Jo was drinking her black coffee as she sat down at the dining room table. She looked at the nine familiar faces of the people she had spent so much time with in the past. She had known a few of them since kindergarten.
They all had drank way too much last night; surely she wasn’t the only one with a terrible hangover. She felt awful and had a nagging headache; she hadn’t felt this way since graduation. Looking at them, she could tell that they felt the same way she did.
"Guys, this is so embarrassing!" Her voice was still hoarse from all the singing and laughing from last night. "We were in this exact same situation eleven years ago." Jo said quietly as she looked at their very tired faces.
Everyone was silent as they waited to hear what Jo had to say. They expected that she would bluntly summarize their drunken activities from last night.
"We all have bad hangovers and we don't really remember much of what happened last night. We did the same thing when we graduated from college, and that happens to be the last time we all got together."
She didn't want to be too critical of her friends’ actions, so she decided to say nothing more. ‘I understand, everyone has a moment of weakness, but yesterday we all blew it.’ She realized. Seeing that the rest were not willing to discuss that matter any further, she pulled out her phone and began browsing unawarely.
Suddenly, she saw a video from the previous night posted on their web chat. She took a few deep breaths, almost choked on her own saliva and abruptly coughed to clear her throat.
"Thomas, if I don't kill you in the very near future, it will be a miracle!" She said looking straight into his tired eyes. He couldn't understand why she would say that.
"Jo, what are you talking about?" He asked after a moment of reflection. He had a very puzzled look plastered on his face.
"Delete the damn video if you want to live!!!" She tried to keep calm, but the anger was overwhelming. “You are ruining our reputation!!!"
"What video?" He asked while crossing his arms and leaned back in his chair playing with his cup in his hands.
It really seemed like Thomas did not know what she was talking about.
‘I don’t believe in your stoic calm. Great game!’ She complimented in her mind while cursing him at the same time. ‘You will be exposed very soon!’
"One more second and I will kill you!" Jo shouted, unable to control her emotions anymore. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to calm herself down.
Thomas was silent as he shook his head slowly in confusion. Another friend approached him from the side.
Monica sat next to him and placed her cup of coffee on the table. She sighed as she took out her cell phone. A moment later, she opened the video and put her phone in front of Thomas so he could see for himself.
"Oh shit!" Thomas choked and spewed coffee from his mouth as he watched it. "Guys, you made a bet! Haha... I can't believe you did it!" He looked straight into Matthew's eyes who was sitting across from him. Thomas was laughing hysterically as he looked at the proof in front of him.
"What bet?" Mathew asked quietly. He didn't really know what they were talking about. He also had a headache and couldn't think very clearly. "Could you all quiet down, please?"
Thomas passed the phone to him without saying a word. Matthew watched the video and woke up immediately. His rage grew rapidly by the second.
Seething with anger. "That's not funny at all! Delete it!"
"Why?" Thomas looked at Matthew innocently.
"Are you trying to get your teeth knocked out?" Matthew asked him.
Thomas laughed. “Are you threatening me?”
They both had black belts in martial arts and were very good. They used to fight a lot in the past, so it was nothing new.
"I will seriously fuck you up!" Matthew announced as a matter of fact, but Thomas didn’t react as his face was still expressionless, so he continued. "Do you need a long vacation in the hospital?"
"Haha… I am not afraid of you! What's done is done! A bet is a bet and there’s nothing you can do about it now!" Thomas scoffed at the judgmental look on Matthews’ face.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence around the table. Nobody wanted to say anything about what they had just witnessed.
Everyone was confused. The two men looked as if they would fight any second. They were standing at opposite ends of the table, staring each other down in anger. They looked like two enraged lions about to pounce at each other.
Jo saw them fight many times in the past. They could go on forever, but this was not the time or place for that.
"Shut up and sit down! Both of you!" She stood up with both hands on the table in front of her. She tried to come up with a solution before something bad happened.
"Actually, I like the bet!" She said without thinking. "I’m in! I have been so bored lately, so I don't mind having a little fun for once. Maybe I will have the urge to write another novel. It’s been so long since I had one published." ‘Damn! What nonsense I am talking about!’ She scolded herself.
Again there was a long, uncomfortable silence around the table.
"Jo, you can't! I am not going to play this stupid game, you know I don’t gamble." Finally, Matthew recovered from his shock. "We are adults, and we should act like it. We have work and separate lives to manage. Who has time for childish bets?"
“Is Mr. Perfect afraid he won’t find Ms. Perfect?" Thomas asked him mockingly. He still had hard feelings toward him. Matthew had dated his sister for a while in the past, but she wasn’t good enough for Mr. Perfect. He also had his heart broken by Jo, apparently he wasn’t good enough for her. He was fed up with these two perfect people.
"Thomas, shut up!" Jo shouted firmly.
He was offended by her tone. ‘How could she yell at him like that?’
"Chill out Ms. Perfect!" Thomas taunted. He knew this would upset her even more.
"Seriously, just shut up already!" Jo had enough of his sarcasm. "Are you really trying to lose a few teeth?"
Jo knew Matthew for a long time; they talked almost every day. He recently told her that he was closing one of the most serious lawsuits in his career, so work was very important to him right now. She also had a lot of things to take care of, but she really wanted to let loose for a little while and stop trying so hard to be perfect.
"I am definitely in, but ..." Jo hesitated for a moment. "I have one condition. If we continue the bet, Thomas will have to volunteer in a foster home for a year." She knew that him and his wife couldn't bear children. His wife was very depressed about it, and adoption was out of the question because his family was very conservative.
Thomas was furious when he heard Jo’s proposition. He knew exactly what she was trying to pull.
"Forget it! I am not going to spend my precious time in a foster home. You didn’t say anything about it last night!" Thomas was pissed. He knew that working with orphans was going to be extremely difficult. He preferred his wealthy clients with problems like insomnia, depression, or other minor issues.
"Of course not! Because all of us were drunk." Matthew knew what Jo was trying to do. Jo had always been clever and scheming. He loved her sneaky way of roping Thomas into this. "If you agree, I’m in!" he added.
"Son of a bitch!" Thomas was angry.
"You said a bet is a bet." Jo couldn't refrain from laughing. "Are you in or not?" she said sarcastically.
Everybody at the table was staring at him in anticipation.
"I’m in." Thomas sighed in defeat. He couldn’t believe that his friends had managed to drag him into this.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon from a long weekend having Monday off. Jo flew back home the next day on the latest evening flight. She had plenty of time to relax. Matthew had invited her for dinner and to see his new place. Since it was a housewarming party of sorts, she bought a lovely white orchid in a pot and a bottle of Chardonnay. When she arrived at the modern apartment building, she knew that Matt had been cooking; the smell of roasted turkey and grilled seafood filled the air. 'Roast Turkey was her favorite meat. There was also a delicate smell of grilled seafood. ‘What could that be?’ She wasn't crazy about crabs and prawns. ‘Did he forget about it?’ She knocked once before Matthew opened the door and they both laughed looking at each other. They both were wearing the same outfit. A tight white linen shirt and khaki denim pants. Even their leather belts and shoes were almost the same shade of tan. "Hi, beautiful!" He beamed. "Hello, han
The living room felt welcoming with an open floor plan, allowing natural light to fill the room; very simple and elegant. The wall on the right only had white bookshelves and an enormous TV screen in the center while huge balcony windows covered the front wall. The living area, in all, consisted of only two big white sofas and two armchairs around a wooden coffee table.The dining area was very simple and was at the far left side of the living room. Large balcony windows covered the wall, allowing the room to fill with warm light. Along the windows stood a long wooden table with six wooden chairs and a modern wooden chest of drawers.As she moved closer, she saw that the table looked very elegant and was set for dinner. There were only two light grey table mats with white plates, silver cutlery and glasses prepared, so she knew that only the two of them would dine there tonight. A lovely glass vase with fresh white roses stood in the center of the table, providin
When Jo and Matthew finished their dinner, they moved to the living room. Jo was in awe with the simplicity, elegance and comfort of that room."What would you like to listen to?" Matthew asked as he entered with a pitcher of water and two glasses."Let me think…"For Jo, the reunion with her friends was a trip to the past. She thought about the time they had spent together, studying for their exams. Each of them were learning completely different subjects, and they couldn't help each other. It was their way of spending time together while doing their schoolwork.She also thought about their trips and the places they would visit together. She remembered how they would take Matthew's parents' car in turns to watch the sunrise in the Alps. They would have to take turns using the car so they would arrive in time."A penny for your thoughts?""I'm remembering our crazy weekend trips, watching the sunrise in the mountains and the sunset by
She woke up with not only a headache, but also a stomach ache. All her muscles were sore."Again… I won’t drink anymore…" She thought.Judging by the sunlight falling into the room, it was not early. She was in a king sized bed adorned with white sheets. Everything around her was white or light grey which gave a sterile feeling but she liked it. She got up very slowly trying not to move her head too much. When she made it to the bed, she was surprised to see a large framed photo hung on the wall above the bed with a magnificent view of the sunset. She took it when their crazy team was together, the same evening she took a photo of Matt training with the wooden sword on the beach…She opened all the blinds and the windows, and felt a pleasant breeze. There was a faint scent of linden, rose and lavender outside. After a few deep breaths, she felt better. The familiar rumble of her stomach demanding food roused her from her lethargy. She
A knock on the door broke her train of thoughts. She felt sick inside as her head would explode any moment. Her stomach hurt badly. She still wanted to throw up, but she had nothing left in her stomach to do so. She mentally promised herself that she would never drink alcohol again. Not that she drank it, but occasionally she had a glass of white or red wine with dinner, sometimes a glass of excellent cognac. In fact, she also couldn't think of her favourite pancakes, macarons, or any food in general. She loved good food so much. This was not her at all... It was supposed to be a reset from her perfectionism, but it turned out to be a dud."Jo, are you ok? You've been in there half an hour now." She heard Matthews' upset voice call out to her from outside."Yeah… I'm fine…""It doesn't sound like that. Can I come in?" He asked, but came in without waiting for an answer. He was afraid that something bad might have happened to her again.She w
"Where?" Matthew and Mike enquired together. They looked at her as if she was about to give them a shock any second."Where do you want to go?" Mike asked her again, this time in a friendlier tone.She saw that characteristic twinkle in their eyes.‘What is wrong with you guys?’ She thought. ‘I am only a woman, weak and vulnerable at the moment. Not that I can't break your necks. You have taken care of it and I was a very diligent student in this matter, but not in that state. It's hard to concentrate, let alone any physical exertion…’Matthew pressed her shoulders against the sofa and he wasn’t gentle compared to when Mike was holding her hand with the drip. Both of them knew that she could be unpredictable. If they pissed her off, they could easily have black eyes. They couldn't afford it. Both of them had to go to work."Baby, think of your magnificent body. I'm sure you don't want to have more bruises.
The white kitchen table was perfectly set for three people. Every detail looked polished to excellence. Jo loved the contrast between the table: grey placemats under white plates and bright grey napkins accompanying them. In the middle, it was like a full-fledged feast had been arranged with all kinds of stuff like salmon, potatoes, green asparagus and spinach."Wild Atlantic salmon and organic vegetables. All steamed. No fat. No oil. No salt." Matthew informed. "Jo, try something. The food is light. I also have some steamed whole grain rice, if you prefer some.""Where is my favourite white wine?" She asked looking around the table."Nooo… She looks like a ghost from a dark horror movie and still asks about Chardonnay!" Mike was really frustrated."Why Chardonnay? It doesn't go nicely with this meal! I was thinking more like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling, something more suitable for fish. And who said that I will drink it?" As Jo was speaking, she s
The rays of the summer sun streamed into the bedroom through the open window blinds. Jo woke up just before 6.00 am as she felt some warm light on her face. It was an amazing feeling to wake up without the after-effects of a great night with alcohol: a pounding headache, but most importantly, no burning sensation or stomach discomfort and nausea. She felt refreshed. "No more parties! No more alcohol! No more madness!" She decided.She could already hear some noise in the apartment which, she was certain, was coming from the kitchen. She heard the clinking of cutlery and dishes; she could feel the delicate aroma of freshly brewed coffee tingling her nose.Matthew didn't drink it in the morning so probably Mike was already here. She didn't want to see him. That wasn't a secret. So why was he here so early in the morning?Jo didn't feel sorry for him regarding what had happened years ago. She didn't blame him or herself. Why would she? They were not perfect h