Before they could escape, though, she wiped them clean while the others were too busy with their argument to notice her change of expression Since growing up, Evonne had never had a chance to get drunk.
She had never even been near to or tasted alcohol since the moment she was born. No, wait. That was a lie. She had been near alcohol.
In her life as a dentist, she had been near the Bunsen burner many times, with its purple spirit, making impression trays for the molding of her patients' teeth. But that's the alcohol required for lighting flames, not the drinkable sort. "You're underage, James," Rina said, cutting her thoughts. "More importantly, James Alexander, you broke the law." Rosa topped it off. "What, Rosa? Are you gonna tell my mum?" James challenged.
"Phone her in Dubai?" "I think I might," Rosa answered, walking towards the phone. "You wouldn't dare." James gasped. "It's gonna cost Evonne a fortune to phone Dubai. Plus, you don't know her phone number."
"Oh, I would, James Alexander ." Rosa nodded to show she meant business and picked up the phone. "I could always ask Evonne for your mum's phone number. Plus, I'll pay for the phone bills."
"You witch." James gasped, head bulldozing at Rosa. "Now, now, you two, stop it. It's Evonne's birthday, after all." Rina interrupted their feud, catching James 's head just in time before he made contact with Rosa's stomach. "I don't want his mom to know James has gone out. It would look bad on her behalf."
"Oh, thank you, Rina." James forgot all about his anger and went to wind his arm around Rina instead, resting his head on her shoulder like a little puppy asking for affection. "You're the best, not like my cuz and that Wicked Witch of Oz." "Excuse me?" Rosa huffed at James. "No, nothing, I didn't say anything."
James pretended to zip his mouth. "Rina, you didn't hear anything, right?" There was a look of sadness and longing on Rina's face that James couldn't understand. It only appeared for a fleeting second before it disappeared again. "I didn't hear that," Rina said, smiling at James with affection. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, then," Rosa finally said, letting the subject go.
"All right," Rina said, smiling too enthusiastically this time. "Now, James, say your congratulations to your cousin." And that was when they all noticed Evonne had gone completely silent and a sad look plastered on her face again, just like the face she had made when she blew out the candles.
Rosa was the first to react, folding her arms around her friend to comfort her, while Rina went to grab some green tea, with James following blindly behind her, having not a clue as to what had just happened.
Once Evonne and Rosa were on the couch and Rina and James came back with the steaming green tea, they all sat in a circle, giving Evonne their undivided attention.
"That's it. I'm not going to cry over what's already been done, or hasn't been done," Evonne declared with her head held high. "We are going out tonight." "Wherever you're going, can I come too?" James asked enthusiastically.
"Not unless you have a death wish," Evonne said, eyeing her cousin sternly while the two friends pondered Evonne's declaration.
Yes, Evonne thought. She might be old and yes, she might be on the shelf, but it wasn't too late yet to find her own family, her very own husband, and find love. Starting tonight, she was going to reverse the clock. Tonight, they were going clubbing!