Let the alcohol flow...

[Mandi Johnson]

Mandi entered the Jade Room with a smile on her face. As she strolled to the table at the back of the chic martini lounge that she and her friends sat at on a regular basis, she caught more than a few men looking her way. She'd have to send Dr Simons a thank you note for the new and improved cleavage.

She took her seat and ordered her first Manhattan of the night. Grinned she leaned back in her chair and crossed her long shapely legs. She took a long sip of her manhattan and ordered another. Turning to the door she caught sight of long loose red curls as Lyds made her way into the bar. Mandi flagged down the waiter and ordered a carrot juice for Lyds and another Manhattan for herself.

[Lydia DuChamps]

I walked through the sparkling green doors and say Mandi over at a table by herself. She looked happy, like the way that peacocks are happy when they are alone, with their beautiful blue feathers fanned out. I love the colours in peacock feathers, they are like a rainbow if rainbows were only shades of blue and purple. Honestly! Who ever heard of a blue and purple rainbow?

"Peacocks are so silly!" I laughed as I took my seat behind my carrot juice. Carrot juice is so interesting, it's like a trick, it makes you think that it's orange juice, but it surprises you by being a vegetable. Carrots are tricky, you have to watch out for them.

[Mandi Johnson]

Peacocks are so silly!

Without missing a beat, Mandi looked at her manhattan and then back to Lyds, "Honey, whatever your drinking, I'll have a double!" She said with a smile.

Lydia seemed endlessly fascinated with her carrot juice. The girl was definitely one of a kind.

[Fab Monticelli]

I opened the doors to the Jade Room, and spied Lyds and Mandi sitting at the normal spot. The only thing missing from the scene was my cosmo, but as long as Damien wasn't working, that would be remedied soon enough.
"Hi Darling" I said as I kissed Lydia on the cheek. She seemed a little high strung tonight... well at least not quite so dreamy and mellow.
"Hi sweetie." I said to Mandi, kissing her on the forehead.
"So, what's keeping everyone? I thought the Telephone Tree would have gotten everyone here at least five minutes ago."

[Lydia DuChamps]

I tried as hard as I could, but I was unable to contain my excitement.
"Congratulations!" I said, a little louder than I intended, as I threw my arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.
"I say butterflies, definitely butterflies! Oh, it will be so wonderful! They will flutter all over the place in every color of the rainbow, I can see it in my head! Oh, An by the way, watch out for the carrots." I said with a sly grin.

[Mandi Johnson]

"See it in your head? Well, at least somethings happening in there." Mandi replied drily. Then she reached out to pat Lyds' hand.

"So apparently Lyds already heard the good news, you plan on sharing?" She looked to Fab with a curious grin. "Better spill it soon or else the carrots will get you!"

[Fab Monticelli]

"Oh, what's the matter honey? Your martini have too much olive in it? I'm sure the inside of Lyds's head looks just like one of her paintings." I smiled at Lyds and turned my attention to the waiter, who thankfully wasn't Damien, but was definitely new.
"Cosmo, dear, and quick, I might dry out here."

[Lydia DuChamps]

I felt so proud that Fab thought my brain was that pretty, although I was sure he was mislead. Generally when I think of brains, I think of gray matter, and gray isn't all that pretty unless it's on a pidgin, and even then, it's not gray, it's shiny and multicolored. I had to think about how to break the news to Fab that my brain wasn't all that pretty, I didn't want to make him sad on his special day.
"Fab, my brain is gray." DAMN! That wasn't the way to say it!

[Melissa Henderson]

Melissa stepped up to the table at just that moment. She looked at Lydia with a wry grin. "That sounds like more of a Benni statement, Lydia, but then everything in Benni's life is in shades of gray."

"So Fabian, where is this new love of your life?" She asked as she flagged down the waiter to bring her a martini along with Fabian's cosmo. "Did Mandi scare him off already?"

[Benni Benedict]

Benni hopped out of the cab and hurried into the Jade Room with Barb right behind her. She clutched the crystal vase in one hand and her handbag in the other. She made her way to the table at the back where her friends were gathered.

There were no wedding decorations, no cake, and looking closer at the table she realized there was no other groom.

"Did we miss it?" Benni asked as she took a seat next to Melissa, "Figures, I always miss the good stuff."

[Barb LaFramboise]

"Oh sweetie, He probably just hasn't shown up yet. You know those boys, always fashionably late." I chuckled at my little jab.

"But really, Fab hon, when do we get to meet the lucky man?"

[Fab Monticelli]

"Wait, what? I need a drink! What are you two yammering on about?" I was thoroughly confused, although I was sure Mandi had something to do with the misunderstanding.

Thankfully my cosmo came at just the right moment.

"Thank GOD! Now can someone please explain what's going on here? I have some news, but apparently you all have better news." I waited a couple of seconds for someone to answer. "Well... dish girls! What's the occasion?"

[Benni Benedict]

"Your wedding!" Benni exclaimed. "I'm very happy for you Fab, but I just wished you had told me earlier. But I am used to being left out."

With a heavy sigh, she set the Gem wrapped present in front of Fab. "I only just found out so I didn't have time to shop properly for a wedding gift for you. I will understand if you hate it."

[Fab Monticelli]

I was speechless, which is a rarity for me. But then I started to think about it, and I couldn't help but start laughing.

"You though I was... I mean, you really thought I wouldn't... wait, Mandi, what the hell did you say to them?" I tried to sound annoyed, but the unending laughter kind of ruined the tone.

[Mandi Johnson]

Mandi looked at the faces of her friends and grinned. "How is it always my fault?"

"I only told them you had a new man... the marriage thing? I have no idea where that came from." She grinned a the image of Fab getting married. "Although I've always thought of you as more of a spring bride."