Page 20 of Endgame

In the restaurant reserved for family. Where are you?

In the brasserie next door for the bride and groom’s friends. It’s like a nightclub here and it’s PACKED. You’re not going to like it.

Right now I feel a little exposed. I’d be happier hiding in a crowd.

I’ll be over there shortly.

Jasper is not wrong. As I approach the entrance, the Afrobeat music gets increasingly louder. I look inside to see everyone talking excitedly, laughing, drinking, and quite a few people are dancing. I give my name to the list holder at the door, and spot Jasper waiting inside the entrance for me.

‘There you are!’ He gives me a hug, laces his fingers through mine and pulls me close to him. He helps to guide me through the jubilant crowd singing at the tops of their voices to the music. The atmosphere makes it impossible not to feel happy. We weave through until we reach a circle of couches around a large table with ‘VIP’ branded in the middle. Sophia and some of our old friends are sitting there, chatting away.

‘Hello,’ I say, and Jasper asks everyone to move up to create a space for me.

‘Aari,’ almost everyone responds cheerfully as they quickly shift up.

‘What are you drinking?’ Jasper asks me, grabbing the tablet.

‘I’ll have a clementine martini,’ Sophia requests loudly.

Jasper pauses to give her a look I don’t quite understand.

‘Are you sure?’ he asks.

‘Yes,’ Sophia responds defiantly.

‘Okay,’ Jasper agrees quietly. ‘Ariella?’

‘That sounds delicious, Sophia.’ I smile at her. She doesn’t smile back. ‘Please can I have one too?’

‘Okay, anybody else?’ Jasper places a few more orders for our friends on the couch.

‘How are you, Sophia?’ I ask, trying to break the odd tension that seems to have developed between us in the last few seconds.

‘Fine,’ is all I get. She doesn’t even look at me. Instead she stares at Jasper.

Just when I am about to try again, she speaks, keeping her eyes on Jasper.

‘Ariella, where is Caleb?’

‘Oh yes. He told me that you got along at the engagement party. I’m not sure if he is coming tonight. I can check?’

I pull my phone out and text Caleb to see if he is coming.

‘You don’t know whether or not your boyfriend is coming?’ She finally looks at me.

‘Fi—’ Jasper starts.

‘I’m not speaking with you, Jasper,’ she responds coldly. Uh-oh.

‘Come on, Sophia.’ Franco, our childhood friend, puts his hand on her arm. ‘How is Singapore, Aari?’ he asks me, trying to release some tension. Sophia turns to face him.

‘Why ask her when you can ask Jasper? He’s been there often enough.’

‘I—’ Just then the drinks arrive and Jasper distributes them, safely starting with Sophia’s.

‘Clementine martini for you, Fi?—’

‘Excuse me!’

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