Dinner is Served...

Francois headed up the line of waiters. Noses in the air, backs (and upper lips) stiff, they were all lined up according to height, save for the average Francois, who lead the team. Each was dressed in a black tux with tails; each carried a large platter of sumptuous appetizers.

The orchestra finished their song with a flourish and that was their signal to move out. With a little fanfare from the french horn, the twelve waiters stepped out in perfect precision, in a single-file line until they reached the middle of the dance floor. As one they turned, every other man facing the opposite direction.

Graceful as dancers, Francois noted with pride, they split apart, bowed, and then headed off to their assigned tables. Francois himself headed to his own table, trying not to worry about his ducklings, as he liked to think of them. They were all quite good at what they did; the menus had been memorized and rehearsed, and they were all well prepared.

Now, if only Bill would stop being so nervous... and if only they would all stop calling him Frank.

He hadn't practiced his uppity French laugh for nothing, after all.

Mayor C. John Apollo, having appeased both his publicist and his therapist, climbed the raised stage where the orchestra sat at the far end of the ballroom. Raising his hands, he approached the mic as the small orchestra cut off their song, and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for coming tonight. Your generous donations, as you know, will be going to benefit the Randall Heart Foundation. Here tonight is Dr. William Hetterley, chairman of the board of the Nachton Hospital, and to keep it short and sweet I will turn the stand over to him, to let him tell you a bit about where your contributions will be spent, and the steps the foundation is taking with their research and equipment upgrades."Â?

With that, Mayor Apollo gave over the stand to Dr. Hetterley and crossed the ballroom, to the head table at the other end of the room just off the foyer, where he sat and dug in with gusto to the tray of appetizers.