“It tastes like what I’d imagine a dumpsite tastes like. Blech!”

I look at the gold-topped counter in front of me with a lot of disdain. Everything looks like it’s supposed to. Rows of gleaming bottles shimmer inside a gold-painted cabinet, as if they’re the crown jewels being protected from the public’s reach. The ponytailed bartender, her white shirt with the Faye’s Bar logo embroidered on it looking crisp, is staring at me with an expression of resignation and…is it just me but does it also look like it….pity.

Of course, she pities me, stuck here drinking some whack juice cleanse potion from my cousin’s, the bride’s, multilevel marketing company du jour. In the message she placed in our family group chat, --- where I was just automatically added in and had no choice in the matter, I may add --- she mentioned something about these concoctions boosting immunity and helping fight infections….or something; I don’t really know since I just hit “Remove for You” on it. Well, sitting here forced to drink one of these putrid liquids, ---the only beverages available at her wedding bar-- I can tell you all it guarantees is you vomiting in your mouth.

I look at the bottles again in hope I can have a drop of sweet redemption.

“You really can’t touch those?” I ask the bartender, eyes pleading for a taste of something that doesn’t taste like garbage can ooze.

“I’m so sorry,” responds the bartender, clearly exasperated from having to answer the same question hundreds of times already. “The bride has stated multiple times that if we serve any other drinks but these juices, she’s suing us.”

“Nah, it’s okay. This is very typical Rachel,” I say, trying to reassure this poor, stressed out hospitality worker. “I just wish she didn’t have to drag Faye’s Bar into this and turn it into Fake’s Bar.”

The bartender gives a polite chuckle, and I join her before I sigh. I knew this was going to happen.

My parents were the one who got the wedding invitation, which, apparently, had a clause about the entire Severino clan showing up, no excuses. No, it’s not an attempt to get to know cousins she has repeatedly described as "social pariah", cousins who have zero relationship with Rachel --- for good reason --- such as me. Rather, I’m basically here as a prop, a number to fill up pews and seats to look good on the newspaper’s society page. Still, my “Family is everything”-believing parents chose to berate me when I protested and told them that I essentially don’t know the bride and have no idea who her groom is.

Whatever, I guess. I’ll just drink my dumpster juice and try to survive the night. It will be just another of the last things I will be forced to endure as a Severino before I graduate from university. By next year, I’d have already been moved and starting at a job I secretly applied….

“Uhm, perhaps, I’ll get the Mood Booster.”

Hey, is that a…standard Southern British accent? You don’t really hear much of that in this homogenous wasteland of Who-Gives-a-Crap, Philippines.

Before I could even stop my brain train, the carriage containing my astonishment careens out of my mouth.

“Wow, SSB accent,” I exclaim in the air.

“Yes, it is,” a voice filled with surprise responds. “You even know the correct term for it. I’m impressed.”

I turn around and see a tall, lanky man with neatly-styled chestnut brown hair. His black spectacles frame jade green eyes.

Oh whatever. If I’m in for being bored out of my mind at Rachel and Whoever-He-Is’ wedding, I may as well try to get a friend out of it.

“I’ve always loved languages and linguistics. Sorry if that was weird.”

“No, not at all,” replies the smiling man. “In fact, I myself am into the same things.”

I take my drink and sit next to this brand-new acquaintance. Whilst I’m near, I notice that his green eyes have small, red veins popping out of them, perhaps, from a lack of sleep.

“You okay, bud?”

“Yeah, I am. It’s just that….well….”

“I know. I know. You’ve probably never had a beverage from one of the only decent bars in this town that tastes like literal rubbish and you don’t know what to do.”

The brunette guy stares at me for a while, as if he’s trying to internally confirm whether he has permission to laugh, before breaking out into a hearty chuckle.

“Don’t tell this to the bride, but….mine tastes a bit like tar.”

“Nah, I won’t,” I respond before extending a hand. “I’m James, by the way.”

“Daniel. Nice to meet you.”

As he shakes my hand, I feel a bit of tension in his muscles, as if it were a rope waiting to snap.

 “So, Daniel, did your family and friends drag you here too? I sure was.”

“Uhm, no, actually,” he replies, his previous chuckle now replaced with a small, polite smile. "All of them are still in England. I…I don’t really know anyone here, except for the bride.”

“Ugh! Just Rachel, huh? Well, unlucky you.”

“Well, I…”

Daniel’s reply gets interrupted by a message ping on his phone. As his green eyes scroll the screen, he breaks into a bright smile, the very same one I make whenever I’m next to a certain woman I can not wait to see when I get back to Manila for university tomorrow.

“Hey, I know that look. That’s probably your significant other.”

His snaps his head towards me with a puzzled look on his face.

“Uhm, no actually, it’s not. It’s my best friend Simone. She just sent me a sweet little message because, I don’t know, I feel a little stressed out…”

“Are you sure about that? Your eyes sparkled just a bit there when you said her name.”

“What….I…”

I look at Daniel’s panicked face and jerky flailing and guffaw.

“I’m just messing with you there.”

“Oh, phew,” he exclaims, a sigh of relief escaping from him very audible. “My significant other is actually…”

“Oh, of course, she’s Filipino! I should have known!”

“Yes, yes, she is,” states Daniel in between amused chuckles.

Oh, crap, am I rambling again?

“Sorry about that, bud,” I reply, suddenly self-conscious. “My family told me I talk too much when I’m excited or ‘too giddy’, whatever that means.”

“No, I think it’s fine,” says Daniel, his shoulders shrugging. “There’s nothing wrong with being enthusiastic.”

“Okay, now, you’re officially my friend,” I joke, at which Daniel breaks into another loud chuckle. “But seriously, though, Daniel, apart from my friends and my girlfriend, you’re the only person who’s told me that.”

Daniel’s eyes light up at the mention of the woman I love.

“Oh, so you're with someone. That’s lovely! What’s her name?”

“Francesca,” I reply beaming. "She's not here, though. Unfortunately, the bride is Judgy McJudgeface and didn't invite her."

Wonderful Francesca and I started out as inseparable best friends. Eventually, that friendship blossomed into love, but really, I still consider her my closest friend. She has always been someone who feels like home, a safe refuge I can be completely myself in and not have to be met by eye rolls, a constant presence in the Severino clan, just because I’m into . I know we’re both only 21, but I truly do feel that Francesca is the one I will eventually be marrying --- with no garbage can juice at the wedding bar, of course.

“Want to see some photos of us," I offer.

“Of course, that would be splendid!”

I whip out my mobile phone and tap on it to display a photo of beautiful, curly-haired Francesca and I holding hands and beaming at the camera during a date.

“Look at that, James, you two look so happy together.”

“I know,” I beamed. “She’s wonderful. Do you know that that date was after a linguistics symposium that she surprised me with seats for?”

“No way! Into the same things as you too!”

I smile in response as I show Daniel a video of Francesca with an acoustic guitar strapped to her body and strumming an original melody.

“Oh, James, she has a lovely voice,” comments Daniel. “However, I’m afraid I can’t quite recognise the song.”

“That’s because she wrote it for me as a birthday gift.”

“What?! She did that for you?”

“I know,” I state smilingly as I remember that day three years ago. “I told her she didn’t have to go through the effort, but she insisted that I deserved it. I don’t know how or why…”

 “That’s lovely…really lovely.”

 I look at Daniel. The beam he had earlier had been diminished again into a polite grin. I also couldn’t help noticing a hint of longing in his voice.

“Doesn’t seem that way for you, bud. What’s up?”

Daniel pauses for a while before replying. Being next to him, I can see his green eyes brim with tears.

“I truly am happy for you, James. I really am. I think you really deserve a woman like Francesca,” he states in a soft, almost timid voice. “It’s just that I wish my partner and I had the same kind of love.”

Daniel turns his head towards the Mood Booster concoction on the bar counter.

“I don’t know. Everyone’s different, I guess,” he sputters out. “I guess everyone can’t be naturally affectionate.”

“But what?”

 “I don’t know. Seeing you and Francesca together makes me feel, I suppose, a little jealous. It’s been a while since my partner held me like that. It's been a while since I've noticed my partner's eyes sparkle just because I'm around.”

“I’m sorry what,” I ask in shock.

“Well, yes. I guess, you know, my partner is just, well, particular, I suppose,” Daniel sputters out. “Well, she thinks that I have to earn those hugs and kisses.”

“And how do you even do that?”

“I don’t really know” sighs Daniel. “But whatever it is I’m doing, that’s not it. It’s always ‘Daniel, you’re being a nerd again. ‘Daniel, you’re annoying me.’ ‘Daniel, can you just stop’….”

 “So you’re saying that you can’t even be yourself around her?”

“Well, I….”

“Screw that! Why are you still with her if you have to dry out yourself in order to fill her up?”

My new friend’s eyes widen in shock.

“Look, I’m not the one in your shoes, but if I were you, I’d have definitely been gone. I’m not going to waste my time with someone who I have to walk on eggshells around,” I state matter-of-factly.

"But she..."

I may have only known this man for the past hour, but I can feel my heart burning in indignation for Daniel. My brain whirred on producing words and couldn't stop.

“In fact, I’d have been out of that relationship for a long time so I can find someone who can at least make me smile as much as my best friend Simone makes me, you know,” I continue. "I know I'm rambling again, but this time, I think there's a reason for that."

“I…uh…”

“Seriously, I’d have been back in London right now with someone who can…”

“James! We’ve been looking all over for you. Let’s go.”

I look up at my dad peering from the door separating the ceremony space and the courtyard where the wedding bar is set up. Ugh, I guess it’s time for the wedding.

“Well, looks like it’s time to get in, Daniel. I hope I see you at the reception. At least, I won’t be bored shitless if I get to talk to you.”

“Uh, sure.”

I extend my hand to the new friend I made before scurrying in.

“But really, try to think about what I said, okay. I don’t like seeing you lonely. Anyway, nice to meet you.”

“It was nice meeting you, James….It really was.”

*****************

Severino Family Group Chat

87 members

Rachel Severino

First of all, thanks for coming to the wedding. You guys looked really nice in your moss green gowns and ties….and yes, I mean ONLY THOSE THAT WORE MOSS GREEN, NOT THE ONES IN JUNIPER GREEN. WHAT ARE YOU BLIND??? I’m soooooo pissed off at you. Also, to the cheapskates who got the least expensive item in the gift registry, seriously ?????????? UGGGGGHHHH !

Anyway, as you all know, the wedding didn’t push through. Just to clarify, yes, Daniel did leave me a letter before he bolted from the venue. It says something about “feeling like he always has to be the one making an effort in the relationship” and “feeling like he has to suppress himself to be with me.” Yada, yada, yada. Well, duh! That’s just how it is, right? I’m the woman, so I’m always right. Doesn’t Daniel get it????

Also, whoever that stranger he met at the wedding bar is, SCREW YOU! SCREW YOU AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND! You shouldn’t have “unwittingly shown him what a relationship should be like”; you should have told him not to be such a dweeb! YOU RUINED THIS!

I don't know who you are, but SCREW YOOOOOOOU!!!

But seriously, cheapskates, YOU ONLY GOT ME A TOASTER FOR THIS? THE NERVE!

Sent 19 January 2024, 10 p.m.

********

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Daniel Adlington

24 April 2024

Is in a relationship with Simone Lewis