Christian wore a perfectly modern, perfectly acceptable suit and white silk tie, complete with tie pin and gleaming silver cuffs. His father would have approved. He'd been hard taxed to pick a gift worthy of the celebration, having little knowledge of either bride or groom -- but he'd settled on an arrangement of roses: a mixture of blood red and pure white around a single black rose. Clippings would produce rose bushes, should the happy couple prefer to add the roses to their landscaping -- but for now, a bleeding rose arrangement sufficed, settled in a crystal vase. Vahhze, not vayse. This vahhze was skillfully cut with facets that gleamed in the light.
And from the writer, he also gave a more personal note - a set of lyrics with their own melody line, celebrating such things as impossible love that bloomed despite the obstacles of what others termed 'normal'. Christian knew a little something about that. Christian, ever the romantic, wished the two the best.
But his attention hadn't been on the gift in the taxi over, and it wasn't on the great looming castle as they stepped out of the cab. It surely must be the hair. Satine (and ah, ah, it was hard to think of her name, still) had often worn her hair in a similar style. He kept sneaking glances at Fred when she wasn't paying attention. And it was puzzling; he was truly puzzled. When did she end up attractive to him? Christian was sure she'd been simple and plain -- or at least, he hadn't noticed or recognized her as beautiful until this night. Was it true that he was so gone with love for Satine that he'd been blind to the quiet loveliness under his nose?
It has to be the hair, he thought to himself as she hailed her friend. Ah, yes, Jo. Christian finally looked over and spotted the lady. With a half bow, still keeping Fred's hand in the crook of his arm, he smiled his greeting. He would have offered his other arm to her, except that he was holding the vaahze with that hand, and it was difficult going, balancing Fred on one arm and vaahze with the other side of himself.