Chapter 31: What The Fuck?
The food arrived, clinking plates and wafting steam, the waiter setting down dishes with a practiced flourish—spicy shrimp pasta for me and Aeri, some fancy steak for Daniel, and a towering salad Sara insisted on picking apart loudly.
We dug in together, the table alive with the noise of forks and the hum of chatter, the hotel restaurant's upscale vibe clashing with Sara's occasional outbursts.
"This dressing's too tangy!" she'd said, while Daniel just chewed his steak slow and quiet, the complete opposite—calm, steady, like he was used to tuning her out.
He glanced my way between bites, wiping his mouth with a napkin before leaning in a bit. "So, Ezra, how's work going for you?" he asked, his tone genuine.
I twirled some pasta on my fork, shrugging easy. "Designing's good—keeps me busy. Clients are coming in steady, so the pay's good , so no complaints there," I said, popping the bite in my mouth. The shrimp had a kick, just like Aeri'd wanted, and I shot her a quick grin as I chewed.
Sara perked up, of course, never one to miss a chance to poke. "Oh, really? Earning *enough*, though? Gotta keep up with Aeri's tastes—she's fancy now," she said, smirking over her salad.
I ignored her, focusing on my plate, spearing another shrimp like it was the only thing that mattered. Her jabs were background noise by now—white noise I could filter out.
Aeri giggled beside me, her laugh soft and warm as she watched us spar. "You two never stop," she said under her breath.
Daniel cleared his throat, steering the talk elsewhere. "So, about the wedding..." he started, setting his knife down, his voice cutting through Sara's next quip. "Sara's been going on about the speeches—says she wants Aeri to give the big one, you know, as her best friend."
Sara clapped her hands, lettuce forgotten, her eyes lighting up. "Yes! Aeri, you have to do it—I mean, who else knows me like you do? It's gotta be epic, tear-jerking, the works!" She leaned across the table, nearly knocking over her wine, her enthusiasm spilling everywhere.
Aeri froze mid-bite, her fork hovering, her cheeks flushing as she shook her head quick. "No, no, I can't—I'm not good at that stuff," she said, her voice shy, shrinking back a little. "I'd mess it up, Sara—someone else should do it." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her white necklace glinting as she ducked her head.