The night was not young any longer, people had begun to leave, others shared numbers and contact information to keep in touch after reuniting, while the rest continued to drink and bop their heads to the music.
The marble floors of the Golden Hay Hotel's ballroom gleamed under the chandeliers as the evening began to thin.
Most of the reunion's guests were either deep in conversation or winding down toward the bar, their laughter and chatter fading into a dull background hum.
Darren looked at all of this. He didn't have any reason to be here anymore. He'd met everyone he thought was important, and any one else he would have liked to continue a conversation with had already left.
With a quiet exhale of finality, he adjusted his cufflinks and headed to the door, ready to exit the lounge and call it a night.
As he moved, each time he passed a crowd, conversation stopped and eyes moved in his direction.
"Darren is leaving."
"Seriously though, when did he become like this?"
