Running With Lions

"Everyone," Lavin addressed the crowded pub, microphone in one hand and a large glass of beer in the other. "Everyone, listen!"

Her head felt light and her tongue loose. She took a mighty gulp from the glass as she waited for everyone's attention.

It was nearing midnight.

She could see that her younger brother Ben and cousin Peter were making their way to the stage with Peter's sister locked between them. She was struggling, not wanting the attention.

Finally when Genevieve was on stage, silently begging to be let go, Lavin brought the mike to her mouth again:

"I want all of you to raise your glasses to the ceiling," She was the first one to thrust hers into the air, "for Gen's twenty-second birthday!"

About a hundred arms shot up and together they happily yelled, "CHEERS!"

There was a cacophony of clinking glasses, bottles and mugs before a silence fell over the pub while everyone took long drags of the liquid in their cups.

"Also," Lavin continued, " Happy le quatorze juillet!"

After another round of celebration and another long drink, Lavin placed the microphone back on its stand and swung her arm around Genevieve. The music started up shortly after.

"Was that necessary?" Gen asked, smiling despite herself.

Lavin kissed Gen on the cheek. "Of course it was, dear cousin. Lets get you a drink."

They made their way off the stage and found themselves in front of the bar. Lavin stuck one finger in the air and a beer appeared in front of them. Genevieve took it eagerly.

"This must be my sixth one," she commented, stifling a giggle.

"Only your sixth?" Ben laughed from behind Lavin and Gen. "I must be on my eleventh already." He leaned over the bar and waited for another beer.

"Oh stuff it, Ben," Lavin said, "You'd be flat on your ass if you were."

Ben shrugged, fresh beer in hand. "Fine, don't believe me."

He was about to leave before he turned back to Lavin and Gen. "If you need me I'll be chattin' with Will and Kate."

"Righto," they both replied watching him disappear into the crowd.

"What if any paparazzi sees us off our faces?" Genevieve wondered aloud, looking at Lavin like they were committing the worst crime.

Lavin sighed, but kept the wide grin on her face. "Like we've been telling you all day, your brother has got it covered. We rented the whole pub out and we have men stationed around the whole block. Not one picture of us is going to make newsstands."

If Lavin thought about it she wasn't even sure that the Danish, French or English press knew the Royal Family of Denmark and England were in Paris.

Genevieve seemed to think about it for a moment before her eyes seemed to have caught onto something. Lavin assumed Gen was too drunk to actually really care about her picture appearing in the paper.

"Look." Gen pointed off to her right.

Lavin turned and saw Harry sitting at a table with his girlfriend Caroline DeLarge. She stared for a while before remembering that Gen was still pointing and she instantly grabbed her finger and pushed it out of sight.

"Pointing isn't polite," Lavin whispered harshly.

Genevieve snorted. "Neither is making out with that low life in public."

Lavin looked back and as Gen had said Harry and Caroline were lip-locked. She balked and turned her attention away.

"Lets go have fun," Lavin said, taking Gen's hand and walking them into the middle of the dance floor.

Lavin spent the next two hours dancing, chatting with old mates, meeting Gen's friends and joking with Ben, Peter, Will and Kate. Only once did she bump into Harry barely managing to talk to him for a few minutes before Caroline pulled him away.

"Is it almost two yet?" Kate asked, grabbing Will's arm to check his watch. "I'm so excited for the fireworks."

Lavin nodded excitedly. "What's the time?"

"Fifteen to two," Kate said, dropping Will's arm.

Ben set down the empty glass he was holding. "I'll make one more trip to the loo and grab the champagne bottles on my way back. Round everyone up, will ya, Lav?"

Lavin searched for a few minutes for Gen and Peter but eventually found them both laughing themselves blue with a couple of Peter's friends.

Now she just had to find Harry.

Of course, he wasn't hard to find since he and Caroline hadn't moved all night.

She approached the table, the table almost as tall as her.

Caroline's hazel eyes squinted at her, drunk and feral. Caroline and Lavin were never able to see eye-to-eye.

"Hey, just want you to know that we're leaving in ten minutes to go watch the fireworks by the Tower," Lavin said, keeping what she thought was a regal smile on her lips.

"Sounds fun," Harry said, then turned to Caroline. "Wanna go?"

Lavin watched Caroline's face carefully; she knew what Caroline was thinking. If Harry and her stayed behind they would be able to sneak of somewhere, no longer having to be in the same place as Lavin.

Lavin spoke quickly. "We're bringing champagne. A bottle per person." She saw that Harry's face had lit up with the prospect of more alcohol.

"The fireworks are for France's national holiday, not Gen's birthday," Caroline commented brazenly.

Lavin recoiled that Caroline had used Gen's nickname before shrugging. "Well, if you don't want to come that's all right too."

"COME ON, LAV!" Ben shouted over the tops of people's heads, with two champagne bottles wrapped in brown paper bags held high over his head. "WE'RE JUST GONNA MAKE IT!"

Lavin waved to Harry and Caroline, although she was sure it had gone unnoticed.

Lavin had her arm wrapped through Gen's as she led the rest of her family and friends down the sidewalk, the pub only a street away from the iconic Eiffel Tower.

After only several meters the buildings were left behind and trees and low-growing shrubs lined the walkway and the giant tower was lit up like a wonderful iron Christmas tree.

Once they found an empty spot in the middle of a field that was teeming with other people who were there to celebrate their country's national holiday, Peter was the first one to pop the cork on his bottle of champagne.

William was next accompanied by an cheerful exclamation from Kate as she opened hers; Ben struggled before he managed to rip the cork out with his teeth; Gen had given hers to Peter while Lavin wiggled and pulled, her cheeks turning red.

She couldn't understand how the rest of them had managed to do it. Her fingers felt limp and her arms felt like they had no muscle at all. Blaming it on the beer, Lavin turned to ask Ben for help.

"Trouble?"

Lavin looked up, seeing Harry approaching. He took the bottle from her and flipped the cork off with, what Lavin thought, a simple flick of his thumb.

"WHOA!" Lavin exclaimed when champagne spouted high in the bottle from the bottle.

She exchanged bottles again. "Thanks, Harry."

"Anytime," he said.

Lavin took a long swig of the champagne. It tasted fruity, of pears and almonds. The fizz crackled over her tongue and when she looked at Harry again, thinking Caroline hadn't come, she was there by his side sharing a bottle of champagne with him.

The piercing sound of a whistle sounded distracted her, and Lavin watched a tail of white light shoot into the sky. It exploded into a giant golden firework that sparkled and crackled as it fell back to earth.

Then a fountain of fireworks were triggered. White, blue and red: the colors of France.

Lavin felt a heavy arm fall lethargically over her shoulders. She bit her bottom lip as she smiled, trying to contain her laughter when she saw how Ben looked. His eyes were glazed over and a lopsided grin was displayed on his face with a fag hanging haphazardly from them.

It wasn't lit though. Lavin suspected he couldn't find his lighter or had handed it over to someone in the bar.

"Feeling good, Benny?" she said, wrapping her arm around his back as she leaned into him. She felt like a bad sister and a bad influence with her younger brother, Prince of Denmark drinking so heavily beside her but at that moment she didn't care.

She was in a beautiful city with her friends and family celebrating Gen's birthday, all of them belligerent and happy.