The themes and events in this short story are not only unrealistic, but distinctly misogynistic. It's important that these themes are framed from a point of view of catharsis and not endorsement. Whether you have similar thoughts or are a victim of them, these stories are meant as a safe way to explore this prevalent attitude. This method of coping is not for everybody, so indulge accordingly. Enjoy.
***
"I'm just saying, don't you think we're a little young to be having this kind of hangout?"
"I thought you had fun last week!"
"I did, Wendal, but I'm twenty-five, you know? I don't want to be sitting around a table with other couples tasting pretentious teas and talking about movies. At least not every week!"
"And I'm thirty-two, Jen! Sometimes you're going to have to be boring with me. Plus, I thought you were looking forward to seeing Danielle."
"Ohmygod, I LOVE Danielle! But I love Danielle when we're alone and gossiping and complaining about our boyfriends," Jen said with a smile, jabbing Wendal lighting with her elbow. She wasn't joking, she did love complaining about him, but it was all part of a healthy relationship, she thought. People needed to vent. Come to think of it, Jen hadn't talked to Danielle since she had her spa day that Brian had bought for her. Everything she had said about it seemed super sketch, so Jen was excited to hear all the details about what was likely a well-intentioned disaster.
"Well I appreciate you suffering through my old people activities," Wendal said back with a good-natured grin. "You know that I'm not going to stop going to bars and staying up until 6am with you until I drop dead doing it."
Jen didn't answer out loud, she only squeezed her boyfriend's arm, loving the way it pushed into her tiny sensitive tit when she did so.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too," he said.
The couple were the last ones to arrive and Jen waved politely to the group consisting of Gabby, Dave, Leah, Will, and Brian.
"Where's Danielle?" Jen asked.
"Dani's just in the kitchen," Brian said. Jen winced a little. She knew that Danielle hated that nickname.
"I'm just going to go say hi quickly!" Jen said and begin to walk in that direction.
"No!" Brian shouted suddenly. Jen froze and looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. "She's baking something that she insisted be a surprise. She'll be out soon and you can say hi then."
"Okaaaay," Jen said. That didn't really sound like Danielle, but she wasn't the type to be an impolite guest so she took a seat at the table next to Wendal who had already sat down. She crinkled her nose. There was a strong sweet smell that hit her immediately upon taking her seat. She looked down in front of her and noticed a cup of tea with a bright pink colour. She hadn't liked last week's orange tea either, but she found herself wishing for it now.
"You came just in time, you guys. It's cooled down just enough to taste."
"What was this called again?" Leah asked. She looked just as skeptical as Jen. She held her teacup up to her nose and took a tiny sniff. "It seems extremely sweet."
"It's one of those rare times that the smell gives a false impression of the flavour," Brian said calmly as he took a sip. "It *is* quite sweet, but it's far more smooth and full than you might expect from the smell."
Jen wasn't the only one who noticed that Brian hadn't answered the question.
"Yeah, but what's it called?" Gabby asked. "Where did you get it from?"
"Look, the name will only make you guys laugh!" Brian said, clearly feeling self-conscious now. "The preconceptions and early judgments are already far too strong. How about we all taste it together and then I'll give all the details."
"I guess that's fair," said Leah. Jen admired Leah for always speaking her mind and never letting people get away with anything. Leah also looked the way that Jen always wanted to look. They had similar slim athletic frames, but Leah had curly blonde hair and angelic rounded features that couldn't be further than Jen's sharp nose and small eyes. Jen loved that people always assumed that Leah was a pushover bimbo because of her babydoll look. Men were never prepared for the intelligent fury that Leah always hit them with.
Gabby reminded Jen a lot more of herself. Although Gabby's dark hair was short and slickly styled unlike Jen's long straight locks, and although Gabby had curves that Jen could only dream of, Jen knew that when it came to personality, they were both ultimately pushovers. It was easy for both of them to lose steam on an idea or thought if anybody showed any resistance to it. It was just the way that so many women had learned to behave growing up and it was difficult to unlearn. Gabby clearly had strong opinions but she rarely had the guts to speak them. Jen felt like Gabby's boyfriend Dave didn't really help matters either. Jen never spoke about it with Wendal because he had known Dave since they were kids, but Jen thought that Dave was a bit of a pig. She caught him checking out her ass all the time and he always cut women off but listened with interest to what men had to say. She didn't feel it was her place to say anything, but she had been growing more and more irritated by him.
Will on the other hand, Leah's boyfriend, was a charming delight. He wasn't as good looking as Jen might have expected from a stunner like Leah, but he could keep up with her intellectually and he was supportive, funny, charming, and he always dressed well. Whenever Jen and Danielle complained to each other about Wendal and Brian, they always talked about how they wished their partners were more like Will.
"Yeah, if I'm not saying anything about drinking a little pink girly tea, I'm not sure why you ladies are complaining," Dave said.
"Well I think you just did say something," Leah snapped back. Jen smiled. She could always count on Leah.
