Portraits of a party

Locked under the flash-and-snap they pose, pull dance moves, cover faces and run away. Some vamp and vogue while others shake hands wildly, wide eyes shouting: no photos, please.

“Don’t take a picture of me smoking! I don’t smoke!” she begs after asking for a lighter. The it-girls know the drill, saunter at a distance. The host floats, the boy smokes, keeps best friend at bay.

Critics and creators converse together, buy beers and watch the patrons. The kitchen clutters, bathroom booms, a local drinks from the carton. We down more beer, shake between a dance and a loiter.

Our bottles empty, the crowd thins, cab home and start to edit.