There was only one bottle of wine in the refrigerator, a white sauv blanc, and there was not enough for everyone. Sophie closed the door and chewed on her thumb looking around the kitchen for something that could save her from the worst dinner party in history. There were was a small pile of coats and handbags in the corner. Five dirty dishes sat in the sink waiting to be washed. Other than that, the kitchen was cleaner than it had been in months.
Maybe she could just serve ice cream, it's not like alcohol could save the evening. The whole dinner had been a disaster from go to whoa.
June stuck her head in through the door. "Can I help?" she asked brightly.
"I think you have done quite enough for one evening." Sophie said, flicking her head to the left. Her mousy brown fringe obediently followed so that she could give her best friend, her sternest gaze.
June smirked. "Yes sorry about that. Although I didn't start the argument between Bill and Sarah that ship had well and truly sailed before they even arrived."
"Did you have to say something about her jacket?"
"It was meant as a compliment" June said, raising her hands defensively.
"Yes, one of the famous June Steinberg back handed compliments. Also please, for me, stop flirting with Justin. He is new to the office, we only just met and you know this whole dinner thing is a pretext to see him socially, as he won't ask me out."
"Ok, ok... I'll behave."
"Thank you."
"But if things don't work out between you two, can I have him? The man wears cowboy boots. It would be criminal to let him out alive." Sophie rolled her eyes.
This was the last thing she needed, to be competing with her best friend over a man. June was slender around the waist, fit, blonde, busty, beautiful and witty. Worse she had worn an absolutely stunning green dress, which fitted tightly to her body and teased the viewer with just the right amount of cleavage. June loved green, and green loved her.
Sophie shifted uncomfortably in her own choice of attire. She had chosen jeans that were that bit too tight around her legs and a black shirt which fitted well to her petite frame. The fringe was new, and she was proud of it, but being new she still wasn't 100% used to it. So she lacked the confidence that June seemed to exude.
But, then again, confidence had always been Sophie's problem. She just couldn't talk to men. Every time she tried something in her stomach would claw its way up through her throat and grab hold of her tongue. Tonight was going to be different though. Tonight she was going to impress. At least that had been the plan, before everything had gone to shit.
"Anyway weren't you getting wine to placate our bickering couple?" June asked.
Sophie winced. "I'm out." She crossed her arms. "Ice cream?"
"What about the bottle I brought?" June asked, pointing toward the bags. She sauntered across the kitchen, her high heels clicking against the hard wood floor, to where the coats were lying. She bent down and pulled out a green bag that was only big enough to hold a bottle of wine. "You are a life saver" Sophie said clapping her hands. The label on the bottle was dirt, faded brown with something written in strange foreign letters on it. Sophie thought that it looked home bottled, because the inside was a dark liquid. However, at this point in the evening, she was desperate.
"Present from my sister" June said, as an explanation. "It came with a letter saying 'I thought you would enjoy this!'"
June's sister was backpacking in India or Indonesia or one of the "I" countries that didn't speak English. She had turned hippy a few years ago and had gone out into the world to find her-self. June had confided that "finding herself" was code for flitting from beach to beach, picking up boys and having an indecent amount of sex.
Of course for Sophie indecent was more than once every six months. She had been single for longer than was decent of a woman of twenty five. That thing in her stomach had a lot to answer for.
She pulled five glasses out of the cupboard as June opened the bottle. The cork flew out with a soft pop.
June poured the wine into the glasses. It was a deep red, almost black and, thick like syrup. Sophie wrinkled her nose, tt seemed of clover and herbs and something else that Sophie couldn't recognise. She wasn't a fan of red, but it was all they had. June filled all five glasses, emptying the bottle, and together they carried them into the next room.
Bill and Sarah were staring at each other in stony silence. Bill and Sarah had married straight out of High School. Since then things had gone sour. Bill yearned for the glory days, but Sarah kept him on a short leash. Her only ambition was to start a family, but they were struggling to conceive. Bill also wanted to travel, which Sarah was against
Justin, the stud from work, just looked uncomfortable. Sophie feared he might just stand up and make his apologies and leave. But to her relief he ran a hand across his thick stubbled jaw and smiled at her. She caught his eye for a fraction of a second before looking down at her feet. Damn stomach monster.
"Wine, wine and wine. So you can all quit your whining." June laughed lightly, placing the wine in front of Sophie's guests. Sophie gave her spare wine to Justin without a word and found her chair. The two men quickly picked up their glasses. Grateful, for something to break what had obviously been an awkward and painfully silent few minutes.
"To friends, and peaceful mediation." June smiled raising her glass. Sarah stared daggers at her, but they all toasted and together drank. The liquid swam around her tongue, delighting it with strange foreign spices, grapes and honey. She swallowed and enjoyed the pleasant after taste which lingered long after leaving her tongue and mouth warm and tingling. The warmth slipped down her throat and a heady sense of wellbeing followed.
