"Derek, are you okay?" Celestine touched her nephew's shoulder, studying his face with concern. "Hmm?"
Derek forced a smile and nodded.
But Celestine knew he was barely holding it together. Still, she didn't press further; she knew that anything she said wouldn't change what had already happened.
"Try to enjoy tonight's event," she said softly. "There are a lot of people you can meet here. Try to talk to them — who knows?"
She patted his shoulder and gave Justin a knowing look. "I'll go ahead and greet some familiar faces. Don't sulk in the corner."
"Don't worry, Auntie. Sulking in the corner isn't our thing."
"I'll see you both later, then."
As Celestine walked away, Justin turned to Derek.
"Derek, do you see what I see?"
"Huh?"
Justin grinned and jerked his chin toward the crowd. "Isn't that one of the hottest models right now? She's probably not even modeling tonight — but wow, those legs."
