"I'm seriously getting impatient with this whole arrangent." Joanna resud her complaints after rechecking the ti on her wristwatch. "This is already 7: 30 PM and Alia hasn't shown up. First, she changed the ti of our eting claiming sothing urgent ca up. And now, she is thirty minutes late. Are we just going to sit down here and keep acting like nothing is wrong."
"Just exercise a little more patience, Jay." Stacy pleaded. "I texted her two minutes ago and she said she's close to the coffee shop."
"I'm sure she has a good reason for coming late," Kayla added in a pleading tone.
"Also, this would be the first ti Alia is arriving late to a eting. She always keeps to ti." Adriana pointed out as she sank her teeth into a moist chocolate muffin. "Mmm....you guys really need to try this. It's so yummy."
"Speak of the devil," Nicole said excitedly pulling everyone's attention to the approaching young lady, who seed to have captivated the attention of an elderly couple about to leave the coffee shop.
"Why is she dressed like soone going to a charity event?" Kayla raised an eyebrow at Alia's decent humble girl look.
"You can ask her yourself." Adrianna's words were muffled by the large portion of muffin in her mouth.
"Ann, that is unladylike. Don't talk with your mouth full." Nicole shot her a comic sneer.
"Yes, mummy." Adrianna mimicked the voice of a little girl while sticking out her tongue causing everyone to burst into laughter.
"I hope you guys are not talking about ." Alia joined her friends beaming as they all stood up to receive her.
"They all are, except ." Stacy was the first to embrace Alia since she was closer to her.
"Is that so?" Alia eyed all her friends playfully.
"Kayla said you look like her grandmother in that dress," Nicole said, grinning mischievously.
"That's not what I said?" Kayla pouted adorably. "But really, why do you dress like this? Are you coming from visiting the elderly people's ho?"
"Or the church?" Nicole chirped, laughing.
"Or your in-laws." Adrianna bead as she took her turn, hugging Alia.
"Yes." Alia smiled as she took her seat, observing Joanna's sowhat cold reception.
"Yes, what?" Nicole asked as they all settled down.
"Yes, I'm coming from my in-law's house and I had to look modest," Alia replied nonchalantly, dropping her handbag off the table.
Muffled gasps drowned the earlier excitent as everyone on the table aside from Stacy was incredibly shocked.
This was the first ti Alia was saying anything about her secret marriage and they were all intrigued to know who this so-called in-law and lucky husband was.
"When you say in-law, are you referring to your new husband?" Nicole asked, eyes widened.
"Who else would she be referring to if not her new husband?" Kayla rolled her eyes at her bestie before asking the right question. "So who is this lucky man who has stolen your breath away?"
"More like her brains, if you ask ?" Joanna couldn't explain why she suddenly felt bitter and sowhat jealous of Alia.
"Jay, that's not a nice thing to say." Adrianna frowned. "You don't have to be nasty to..."
"No, it's fine." Alia quickly interrupted Adrianna from tongue-lashing Joanna. "Before I reveal the identity of my husband, I owe everyone seated at this table an apology."
"Yes, you do." Joanna rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her strawberry milkshake with the straw.
Kayla shot Joanna a glare but didn't say anything.
"At least order sothing before you start apologizing," Nicole suggested, raising her right hand to signal the waiter.
"No. I'm full. I can't eat anything right now." Alia smiled in appreciation.
"At least, take a bite of this chocolate muffin, you will thank later." Adriana served Alia her last cup of the tasty muffins, not taking no for an answer.
"Thanks, Ann." Alia's smile widened. She picked up the muffin and took a small bite. "Mmm...yummy."
"I told ya." Adriana chirped like soone who had won a lottery.
"Ahem." Joanna cleared her throat impatiently. A few kilotres away from where they were assembled, soone was waiting breathlessly to see and hear what Alia was about to say.
Everyone at the table turned to stare at Joanna who was now checking her wristwatch as though she had so other important place to be.
Dropping the muffin back on her plate, Alia turned to face Joanna, whose gaze was turned sideways.
Jay, I'm very sorry."
"Amy, you don't have to..."
"Allow her." Stacy patted Kayla on the arm.
Others on the table weren't happy with the way Joanna was going about this. They all knew this was because of Tina, - who had virtually called everyone on the table, lanting about her ex, telling them how much she loved him and would die if soone took him away from her.
"You are my friend and I cherish you a lot." Alia continued in her subtle tone. "I'm sorry I didn't take your call after I left the event venue yesterday. It wasn't intentional. There was a lot on my plate that I had to deal with. That was why I switched off my phone."
"You could have at least replied to one of my text ssages." Joanna t Alia's gaze with a sneer. "That is what a real friend would do instead of cowering in the face of a confrontation."
Alia frowned.
"Joanna, watch your tone," Stacy warned.
"Yes, Joanna. No one here is a coward."
"Can you all stop interfering and allow to air my mind?" Joanna snapped, unable to hide her disgust anymore.
"Excuse ?" Nicole flashed Joanna a look of disgust. "Don't use that tone on this table. I will not take it from you."
"Girls, please. Let's not quarrel over this." Alia pleaded, trying her best not to lose her temper. "Jay, I'm listening."
"As I was saying." Joanna ignored the nasty glares in her direction. "The way you handled the situation after we all tried reaching you last night was not right. There are better ways to address your friends when there is a case of misinformation or mistrust. Nevertheless, I am happy that you are finally here to fix it. So let here your defence."
Alia releases a heavy sigh. "Thanks and I'm sorry for the way I handled everything. Joanna is right. I could have done better. But I want you all to know I would never hurt any mber of this group. Beyond friends, I see you all as my sisters from different mothers."
"Aww...now you're going to make cry." Kayle faked a sniffle.
"Can you stop being dramatic for once?" Nicole eyed Kayla, clicking her tongue playfully.
"Drama is my middle na, honey." Kayla winked at Nicole before turning to Alia, throwing a grape into her mouth." You can continue my darling. You're doing a great job." She gave her a thumbs up.
Alia gave a faint smile before dropping the bomb on everyone. "Before I comnt on yesterday's episode, I would like to formally inform you all that Mr Blaze Anderson is my husband."
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