Chain Effect

I wanna

📍6:30 Pm, Wine & Dine

We arrived at the restaurant just in time to enjoy the dishes on the menu before the main event began.

The venue, host and service were welcoming and we were immediately shown to our table, where the first of many hassles of the evening arose: seating arrangements.

Originally, the arrangement was as follows: Ingrid and Mandy, Derick and Izana on opposite sides of the head of the table, me to his right, followed by Spencer, Emma, Evan, and opposite us Luke, Hefra, Calvin and Lea.

However, Izana - a color pattern enthusiast - asked us to sit according to the colors of our clothes. So, I ended up sitting next to Calvin and Spencer between Hefra and Lea.

"We serve the sparkling wine first, the white wine before the red, the dry before the sweet, the light before the heavy, the young before the old and, last but not least, the dessert wine." John, our waiter, took the opportunity to explain the order to everyone after Evan had asked a question.

After the delicious hour-long dinner, the waiters lined up the various glasses and the wine tasting finally begun.

Although I don't particularly like wines - well, drinks altogether really - and because we had some lightweights in the group, like Evan, the idea was to sample different bottles of wine with each sip, comparing vintages and regional varieties and having some lively discussions along the way... and if we're lucky, without any unnecessary comments from the plumage brigade.

To my delight - and I suspect to the delight of everyone else too- they spend most of their time complimenting themselves and trying to attract the attention of their crushes Spencer and Luke - unsuccessfully, I might add.

We were in the middle of laughing our asses off at one of Derick's jokes when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Calvin reach for his glass and almost drop it. Instinctively, I reached out to help him steady it, inevitably brushing my hand against his.

Butterflies! That brief and simple touch set off a kaleidoscope of butterflies in my stomach.

I took my hand away when I heard the sound of his message notification and tried to control the frenzy in my stomach.

I looked at him trying to figure out if he was okay, and he nodded in response to the question I hadn't even asked.

Amidst the laughter, I heard my name being called and when I said I didn't have to, Izana, Lea and Emma excused themselves to go to the bathroom.

Shortly afterwards, the host announced that we were nearing the end of the tasting, which got the slightly 'wine-touched' members of our table even more pumped for karaoke. Well, all except for Calvin, who announced that he had to leave to take care of a work matter as soon as the tasting was over.

"And with this dessert wine, ladies and gentlemen, we come to the end of the tasting." Said John, as they served the last wine, which, unlike all the others, they brought it already served.

"Here you go, golden couple." Said a blond-haired waiter with monolithic eyes, whom I hadn't seen at our table before, as he set down my and Calvin's wine glass, which he finished almost in one go.

He really is in a hurry.

Looking to the side, I noticed that only Izana and Lea had returned to the table. They were saying something about Emma having forgotten something in the bathroom.

"I think the last old wine had a more complex bouquet and more developed flavors than the young one. What do you think, Yuli? Spencer asked.

"Well, I think the hue and flavo-"