36

                                    

                                          
36
Erisa sat across from Celeste and her glare could freeze the core of the Earth. It wasn't in her nature to disguise how she felt about people. If she loved someone, she showed them and let them know at every opportunity. If she didn't like someone, she would not hide it and she did not like Celeste.
Sat between them both, River felt like a referee in a staring contest, only if the referee were uncomfortable with intense silences to the point where her stomach grumbled at the animosity that flared and sparked between the contestants. River loved Erisa and she had a fair idea that she loved Celeste. She needed them both to, at the very least, pretend some level of civility.
With fingernails, painted a bright, vibrant red, tapping upon the table, Celeste gave Erisa as good as she got and neither seemed ready to retire from the contest of wills. River felt small and vulnerable between the two combatants, but she had to break the tension, somehow. In the background, Antoine walked upon eggshells, flickering looks at all three of the women around the table.
"Right! That's enough! What are you? Men? Flopping your bits and pieces on the table and grabbing for the extendable tape measure?" River sat straight in her chair, shifting from the slump she had slid into. "Mine's the biggest! No! Mine! Mine's as big as the Eiffel Tower! Well, mine's bigger than the known universe! Just stop! Stop it right now or we'll never get anywhere."
The two formidable women powered down their reactors that could have kept the entirety of the country lit for the rest of eternity and turned their gazes towards River. And those expressions changed in an instant. From stone-faced, uncompromising features, to soft, pleasant smiles, filled with compassion and affection. That felt even more intimidating that people could look at River that way.
"I'm sorry. I just ... that doesn't matter." The flick of the eyes towards Celeste could have killed from twenty paces and River shivered at the instantaneous change in Erisa's expression, that changed back as fast as she looked back to River. "So, you say you're not allowing the shop to become a franchise? That's good. I'm glad. I didn't want it to be an ultimatum, but ..."
"But it was." Celeste's lips curled into a cruel, thin smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Such a good friend."
"No. No! Stop it!" A hand slammed upon the table and River realised it was hers. The skin on her palm stung from the impact and she tried to shake away the pain. "I swear, if you both don't stop making digs at each other, I'll throw you both out again. Now, we're all here for a reason. I've been thinking ..."
The shadow of Antoine fell across the table as he sidled beside it, tray in his hands. He replaced the, now cold, teapot, removed their empty cups and placed a fresh, steaming pot of tea and three clean cups and saucers in front of the three women. He looked nervous and River understood that exact feeling.
Once finished, Antoine sidled away, trying not to make any rash movements, lest he fall under the ire of Erisa or Celeste. The tray shook in his hands, cups and saucers and teapot clinking together until he managed to reach the counter. River waited until he moved behind the counter himself, to begin washing up the crockery.
For once, 'Leaves' wasn't busy, but River had chosen this day for that very reason. Shops closed for the afternoon, people tended not to stop by for tea and, thankfully, the weather had turned for the worse. A perfect opportunity for them all to talk without fear of disturbance. Unless Antoine regressed to his earlier, clumsy method of carrying pots. Satisfied, River turned back to Celeste and Erisa, who both looked anywhere but at each other.
"I've been thinking ..." She repeated her last words, enunciating them to give the impression of the import of her decision. "I don't want Celeste's hard work to go to waste. She has, you have, put a lot of effort into the idea of making a franchise from 'Leaves' and that effort shouldn't simply be deleted and forgotten. So, I've been thinking. Which I've already said three times now. I'm so bad at this ... this talking seriously stuff. Sorry."