Carpe Diem!

When Jordana and Darius met, it seemed as if they'd known each other for a lifetime. Not romantically but in a platonic sense when two friends first meet and instantly know they'll be BFFs. They were colleagues-turned-friends at a multi-national company that was the "in place" to land a job as it was known to host rooftop parties and red carpet events. At the time they were barely in their 30s, had the world at their feet and were up for anything ... as long as it was legal of course. There was one weekend they'll never forget and would be talking about for years to come.

It was a gorgeous Saturday morning when Jordana greeted Darius at the entrance of her apartment, wearing a plush, white towelling robe you'd find in a seven-star hotel room wardrobe. She was a striking lady with long black hair to down to her waist, fair skin and big dark brown eyes like an Arabian princess. Jordana always took pride in her appearance and was never one to half-heartedly put an effort into things.

"Why aren't you answering your phone, darl? You L-I-I-I-I-K-E?', gesturing to his formal designer outfit like a model at a TV game show exhibiting a prize, as he entered the ultra-modern abode.

His swagger matching his well coiffed short brown hair, blue eyes, olive skin, good looks and fashion sense to match his tall stature.

"Umm, yes .. you look great. Getting ready for our lunch at my favourite restaurant by the ocean. The hair and make-up artist just left. Have to put on my dress that you helped me choose and we can go," said Jordana.

"Fabulous, that should only take two hours. I'll talk to the cat in the meantime," he said.

Clearly unimpressed with the remark, Jordana replied, "Funny as a shark attack. I'll be ready before you know it and we can cab it over there." 

She walked away from the living room, her petite frame disappearing into the distance.

Before they knew it, the pair was back at their favourite restaurant, ordering a lavish three-course meal of seafood dishes and wine -- one bottle after another talking endlessly about anything and everything. They just clicked and had the kind of genuine friendship everyone envies. The place was at full capacity as usual, filled with well-to-do patrons. Yes it was on the pretentious side but that aside, the menu selection was to die for, along with the wine list.

"How much wine have we had?" asked Darius.

"I dunno but I'm feeling REL-LAXED. Really REL-LAXED that I might go for a wander before we order dessert. Can't miss out on dessert!"

Darius rolled his eyes for he knew she was well and truly beyond tipsy. He watched her walk away from their table in a zigzag, almost dragging the snow white linen cloth and the contents on top, as she got up from her chair.

He waited for Jordana to return, for what felt like an eternity. She'd taken longer than usual, 30 minutes in fact and he began to get worried so thought he'd search for her starting with the ladies room. Darius stood at the open entrance.

"Jordana, are you there? If so, are you OK darl?"

No reply. Another lady emerged and politely informed him there was no one else in the bathroom.

Where has she gone? Darius asked himself. This isn't like her, he thought. He began to fret and started calling out to her as if she were a pet, while weaving in and out of the dining area attracting everyone's attention.

Moments later, a man who appeared to be the maitre d' of the place approached Darius.

"Sir, CAN I HELP YOU?" he said tersely. 

"I seem to have lost my friend, so I'm looking for her, as you do," said Darius.

"SIR, she is sitting in the lounge area! I suggest you put your shoes back on, pay your bill and leave!"

Darius looked down and realised he'd been walking around the place barefoot like a hillbilly while calling out for Jordana. He scurried back to their table. He'd never been so embarrassed in his life as other people looked on.

He arrived in the area where Jordana had been sitting alone and discovered she'd been having drinks without him.

"Darl, what are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you and yelling out your name," he said.

She looked at him with a bewildered expression on her face, as if everything was normal while swivelling her leather bar stool at the same time.

"Woo hoo! Having cocktails of course. Wanna join me?"

"Err, NO ... we've been kicked out for behaving badly."

Jordana looked at him in shock and attempted to hide she'd had a few too many by annunciating her words carefully.

"WHAT? I DIDN'T know we're on a reality SHOW. Kicked out?"

She skolled the last drop of her drink like a drunken sailor.

 "Yes. We have to go NOW. Come on, let's get out of here!"

The pair haled a taxi along the main road like they were Bonny and Clyde after a major bank heist.

It was mid-afternoon and Jordana and Darius found themselves sobering up at a nearby neighbourhood known for its great cafes, gelatarias and bakeries. They'd bought some ice-cream and decided to stroll along the street.

"That was so much fun, Darius. Never have I ever been booted out of a posh restaurant. I hope they don't blacklist us. That's my favourite restaurant."

Both of them laughing uncontrollably over what had happened to them earlier.

"Me neither. They'd better not blacklist us. Let's polish off our ice-cream and walk down to the seashore. Look, there's a supermarket trolley. Hop in and I'll give you a ride," he said.

Jordana climbed into the trolley as elegantly as possible in her dress, with her back to Darius and legs dangling over the front. He didn't need any momentum as it was all downhill from where they'd discovered the abandoned trolley on the side of the footpath.

"Hold on tight ... I'm not sure if I can steer this thing ... I ... can't ... seem .... to ... control ... it ... It's going to be a rough landing at the bottom. Woah!" 

The trolley kept going and going and going before it came to an abrupt halt, tipping and crash-landing on a grassy knoll across the road from the beach.

Covering his eyes with his hands, he said, "Oh darl, must you?"

Jordana had landed with legs akimbo, exposing her barely there underwear and more to Darius as if about to deliver a baby and he was the midwife. Both of them in hysterics and like children who couldn't keep out of trouble. She pulled her dress over here knees, stood up while they both regained their composure.

"Sorry captain! It was the way you landed the flying trolley. I couldn't help it.

"Let's head into the city since it's only a short cab trip away from here. Scrap that idea. There's a chartered bus over there where people are hopping onboard, let's join them. It looks city-bound."

She pointed to the park across the road where the bus was parked.

"Are you crazy Jordana? Never mind, that's a rhetorical question."

"Just smile at everyone when we get on. They won't know any better. What are they going to do? Kick off two nicely dressed people?

They walked over to join the people in the short queue, greeting them as if they were friends. The bus ended up stopping right in the heart of the city, where everyone along with Darius and Jordana disembarked.

"The afternoon is young and so are we. Let's see what's happening at one of the five-star hotels," she said.

They walked to the nearest upmarket hotel where there happened to be a wedding reception and an unattended table with the name tags of two guests waiting to be claimed.

Darius and Jordana looked at each other and smiled.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he said.

"HELL YEAH!"

She looked down at the name tags they were about to place on themselves.

"Pleased to meet you Monroe Salazar! I'm Zenubi Ombago," both of them laughing at their aliases. 

"Shall we?" said Darius hooking his arm with hers as they walked into the wedding reception.

"Did you happen to catch the happy couple's name, by any chance?"

"No, did you? I just know our table number" she said.

"When on earth did you find time to get that detail?"

"Why, when you were checking out that hotter than hot concierge and your tongue was on the floor," said Jordana.

"Oh ... I thought that went unnoticed but I should know better when with you." he said with a big smile.

The pair looked at each other and laughed out loudly before finding their way into the banquet room full of guests and mingling like they belonged.