I see the dawn of a new beginning … This time, this time we can’t go home… I hear the streets of tomorrow calling …. I go, I go where you go … Cause we belong to something … we belong to something new …

The couple enjoined the guests to join them, waving their arms to invite people to the dance floor.

Jade pulled on Fabienne’s hand, and bent to whisper in her ear, “C’mon Fabienne, don’t be mad anymore. It’s a wedding! Let’s celebrate!”

She knew that eventually, Fabienne would cool down. She liked this song, too, and loved to dance.

Sure enough, Fabienne was soon shimmieng down to the addictive beat of the music, clapping along with everyone else.

Dan and Rian danced close to where they were, and Dan shouted over the music, “Now this is different! Dancing before dinner!”

Rian laughed as she twirled gracefully, and then exclaimed “Love it!”

After a few more songs, someone said regretfully into a microphone, “Alright, we’ve got to switch our program tonight back to normal. If everyone would go back to their assigned tables and we can all start on our soup and salad!”

A collective groan from the excited crowd rose up.

“I know, I know … but rest assured, there’ll be more dancing later!” the announcer said.

The crowd good-naturedly started to file out of the dance floor. It was a noticeably more relaxed atmosphere in the ballroom, though, and there was a loud buzz of voices and laughter as people started to settle in, and start on the soup and salad that had been served.

Halfway through the main course, Dan motioned to Rian that he’d felt his phone vibrate, and when he checked it was from the chief aide of a key ally of the senator Dan worked for.

“Sorry, Rian, I’ll have to step out and take this, ok?” he asked. Rian nodded quickly.

“Watch her for me,” he said jokingly to Jade, and winked. He’d clearly grown more comfortable about their relationship, especially after seeing how closely Fabienne sat next to Jade, and touching the tall Eurasian repeatedly, on the arm, on her shoulder, on her face, and then draping an arm around Rian’s friend’s shoulder at one point. There didn’t seem to be any point since they’d all retaken their seats after returning from the dance floor when Fabienne wasn’t touching Jade somewhere.