By eleven Cal had two jobs, and they were on opposite sides of the room.
C held the wide picture across the dance floor toward the service doors. Juno put her bag beside the work table, where both drives and the used-card wallet waited, and took B out to the couple. Cal checked the door he would use to take Gideon upstairs. A waiter had left an empty cart across it. He moved it into the passage and came back for the dance.
The bandleader finally got the planner's attention. Guests were persuaded away from the floor, taking chairs and bags with them. Adrian stood beside Lena, rubbing his right hand against his trousers before taking hers.
Cal raised A. He had her face over Adrian's shoulder when Gideon spoke beside him.
“Is he ready?”
“After this.”
“He said after. It's been after for quite a while.”
Cal lowered the camera. “Stay here.”
Gideon looked toward the couple. “I can see her from here.”
“I know.”
Cal put himself between the man and the dance floor. Juno had the close picture now. He couldn't cross behind Adrian without leaving Gideon a clear path. He stood where he was, camera at his hip, while the first bars began.
Adrian counted under his breath. Lena heard him, smiled, shook her head. He stopped counting and immediately lost the step.
“Keep going,” she said.
She drew him forward with the hand on his shoulder. He went with her, and for the next few bars it was something they did together instead of something he tried to get right. Cal lifted A long enough to catch the end of it, then Gideon moved and he had to lower the lens again.
“I want a drink,” the man said.
“The bar's there.”
“Thank you.”
He walked past Cal to it. Cal turned A off and watched him settle an elbow on the counter. He could ask the bartender to make him wait; he didn't. He checked the service door. A server was coming through with a rack of glasses. Cal held it open and waited until the rack had cleared the turn.
Behind him the guests began clapping before the song had ended. He looked back in time to see Lena hold the back of Adrian's head, fingers flattening his hair. They were no longer taking steps. Juno moved around them, keeping the two faces together in her frame.
The bandleader waved the guests forward. The floor filled. Cal stayed near the bar, his main camera off, watching the space between Gideon and the door.
Adrian came through the dancers. “You got it?”
“Juno did.”
Adrian looked back toward her and the camera, then toward Lena among the guests. A tired smile stayed on his face for a moment. When he turned to the bar, it went away.
“Now,” he said.
Cal put A into the open shoulder bag and called Juno over.