Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Flame of Love ❯ Volume Six, Chapter Thirty-Nine: Beef Jerky ( Chapter 39 )

Beef Jerky

-Azusa-

I hate slow evenings like this. I glance over at Yuka at the table. Her bright glowing face makes me want to slap her.

“Could you please stop grinning like that?” I ask. Yuka looks at me, doe-eyed.

“What?” she asks. “I'm getting married next week.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumble. “You keep remaining us.” Yuka smiles in a goofy way.

“I can't help it,” she reasons. “I just love that man!”

“Yes, we know,” I groan. Our friends giggle.

“Oh come on,” Miho answers. “Yuka's in love.”

“Yeah, I know,” I mumble. A waiter takes our orders for our drinks. Miho, Shinobu, and Mayumi fawn over how hot he is. Heh, he can't compete with Hideki and Ryo-kun. Yuka lays out her wedding planner book on the table.

“It's almost ready!” she brags. “I can't wait!”

“Where are you going on your honeymoon?” Shinobu asks. Yuka sits back, grinning.

“Hawaii,” she answers. Our friends gasp.

“Wow!” they say. I roll my eyes. Who cares? Whoopee! You're going to Hawaii. I then notice their eyes on me.

“What?” I ask. My friends' smiles tell me not to enjoy where this is heading.

“What?” I ask again.

“So tell me,” Yuka speaks up. “Who's going to be your date to the wedding?” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“What?” I ask.

“Are you going to bring a date to the wedding?”

“Why?”

My friends give me a puzzled look. I look at all of them. “Is that a problem?”

Mayumi tilts her head at me. “You're going alone?”

I nod at her. “Is that a problem?” They wouldn't answer at first. I narrow my eyes at them.

“What's that look for?” I watch as my friends nervously whistle. I grit my teeth.

“Spit it out, already!” I don't care who's watching. These tarts are pissing me off. Yuka puts up her hands.

“Nothing,” she says. “It's just…”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “Just?”

Those tarts give me an innocent look, shrugging.

“It must be nice being thirty and single,” Shinobu says.

“Excuse me?” I ask.

“You get to have so much free time and more money,” Mayumi reasons. “We envy you.”

“We all envy you,” Miho adds. I glare at all of them.

“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath. The waiter returns with our drinks. I grab my glass and drink up. My friends go on chatting about the wedding and boyfriends while I sit in the corner, drinking. That's okay, they will end up alone and I will laugh. I chuckle over my glass before frowning. Who am I kidding? I'm thirty and still single. I hang my head, sighing. I hate being alone! When will Ryo-kun and Hideki notice me? I just want to go home and cry.

Thirty and Alone