Chapter 0215
Abby
“What’s going on?” I ask Karl as we approach the restaurant, checking my watch. The lights are off and
it’s an hour before closing. “Why is it so dark?”
“Um, actually, I wanted to tell you earlier but I figured you’d rather see it firsthand,” Karl says, looking a
little embarrassed. “So, the power went out…”
My eyes widen. “You’re joking. Seriously?”
Karl nods. “Yeah. We closed the restaurant early. The electricpany said it’s a power grid issue.”
Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.
I sigh and pass my hand over my face. “Geez. Alright… It’s fine, I guess. Where is everyone? I thought
you said there was a surprise.”
Nodding again, Karl gestures for me to follow. We open the front door and walk in. “They’re in the
back,” he says, clearing his throat. “Just lit some candles and ordered some pizza…”
Suddenly, the lights flick on. My eyes haven’t even adjusted to the sudden brightness when the room
erupts into cheer, and I quickly realize that this entire spiel about the electricpany waspletely
made up.
“Surprise!” My friends shout in chorus, their faces lit up in glee. A banner hangs above the bar, reading
‘Good Luck, Abby!’
I’m speechless, my eyes scanning over each one of their excited faces. The grins that they shoot back
at me erase any annoyance over the fake electric outage or the fact that they clearly closed the
restaurant early for this.
“You guys did this for me?”
“Of course!” Anton exims, emerging from the kitchen, a chef’s towel slung over his shoulder and a
tray of delectable hors d''oeuvres bncing on his hand. “It’s your big day tomorrow! How could we not
celebrate you?”
I feel tears prickling my eyes, but I blink them back. “Thank you, all of you. This means the world to
me.”
Soon enough, drinks are handed out and music begins to y. Hor d’oeuvres are served, candles are
lit, and the air bes filled with the scent of good food and the sound ofughter. I’m sitting at one of
the tables, a wine ss in front of me,ughing at Ethan and Daisy as they argue over who gets the
Just then, Anton sets a dish in front of me. My eyes widen as I recognize the aroma—truffles. “Anton, is
this…?”
He grins. “Indeed. Farro mafaldine…”
“With ck truffle butter,” I say with a giddy smile. I take a bite, the explosion of vors hitting my
tongue and practically sending me to heaven. “This is divine,” I murmur. “You’ve outdone yourself as
always, Anton.”
The night carries on for a while longer. All at once, it’s going too slow and too fast. It’s hard to believe
the cook-off is tomorrow; right now, this moment feels like that’s all that exists. Just us, this restaurant,
good food, and goodpany.
Eventually, I find myself leaning over the bar while Chloe meticulously crafts three cocktails. The others
are ying an animated game of cards at one of the tables behind us. Leah is perched on a barstool
beside me, and we’ve stolen Chloe’s phone to scroll through her Tinder matches.
“Ooh, he’s cute,” Leah says, holding the phone out to show a picture of a muscr guy with a football
jersey on.
I make a face. “Ew. Football guys.
“Yeah,” Chloe adds, putting the finishing touches on the cocktails. “He was weird, too. Wouldn’t stop
talking about how he likes when girls wear a jersey and nothing else. I was like, ‘and hide my figure?
Um, I don’t think so, pal.’”
Leah and I bothugh. When the cocktails are finished, Chloe distributes them.
“How about a toast?” Chloe suggests, holding her ss up.
“Absolutely,” Leah chimes in, her face already glowing from a few drinks.
“To friendship,” I propose, lifting my ss, “and to sticking together, no matter what challengese
our way. Salut!”
“Salut,” they both echo, clinking their sses against mine.
The liquid is as smooth as it pours down my throat, and burns in all the right ways. I’m trying not to
drink too much tonight, but I definitely needed a little something after all of the tense moments earlier
today.