Part 1
The Name Celeste Never Expected to Matter.
Chapter 1 — Don’t Touch Her
“Back away from her, you incompetent little server.”
Nora Vale shifted sideways before Celeste Varrone could reach past her.
“Ma’am, please give her some space.”
Celeste stopped inches from Nora.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re crowding her.”
“I wasn’t speaking to you.”
Nora kept one hand near the wheelchair handle. She did not touch Celeste.
The elderly woman beside the donor table remained silent.
Celeste looked past Nora.
“I need a private word with you.”
The woman’s fingers tightened slightly over the cream blanket covering her knees.
“No,” she said.
Celeste’s smile held.
“Perhaps you misunderstood.”
“I heard you.”
Nora glanced down.
“Would you like me to move your chair?”
“Not yet, dear.”
Celeste’s eyes flicked toward Nora.
“That wasn’t an invitation for you to stay.”
“She asked me to stay.”
“Did she?”
“Yes.”
Nora’s answer came without apology.
A waiter passing behind them slowed for half a second. He looked at Celeste, then immediately kept moving.
Celeste noticed.
Her jaw tightened.
“Nora.”
The elderly woman had spoken softly.
Nora turned.
“Yes, ma’am?”
The woman’s gaze dropped to the gold badge pinned against Nora’s black banquet vest.
NORA VALE.
Two smaller words sat underneath.
BANQUET SERVICE.
The woman studied it a second longer than necessary.
Then she looked at Nora’s face.
“That is your name?”
“Yes.”
“Nora Vale?”
Nora nodded.
Celeste’s attention sharpened.
“Why does that matter?”
The elderly woman looked away from the badge.
“I was asking her.”
Celeste gave a short laugh.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Nora felt the room moving around them while their small circle remained fixed.
Celeste stepped closer.
“You need to leave this table.”
Nora looked at the woman in the wheelchair.
The woman did not ask her to go.
Neither did Nora move.
“Bring Mrs. Whitmore some water and return to your station.”
Celeste spoke without looking at Nora.
Nora kept her eyes on the elderly woman.
“Would you like water?”
“No, thank you.”
Celeste turned.
“I just told you to bring it.”
“She said she doesn’t want any.”
“I wasn’t asking what she wanted.”
That landed harder than Celeste seemed to realize.
The elderly woman’s head lifted.
Nora saw it.
So did Celeste.
For the first time, Celeste hesitated.
Only a fraction of a second.
Then her expression reset.
“What I meant is that she may need something shortly.”
“I can stay nearby.”
“No.”
Celeste’s answer came too quickly.
Nora glanced toward the donor table.
Place cards, folded programs, half-finished champagne, and sealed contribution envelopes crowded the white linen.
One chair beside the wheelchair remained empty.
Celeste slid her hand onto its back.
“You have other guests.”
“I was assigned to this section.”
“You’re being reassigned.”
“By my supervisor?”
Celeste stared at her.
“Do you really need someone to explain how these events work?”
Nora held her gaze.
“If my supervisor moves me, I’ll move.”
A couple standing near the silent-auction display looked over.
Celeste lowered her voice.
“You think that vest protects you?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“But it does tell me what my job is.”
Celeste smiled again.
It looked different now.
“Does it?”
The elderly woman reached beneath the edge of her blanket.
Celeste’s hand immediately left the chair.
“Please,” Celeste said. “There’s no need for that.”
The woman stopped.
Nora looked between them.
“No need for what?”
Celeste ignored the question.
“Go check the champagne.”
“It was checked ten minutes ago.”
“Then check it again.”
The elderly woman spoke before Nora could answer.
“I would prefer she remain here.”
Celeste went still.
For one second, nobody spoke.
Then Celeste leaned toward Nora.
“You’re making a very serious mistake.”
Nora lowered her voice.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
The elderly woman glanced at Celeste.
“A little.”
Nora moved closer to the wheelchair.
“I can take you somewhere quieter.”
“No.”
Celeste answered for her.
Nora looked up.
“I asked her.”
“And I’m telling you she needs to remain at this table.”
“Why?”
Celeste’s eyes hardened.
“Because this is where she belongs.”
The elderly woman gave Nora a faint look.
Not frightened.
Watchful.
Nora noticed her fingers had gone still beneath the blanket.
“Would you like me beside you?” Nora asked.
“Yes.”
Celeste laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“This is absurd.”
She looked toward the nearest cluster of guests.
Nobody met her eyes.
A man holding a champagne flute suddenly became interested in the program in his hand.
A woman beside him lowered her glass.
Celeste saw both reactions.
Her shoulders stiffened.
Nora caught it.
Something about their silence bothered Celeste more than Nora’s refusal did.
“Everyone here has responsibilities,” Celeste said.
“I’m doing mine.”
“You’re obstructing mine.”
“What are you trying to do?”
Celeste stared at her.
“That is none of your concern.”
“It is if you’re reaching over a guest who asked you not to.”
“I never heard her say that.”
The elderly woman spoke.
“You heard me say no.”
Celeste’s lips pressed together.
A server approached carrying fresh champagne.
His eyes went to Nora’s badge.
Then to the elderly woman.
He almost stopped.
Celeste snapped toward him.
“Keep moving.”
He obeyed immediately.
Nora watched him disappear into the crowd.
Celeste turned back.
“Now move.”
“No.”
The word came quietly.
Celeste stepped around Nora.
Nora matched her movement.
Celeste stopped again.
“You really want to do this here?”
Nora kept herself between Celeste and the wheelchair.
“I want you to stop reaching toward her.”
Celeste’s gaze dropped to Nora’s badge.
Then back to her face.
Her expression changed.
Not recognition.
Something closer to calculation.
She took another step.
“Get out of my way.”
Celeste reached around Nora.
Nora moved first.
Her hand closed around Celeste’s wrist before the jeweled fingers could pass her shoulder.
Celeste froze.
So did Nora.
For one beat, neither woman spoke.
Then Nora released her immediately.
“Don’t.”
Celeste stared at the place Nora had touched.
“You put your hands on me.”
“You were reaching across her.”
“I was not touching her.”
“You were trying to.”
Celeste’s bracelet slipped against the stem of a champagne glass.
The glass trembled.
Crystal struck crystal.
A bright, delicate note cut through the surrounding conversations.
One voice stopped.
Then another.
The silence spread faster than Nora expected.
Celeste heard it too.
She turned her head slightly.
People were watching now.
Not openly.
Not comfortably.
But they were watching.
The elderly woman remained beside Nora.
Her hands rested neatly on the blanket again.
Nora checked her face.
“Are you all right?”
The woman nodded once.
Celeste looked between them.
Her cheeks had gone rigid.
“You have no idea what you’re interfering with.”
Nora did not answer.
A banquet captain appeared several yards away.
He saw Nora.
He saw Celeste.
Then his gaze settled on the woman in the wheelchair.
His pace changed.
Celeste noticed that too.
“Don’t come over here,” she called.
The captain stopped.
Nora looked at him.
He looked uncertain now.
Celeste stepped closer to Nora.
“Move.”
Nora stayed where she was.
Behind her, the elderly woman touched two fingers to the edge of Nora’s gold name badge.
Just once.
Then she withdrew her hand.
Celeste saw the gesture.
For the first time, something in her face slipped.
Nora saw it happen.
She just didn’t know why.
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