Her friends sat around the table at the bar, drinks half-finished, glancing at the empty chair she was supposed to fill. The laughter kept slipping into quiet pauses, and a couple of them checked their phones again, hoping for a late arrival. When it was clear she wasn't coming, the mood thinned; disappointment lingered in the air, even as they tried to carry on with the night.
" Grrrr…OMG I'm so disappointed I feel embarrassed", Nicole angrily said,
" I'm disappointed too, I was expecting Amanda's presence here so I could make some dollars", Leo concluded,
" What do you mean Leo?", Ella asked,
" Amanda is a celebrity, if only she were here everyone in this bar would have done everything to take photos with her and you know what that means?", Leo answered,
" You are so hilarious", Ella laughed,
" Because of Amanda we paid for the VIP section, at the end she disappointed us and couldn't make it", Annabella buried her face on the table with a look of disappointment,
" Well, maybe something came up that might be the reason she couldn't make it. We all know she's a celebrity which explains that celebrities like her barely have time for occasions like this", Nicole added,
" From the text message I received from her, she didn't explain her reason for not coming she only said she can't make it", Ella said,
" With or without Amanda, we can still have fun…so guys let's party!!!!!!", Leo exclaimed excitedly,
The four friends were enjoying themselves at the bar. Trying to relieve themselves from the disappointment but no matter how hard they tried Amanda's absence still bothers them.
" Guys, let's spice up tonight with fun games", Nicole suggested,
" What type of fun games?", Ella asked,
" I know a perfect game that will suit tonight", Leo replied,
" Tell us"
" Truth or dare", Leo recommended,
" What do you guys think?", Ella asked,
" I'm in", Annabella agreed,
" I'm in", Nicole agreed
" Alright, let's play", Ella said, and reached out for an empty bottle of wine. She quickly spun the bottle.
"Fuck!..... Go on ask", Nicole said, after the bottle stopped in her direction,
" Truth or Dare?", Ella asked,
" I pick truth"
" Nicole…. are you having an affair with Leo's elder brother Jason", Ella asked,
" I think I will go with the dare"
" You already picked Truth so you need to answer the question", Leo said, feeling a little bit jealous,
" The answer is no…I'm not having an affair with Jason, besides, he has a girlfriend", Nicole answered. Leo Felt relieved with Nicole's answer. He spun the bottle
" I hate this…. you can ask", Annabella said after the bottle stopped at her direction,
" Truth or Dare?", Leo asked,
" I will go with Dare"
" Annabella, I dare you to pick up your phone and dial your ex-boyfriend's number and tell him he's a jerk", Leo dared,
" What's my punishment?", Annabella asked,
" You ain't going to do it?", Leo asked,
" You are sick Leo, what's wrong with you? How many times have I asked you to stop bringing up my past relationship?"
" C'mon, Annabella is just a game"
" Guys, we are here for fun not for argument please", Ella reminded,
"What's my punishment"
" Your punishment will be paying for the drinks we consumed", Nicole answered,
" I will go make the payment, I will be right back", Annabella agreed, she left the VIP section and went to the cashier to make the payment,
" I need to know something, why does Annabella get upset whenever her past relationship is being mentioned", Leo asked,
" From the few details I received years ago, her past relationship traumatized her and she almost lost her life that's the reason she is afraid of anything connected with commitment", Ella briefly said
Miguel walks into the bar, pauses to take in the dim room, then heads for a stool. He orders a drink, sits quietly, and watches the crowd, giving the sense he's either waiting for someone or carrying something heavy on his mind
" Hello, beautiful one, how are you doing?", Miguel asked, as he saw Annabella coming out from the cashier section,
" I'm fine", Annabella replied,
" May I get to know your name, beautiful One?"
" I'm Annabella, Annabella Edwards"
" I'm Miguel…Miguel Rodriguez nice to meet you beautiful Annabella", Miguel introduced and offered a handshake to Annabella who accepted with a smile.