Chapter 7: Seeing in the New Year
It wasn't that long after the old year rolled over to the new that George decided that she needed to be somewhere less crowded. The hours leading up to the countdown to midnight and the fireworks display had been fine, there were fewer people and they were more interspersed in the area. Even as the crowds got thicker closer to midnight, the collective anticipation more or less kept people staying where they were. However, almost as soon as the fireworks were over people started pushing around trying to get somewhere else.
George had no desire to join the crush of people and would have preferred to wait until things got less hectic but Aaron was eager to meet back up with his friends who apparently had gone to a bar not too far away.
The group, made up of Anna, Aaron, Bridget and George slowly made their way to the bar through the crowds. George was constantly being jostled by people either not noticing her or not paying attention to where they were walking. If it weren't for Bridget sticking close to her and bumping away a number of other people who might have walked into her, George might have taken a swing at someone. On reaching the bar where Aaron's friend were, they found that there was quite a line outside. George was unimpressed and would have argued for going somewhere else, except that pretty much every other bar or club had a line to get in as well. George internally sighed as they joined the line.
As they waited in line they were talking about things of interest to everyone until Aaron segued onto something about university and George was effectively cut out of the conversation. She tried to be interested in what the others were saying but there were too many references to things that required personal knowledge. George's mind drifted away and she found herself wondering what Chris was doing. Maybe he was somewhere close by. The thought of potentially running into him got George curious enough to want to find out where he was. It seemed unlikely that she would be able to get in touch with him tonight but she still wanted to try. Anna, Aaron and Bridget were animatedly debating something so George didn't feel too bad about taking out her phone and sending a message to Chris.
(Hey Chris, how's your night going? Did you all go out somewhere?)
She put her phone away, not expecting a reply anytime soon. Her attention was drawn back to the conversation which had turned into Anna and Aaron gleefully arguing. Bridget had noticed her looking up from her phone and gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. We didn't mean to exclude you."
George smiled and shook her head. "That's alright. How are you coping with the cold?"
Bridget hugged herself tightly and started stepping in place. "It's not too bad but I'll be happier when we get someplace warmer."
Looking at the length of the line ahead of them, George frowned. They were moving forward but very slowly. It seemed like no one inside the bar was that eager to leave and brave the cold outside. "Do you think we'll be getting inside anytime soon?"
"We fucking better, too much longer and I'm heading to the nearest warm place."
George felt her phone vibrate and when she checked it she saw a message from Chris.
(Happy New year George! I'm in the city with Dave and Sarah. It's a little too crazy so we're thinking of getting out of here.)
George frowned slightly as she thought. This was a good chance for her to get away from the crowds of people. Getting to see Chris might mean that her night wouldn't be ending too early as well. The issue was how she could gracefully leave Anna and Bridget to go see him. Maybe she could arrange to cross paths with Chris and his friends. George quickly sent another message to Chris.
(Where are you at the moment?)
A response came back shortly that told her that Chris, Dave and Sarah were at a coffee shop that was fairly close by. George looked at Bridget who was hugging herself tightly and almost jogging on the spot to try to warm herself up. She was feeling the cold a bit herself and the thought of going somewhere warm and getting a hot drink was enough to convince her that she should go to where Chris was. She turned to Anna. "I really feel like getting a hot drink, do you want to get a coffee or something?"
Anna was thinking about it when Aaron interjected. "We're not that far from the front of the line. If we go now we'll have waited for nothing."
George almost rolled her eyes. "I don't know that this place is going to be worth the wait but I'm not saying that we should just walk away. Some of us can stay in line while the others go and get something hot to drink." She looked toward Anna. "Are you in for a coffee run?"
Anna thought about it and looked like she wanted to go as well but didn't want to abandon Aaron. She eventually shook her head. "No, I think we need to have more than one person stay here to keep our place in line."
"That's okay I can go get a coffee and come back."
Bridget spoke up. "I'd like to go too. A hot coffee sounds really good to me.
Anna had noticed George checking her phone and sending messages and there was a hint of suspicion in her expression. "Okay but don't take too long."
"We shouldn't be. Did you want us to bring you something back?"
Anna smiled and shook her head. "No. I'm fine, thanks for asking."
Without any further discussion, George and Bridget left the line outside the bar. George was walking at a fairly quick pace but Bridget didn't say anything, with her longer legs it was easy for her to keep pace and it would be helping to warm her up a bit. The crowds walking around weren't as thick but there was still a fair amount of annoyingly slow people to get around.
They passed by a coffee shop and Bridget voiced her confusion. "George. We just went by a coffee place, did you have somewhere else in mind?"
There was no point in hiding why they were going someplace out of the way. "Yeah. Chris is at another coffee shop not far from here and I thought it would be nice to see him and wish him happy new year in person."
Bridget let out a short amused laugh. "Yeah? Just how happy a new year are you going to give him?"
She was just teasing but George was definitely considering that as something that could happen. She gave Bridget a smirk. "We'll see."
"Ooh, this sounds like it could be fun." Bridget's response showed interest and a hint of excitement.
It wasn't much longer before they reached the place where Chris said he was. As they walked into the warm coffee shop Bridget sighed with delight. "This is bloody heavenly, can we stay here?"
George laughed. "Maybe. We'll have to see if Anna and Aaron reach the front of the line for the bar any time soon."
She scanned the slightly crowded seating area and spotted Chris at a table sitting across from Dave and Sarah. She nudged Bridget with her elbow and pointed out where Chris was. Bridget looked over and her eyes briefly widened with recognition.
"Oh! It's the same couple he was having lunch with that time at work."
From the smirk on Bridget's face, it wasn't just Dave and Sarah that she remembered. George smiled at her own memories of that day.
George and Bridget both ordered coffee and waited close to the counter while shooting occasional glances at Chris, Dave and Sarah. They seemed fully engaged in conversation and didn't notice George and Bridget.
Once their coffee orders were ready, George and Bridget approached Chris' table. It was Sarah who noticed them first and upon recognising George she smiled and waved, her eyes then went to Bridget and her eyebrows quirked into slight puzzlement but the smile remained. Chris and Dave turned to look their way as well. Dave's eyes widened with surprise but Chris simply smiled as if he had been expecting to see them. George was briefly irritated by his expression but as they met each other's gaze she felt a small jolt of excitement that had her grinning.
When she and Bridget were closer to the table George called out happy new year and they all returned it cheerfully. Dave and Sarah then turned their attention to Bridget with Sarah saying she almost didn't recognise her all covered up and without her work uniform.
George was about to grab another chair so she and Bridget could sit down when Dave and Sarah stood up. When George gave him a questioning look he smiled apologetically. "Sorry to leave just as you two came by but we have a get together we should have been at thirty minutes ago."
After telling Chris that they would see him again soon and saying it was good to see George and Bridget again, Dave and Sarah headed out.
George and Bridget took the seats Dave and Sarah just vacated. Chris looked at both of them. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
Bridget practically smirked which Chris noticed and had him looking at George with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. Thinking quickly for something that didn't make her sound too eager to see him, George opted for something that was mostly the truth. "We were waiting in a line outside in the cold with Anna and Aaron. When I saw where you were I thought it would be great to get a coffee and why not say hi to you at the same time."
Chris nodded. "Yeah, everywhere looked super busy out there. That's how Dave, Sarah and I ended up here."
"Since Dave and Sarah had some other place to be, what are your plans now?"
Chris shrugged. "I was thinking of finding out where some of my other friends ended up and maybe joining them. Otherwise maybe head home."
This was an opportunity for George to ask to leave with him but Bridget responded first. "Why don't you come with us when we go back to the bar. It will be us, Anna, Aaron and two of our other friends, Tim and Warren."
"Is that going to be okay with them that I join you?"
"Sure, I don't see why not."
Chris still looked a little doubtful but he nodded. "Okay then, I'm in."
Thinking of Anna waiting for them back at the line for the bar, George checked her phone but there weren't any messages from Anna. Still she knew that they had probably been away for long enough. "We should head back to Anna now."
Bridget sighed with disappointment but didn't object. "I was hoping we could stay a bit longer but at least we have something hot to drink."
When George, Bridget and Chris got to the bar they found Anna and Aaron were no longer in line. They were standing not too far away, talking with Aaron's friends.
