A Golden Cascade
I carried the patisserie boxes up the glass elevator to the rooftop pergola, where the afternoon sun was catching every angle of the hanging prism. The dining table looked radiant, yet the beverage station on the gilded bar cart needed its final polish. Two fluted acrylic glasses were sitting askew beside the crystal decanter. Taking a steady moment to balance the presentation, I gathered the flutes and aligned them in a clean crescent around the gold-trimmed chiller. With a measured twist of the stopper, I poured a sparkling stream of amber cider, garnishing each rim with a tiny gilded citrus swirl. The entire spread was finally in flawless harmony.

