#junadala

               “It’sless the smoking hot girlfriend part,” Thuringwethil said, “and more the factthat it’s me.”

               “Whatare you talking about?”

               “I knowI have a…reputation.”

               “Theonly reputation you have is as a kick-ass trial attorney that everyone’s afraidto have to face in court,” Ilmarë said.

               “Yes,”Thuringwethil said, grinning at the compliment, “but I also work for Angband,which has a less than stellar reputation.”

               “Ialways thought that was a little undeserved,” Ilmarë said charitably.

               Thuringwethillaughed and leaned over to kiss her. “You’re too nice,” she said.

               “One ofmy many faults,” Ilmarë said, smiling. She grew serious again.  “Listen,if you don’t want to go, we can go home.”

               “Youhave to go,” Thuringwethil said.  “It’syour Christmas party.”

               “No, Idon’t,” Ilmarë said, “and I won’t without you.”

               Thuringwethilkissed her again.  “I love you,” shesaid.  “And if you’re sure, then let’sgo.”

               The twoof them got out of the car, and Ilmarë whistled, shaking her head.  “Damn, you look good.”

               “Youlook damn fine yourself.”

               “Comeon,” Ilmarë said, offering her arm. “Let’s go get ourselves some free, expensive booze.”

               Thuringwethilwas uncharacteristically nervous.  Intheory, this was exactly the kind of party she loved.  The venue was extravagant, the dress code wasblack tie, the hors d’oeuvres were to die for, and the alcohol was top-shelf,readily available, and free of charge. She didn’t even hate the people that surrounded her.  She knew some of them, both professionallyand by reputation, and there were some she wouldn’t even have minded speaking to.  The thing that made her nervous, more thananything, was Ilmarë.

               Thatsounded wrong, even in her head, and it wasn’t even true, strictlyspeaking.  She loved Ilmarë, and she washappy to be here with her, but it was that fact, the very reality of being heretogether that made her nervous.  Itwasn’t going to be the first time she had seen Ilmarë in a professional settingsince they’d been together; they’d been at conferences and networking eventsand professional development gatherings in the months since they’d beentogether.  It hadn’t been a problem.  Those were professional events, and althoughthey were friendly and familiar, and people probably at least guessed that theywere friends, it was a different sort of thing than this.

               Thiswas a couples’ thing, and it wasn’t something Thuringwethil had ever donebefore.  She was nervous—not for herself,but for Ilmarë.  These were people Ilmarëworked with, people whose opinions she valued, and Thuringwethil was stillhesitant, no matter how proud she was of her own work and her friends, to linkIlmarë too closely with Angband.

               Ilmarë,it seemed, had no such reservations.

               Thefirst time Ilmarë introduced her as her girlfriend, it startledThuringwethil.  The second time, it madeher smile and squeeze Ilmarë’s hand.  Bythe tenth time, she was half-giddy with delight, and her cheeks had started toache from smiling.

               “Areyou alright?” Ilmarë asked.  They had madetheir initial rounds of greeting and had managed to snag a small table forthemselves, tucked away toward the back of the room.

               “I’mgreat,” Thuringwethil said.  “Why?”

               “Idon’t know,” she said.  “You’re just notusually this smiley in public.”

               “I’mhappy,” Thuringwethil said, a little surprised at the truth of it.  “I like being here with you.”

               Ilmarëlaid her hand on Thuringwethil’s and smiled. “I’m going to go get us a drink, okay?”

               Sheturned and headed off into the crowd, and for a moment, Thuringwethil wasalone, free to scan the crowd and pass silent judgement on the outfits of herfellow guests.

               “Sorryto bother you,” said a voice she didn’t recognize, pulling her out of herthoughts.

               Thuringwethilturned to see a woman she didn’t know standing at her table, smiling.  She looked vaguely familiar, andThuringwethil studied the pretty, elegant face, wondering where she knew thewoman from.  

               “You’reThuringwethil, aren’t you?”

               “Sorry,”Thuringwethil said, cocking her head to one side.  “Have we met?”

               “Idon’t think so,” she said, and held out a hand. “I’m Varda.”

               Thuringwethilshook her hand, and the name finally sparked her memory.  “Varda,” she said, realization coming in aninstant.  “Manwë’s wife.”  Varda nodded, and Thuringwethil smiled.  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said.

               “Goodthings, I hope.”

               “Mostly,”Thuringwethil said, and Varda laughed.  

               “Areyou here with Ilmarë?”  Thuringwethilnodded.  “That’s good,” Varda said.  “You know, I can’t remember her ever bringinganyone to one of these things before.”

               “Inever brought anyone to our Christmas party either, before her,” Thuringwethilsaid, and then wondered why she had.

               “Well,it’s nice,” Varda said.  “If anyonedeserves a nice girlfriend, it’s Ilmarë.”

               “I maybe biased,” Thuringwethil said, “but I have to agree.”

               Someonecalled her name, and Varda turned and waved, smiling.  She turned back to Thuringwethil.  “I have to go and schmooze, unfortunately,”she said.  “But it was nice to meet you,Thuringwethil.  Tell Melkor we saidhello.”

               Thuringwethilsmiled and watched her go, the crowds gently parting around her as she made herway through the sea of friends and acquaintances.  Then Ilmarë returned, and Thuringwethil’ssmile was real again.  “Come on,” Ilmarësaid, handing her a drink.  “I want to goshow you off to my coworkers.”

*****

               “Youknow,” Thuringwethil said thoughtfully, sitting down and slipping off hershoes, “I know intellectually that you work with a bunch of rich snotty people,but I was still surprised to see them there tonight.”

               Ilmarëlaughed.  “It’s a context thing, Ithink,” she said.  “It’s weird to seepeople you associate with work in a normal party setting.”

               “Iguess,” Thuringwethil said.  She reachedup and fumbled with the clasp of her necklace, long nails impeding her grasp onthe tiny mechanism.  “It was extra weirdto see Varda there.”

               “I sawyou two talking,” Ilmarë said, coming over to help her.  “It seemed…cordial.”

               “Itwas,” Thuringwethil said.  “We mostlytalked about you.  Definitely avoidedmentioning Melkor.”

               Ilmarëset the necklace aside and leaned down to kiss the nape of Thuringwethil’sneck.  “Thanks for that,” she said.

               “Ifigured causing a scene would be a bad move,” she said.  “Not least of all because I want to beinvited back next year.  That food was todie for.”

               Ilmarëlaughed and wrapped her arms around Thuringwethil’s neck, kissing hercheek.  “Thanks for going,” she said.

               Thuringwethilturned and pulled Ilmarë into her lap. “Thanks for inviting me.  It wasnice to be at one of these things with a date, for once.”

               “Itreally was,” Ilmarë said.  “Let’s do itagain next year.”

               “Assumingyou keep me around that long,” Thuringwethil said.