In the late afternoon, returning to the resort, everyone unanimously decided to organize a seafood barbecue party. Despite having had seafood for lunch, it was merely a cursory sampling; hence, the group was committed to reliving another hearty dinner. Fortuitously, their resort was close to a market selling live seafood, and especially in the evening, the seafood brought in by the incoming boats was incredibly fresh and surprisingly cheap. It required a marinade of salt, chili, or satay and grilling over charcoal to achieve a lavish dinner beyond reproach.
Andrew rented a scooter from the resort and took Mary to the fish market. The crimson sunset blanketed the azure sky, and the refreshing breezes painted an atmosphere of purity and romance. Lucky for them, the sea was calm that day, offering an extensive selection of fish and shrimp.
Their attention was caught by some crabs displayed by a vendor across the way, so they made their approach. The vendor, a woman in her sixties, looked jovial and offered advice on selecting delicious, meaty crabs.
“How are these crabs sold?”
The vendor cheerfully responded, “The crabs are sold by weight. The first-grade ones cost 50, and the second – grade 80 dollars per kilogram. I have a little over a kilogram left. Take all of it for 100 dollars if you’d like.” Mary examined the crabs closely.
Spotting her inexperience in buying seafood, the vendor added, “Today’s the end of the lunar month, so the crabs are meatier than during the full moon. Go ahead and buy them. If they aren’t delicious, you can return them to me tomorrow. I’m always here.”
Mary chuckled at this, recognizing it as sweet business talk. Who would ever return seafood?
“Well, since you’ve said that, we’ll have to trust you.”
The vendor eyed the couple, then asked curiously two are here on a honeymoon, aren’t you? I can tell you’re a lovely pair.”
As she finished speaking, Mary promptly denied, “No…”
But Andrew responded quicker, “That’s right, and we’ll bring our baby here again when we have one.”
The vendor’s face lit up with a broad smile. She quickly replied, “May you have a lifetime of happiness and a son soon.”
Mary gently nudged Andrew as a sign of reproach. He winked at her, took her hand, and they moved together to another stall to buy some snails, shrimp, squid, and clams before returning.
When they arrived back, Joy was reading everyone’s palms, so no one had started preparing anything yet. Seeing Andrew and Mary, Lani suggested they join in to have their love and fortune read.
Andrew waved dismissively. He had never believed in fortunetelling, refusing to put his faith in destiny. He wouldn’t have been dealt the orphan’s card if fate existed.
Ms. Selina sent everyone off to prepare dinner. Lani, Jessy, Johny, and Mary each took on a task, while Joy felt peeved at Andrew’s disbelief in her fortunetelling skills.
Walking to sit opposite Andrew, she jutted her chin toward him and said…
“What if I were to discern and narrate exactly what will befall you in the next five years?” Her words had an edge of daring. “Would you dare to wager?”
Andrew’s response was a smile of challenge. Did Joy’s accustomed fame breed her arrogance?
“Fine,” he retorted. “If you’re wrong this time, promise never to perform this trick on anyone ever again.”
Joy, in her persistent manner, agreed.
“Very well, I accept.”
Andrew turned his palm upward, allowing her to scrutinize the crisscrossing lines etched into his skin. Her gaze was intense, and a mysterious smile danced on her lips after a thorough examination. She then whispered something into his ear – a secret known only to the two of them. Andrew broke into a triumphant grin upon hearing it.
“Your vision is off,” he objected, his tone light. “I’m not that sort of person.”
Joy answered calmly, “Whether you are or not if we’re destined to cross paths again, let me know. It’s your fate; you must accept whatever is given, no matter how you might resist.”
That night, the sky was crystal clear. Breeze swept through, lost from its original path, carrying the tranquility of the earth and the sea. Mary looked up at the star-studded expanse, a delighted smile on her lips reflecting the joy in her heart.
Anyone who has lived in a large city for years would understand – they would never see the stars and the moon in their sky, forever concealed by the smoky veil cast by industrial emissions. But here, in this tranquil haven, the sky was always clear, always beautiful.
Mary was captivated by the twinkling stars. Occasionally, she would spot a tiny plane crossing the sky or a trailing smoke stretching infinitely left by a rocket. Her daydreams were suddenly interrupted by Jessy’s icy call.
“Everyone, the food’s ready. Let’s clean up, and then we’ll feast!”
While everyone was busy arranging chairs, setting up dishes, and preparing dipping sauces, Andrew stepped out from the villa, carrying a special bottle of red wine he had brought from America.
His figure, discernible from a distance, was nothing less than an elegant and gentlemanly spectacle, seemingly born to captivate women’s hearts. Even his attire was chic and refined. His every step and every movement emanated a masculine strength mixed with an artist’s profundity.
As everyone gathered around the table, Andrew delicately placed a fragrant piece of squid in Mary’s bowl. Johny, sitting opposite them, couldn’t hide his envy and muttered.
“We came here to relieve stress, but I am witnessing such a lovey-dovey spectacle. Why is it that happiness exists everywhere but somehow evades me?”
A ripple of laughter swept across the room. Lani gently scooped a grilled oyster glazed in green onions onto Johny’s plate, reminding him playfully.
“Feast now so you can pursue a romantic conquest and delight our parents with a bride this New Year.”
Caught off guard, Johny quickly defended himself.
“I am not without suitors; it’s just that I have so many I can’t quite decide who to choose.”
Sitting next to him, Jessy couldn’t hold her peace any longer.
“That’s the slogan of all the singles, and they need to console themselves.”
The space echoed with laughter, the atmosphere growing even more pleasant and harmonious. Suddenly, Lani turned towards Mary, her eyes filled with regret, and said.
“I’m sorry for the incident earlier. We were too careless and nearly…”
The atmosphere took a sad turn. Jessy and Johny, feeling they had taken the joke too far, remained silent, accepting their mistake. Mary responded softly.
“Let’s not bring up the past. I’m fine now, don’t worry too much.”
She didn’t want everyone to feel awkward, as they were colleagues, and the incident wasn’t intentional. The atmosphere grew tense until Joy, holding a bottle of wine, unexpectedly stood up and declared.
“Let’s leave the past behind. I have a proposal. We’ve been together for a while now. As the saying goes, ‘no battle, no bonding; no drink, no friendship.’ So, let’s toast tonight to reinforce our camaraderie. What do you think?”
Johny, Lani, and Jessy applauded enthusiastically, eagerly anticipating an unforgettable night of revelry.
“Brilliant! Fantastic!”
Joy signaled everyone to calm down and continued.
“While waiting for the beers, let’s warm up with this bottle of wine and divide into teams. Each team will have three members. The first team to finish thirty shots wins.”
Jessy, raising her hand to speak, asked.
“What’s the reward for the winning team?”
Joy thought for a moment and replied,
“The losing team will carry the winning team’s luggage to the car tomorrow. And the special prize is…”
Joy paused as if about to announce something extraordinary, then slowly revealed.
“The winners will receive a lifetime free subscription to all my works.”
The crowd erupted in a synchronized shout of “Wow!”
The atmosphere grew more lively by the moment. Joy started to write names on paper slips, folded them, and tossed them in the air. As the mistakes landed on the table, the quickest hands snatched them up. Those who picked the same number became teammates. Ms. Selina was chosen to be the referee.
Joy, with a teasing smile, turned to Ms. Hoa.
“Be careful as the referee; watch out for bribes!”
Ms. Hoa cleverly shot back.
“If anyone wants to bribe me, I’m ready to sell!”
“Haha!” Laughter cascaded through the group as the teams were finalized: Lani, Mary, and Andrew formed one team, and the remaining members made up the other.
Johny studied Mary with an appraising gaze.
“I’ve listened to everyone speak about you. You were quite the virtuoso who drank beer in school?”
Mary responded with a merry twinkle in her eyes.
“A virtuoso of scores, not of revelry.”
A sigh of relief seemed to escape from Johny’s heart as he turned to Jessy.
“I’m told you’re quite good with beer, yes?”
Jessy shook her head emphatically.
“I’m not a beer drinker; I lean moorland Iowards liquor. As my father always told me, I was born when they were drowned in the spirits, so I’m bound to places where good liquor flows.”
Beaming with pride, Johny cast a triumphant glance at the opposing team.
“Everyone hears that, don’t they? The victory is already in our grasp, isn’t it?”
Andrew retorted instantly.
“But we have three people over here.”
The cheerful banter between the two teams continued until the signal was given to start the game by Ms. Selina.
The first ten rounds of drinking were quick and intense. Teams were allowed to tease each other to slow the pace, and a penalty of two more drinks was in place for any team that spilled their beer.
The next ten rounds were just as enthusiastic, but the pace began to slow after that. Mary was the first to concede, collapsing onto the table into a dreamy slumber after just the fifth round. Ever the gentleman, Andrew removed his jacket for her to use as a pillow and valiantly continued the game.
Johny, who had started with such bravado, surrendered to his fate by the eighth round, sprawled across the sofa, snoring unabashedly in blissful disregard.
Three women and a man battled on, their tales becoming increasingly convoluted and seemingly unending.
Joy regaled them with her first experience of publishing a book. After sending the manuscript to the publisher, she obsessively checked her emails dozens of times daily for a response. The eventual reply came three months later-a rejection due to an unimpressive draft. Crushed and lonely, she wandered the beach alone all night, then decided to revise and try again. Half a year later, she repeated the process, only to face another rejection-a story she had never shared with anyone before. It wasn’t until the seventh attempt that she finally received good news.
As she reached the end of her tale, Joy tumbled off her chair onto the grass, one leg still propped up on the seat, sound asleep as if she had been deprived of rest for days, her poised image tossed aside. And so, another player succumbed to the inescapable fate of defeat.
The remaining trio pressed on until they drank out of beer, leaving only one lucid individual… Andrew. Ms. Selina requested the staff to escort everyone to their rooms. It was the first time she had witnessed such a close interaction among her employees. When inebriated, they held nothing back, even engaging in… gossiping about their superiors.