8:25 p.m., by the food table - Alice & Isobel
Hand in hand -- with fresh drinks in their free ones -- Rafael and Alice made their way closer to the table overladen with food. Rafael set his drink down on a nearby booth's table, then set to work adding small samples of everything onto a plate. He smiled to Isobel, waving her over as he placed a shepherd's pie in the center of the plate. She had been mingling well, or seeming to, for the better part of the evening, but he felt he had earned a bit of time with his friend. She deserved a status report on the fish she had given him, after all. Between the liquor and the company Rafael had completely forgotten the fading bruises around his throat. He even whistled a jaunty tune as he placed a kebab on the side of his plate.