction now and then. Whether she was actually following it or pretending to was unknown.
Then dinner was announced to be ready.
Annie and Sabine went to the buffet table together. While Annie was piling her plate with pasta, meatballs and a little salad, she considered getting something to drink. It was then that Connie offered to get her a glass. The redhead had it ready by the time Annie returned to her seat.
Connie was strangely helpful tonight. Never mind that, the food looked good.
Polite eating, however, was definitely tiresome. Annie had to fork small amounts of salad and chew them thoroughly and noiselessly. She had to cut meatballs into little pieces before eating. She had to wipe the edges of her mouth each time she felt her pasta deposit some sauce there - thank goodness for nonstick lipstick! Annie found herself eating less though she found the food tasty.
Although Connie had the same restraint, Sabine had not. She was a little quick with her dinner and not too neat. Annie had a chagrined smile on her face when Mrs Zimmerman stared disapprovingly at her plump friend.
To escape, Annie excused herself to go to the washroom. She probably had too much to drink and she really needed to go. Unfortunately, her dress had not appeared to be designed for easy access in the toilet and she had trouble doing her business.
When it was finally done, Annie gave herself a thorough inspection in the washroom mirror, making sure that everything was back in place. Feeling a little warm, she decided to remove her knitted shrug. She was glad that she had worn a necklace. Otherwise her neck would appear bare.
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