[ilikeoldchangke]

It took a couple of seconds for me to digest what Celeste just told me over the phone. I asked her if she’s with Ella and she told me she was.


Celeste : Ella’s getting changed in the bathroom, we’re heading down for lunch. Come join us….and go check on Don, he’s not picking up his phone.





I agreed and sent Don a text, saying that I’m heading down to have lunch with him.


Don sms : Bring your swim stuff




I ignored his message and looked at the state of my cupboard and laundry basket. The reality of staying alone meant my weekend is spent doing laundry and ironing my clothes for the new week ahead.





I was too busy to do a mid week wash and now the clothes are spilling out of the basket and onto the floor.


It’s ridiculous but I cannot even find a pair of berms.




Eventually I found one that has a loose button but it still works so I pull it over my boxers, threw on a crumpled t-shirt and got myself onto a cab






1.40pm


As the cab drew up to the hotel in clarke quay, I could not help but feel a tiny tinge of excitement that I would be seeing Celeste in a few moments.


I don’t know why but someone it just gave me that butterfly in my stomach feeling.


I entered the lobby at 1.45pm and I gave Don a call.



3 calls in fact but there was no answer.


I tried Celeste phone and she picked it up right away.



James : Hey… I can’t go up to the room without the card. Where are you guys ?


Celeste : Hold on.



A few seconds later, she resumed the call






Celeste : Ella and I are eating over at the restaurant. Don should be in his room I think… I did not tell Ella that you are coming…. Where are you ?


James : By the lift…




The call ended abruptly and I turned my head just in time to see Celeste popped out from around the corner.



The moment I laid eyes on her, I had this really sunny, Sunday feel. I don’t know how to explain this but it’s that cheerful bright spark that seem to stir up your emotions.


Celeste was wearing, I don’t know what do you call that. It looked like a dress but it’s not.



A thick scarf like halter twirled around her neck once, with the plaid resting at the middle of her chest. That knot like tie reminded me of some sick Japanese porn I was watching the other day.


The plaid continued diagonally outwards from the center of her chest before it disappear into a tube like top. It looks like it’s 2 different pieces but it’s actually just 1 continuous piece.




The pale blue fabric has no pattern other that it’s original texture.

As the top flowed downwards, it clinged on tightly to Celeste’s bottom before ending an inch above the knee.





She had on a simple pair of silver flats and a pair of silver earrings that seem to glitter and flow like the wispy strands on spider web against the sun.


As we closed the distance between us, I could not help but stare a moment longer at her, my mind already starting to wander.







James : that… is a…. Nice dress…



She smiled and passed me the key card from the back of her phone pouch.



Celeste : I didn’t think it was nice for me to just open the suite, that job is yours.



James : How’s Ella ? She still angry ?






Celeste went on to tell me that Don said some pretty hurtful stuff to Ella that morning, that’s why everything went south.



I told her don’t worry, I’ll get Don down, we’ll all sit down and have a nice lunch together. We can talk things out.




It took a good 5 minutes of knocking before Don unlatched the door. My key card is useless with the latch on.





Don : sorry… I was soaking in the bathtub…. Dam shoik.


James : Get dressed, we’re going down to eat.





I saw the 4 cm scratch across Don’s forehead and I asked for his version of the story. He was a little reluctant to tell me everything and even more reluctant to tell me Ella hit him.






I found out that in the heat of a moment, Ella actually threw the phone at Don and that somehow caused the cut.


James : Ok la. Ok la…. 1st day husband and wife… don’t start your marriage on this sour note la.






I pressed Don further to find out why was Ella so mad and he told me that he scolded her for not sleeping by his side on their wedding night.




James : That’s all ? …




Don : Ermm… i… said she must be having fun with other guys while I was out drunk…..




I shook my head and hurried Don along, I managed to get him out of the suite and down to the restaurant at 2.00pm





It was a tense moment from the very beginning when Ella caught sight of Don and me.




Don : Eh… not now la…James… we…


James : Don’t be a pussy la… .. let’s get this over and done with.






Celeste actually stood up as we approached the table. Before anyone could say a word, she reached out her hand to take mine.


Celeste : James… we go and get more food before the close the buffet… lai lai…



It was just a brief second or 2 of Celeste touching my hand but it was enough. That sweetness sent a tingle down my spine as we took some food for the table to share.


We kept an eye on Don and Ella from the buffet line and they don’t seem to be talking, just staring at each other.







Celeste nudge me on my elbow.


Celeste : Eh… like this cannot la…. We need to do something…


James : Ermmm like what ?




Celeste : I don’t know…. Like something to jump start the conversation.






We went back to the table with some food but Celeste and I did most of the talking. Don and Ella still refuse to talk to each other directly.



Things got slightly better when I dropped a couple of pieces of peel prawn on Ella’s plate. Don immediately reached over and took the prawns away.







Don : Ella….don’t take prawns….. her throat will get itchy….


Ella looked away but I could tell that sentence did something magical to the stalemate.






Celeste’s eyes widen and as if she had a stroke of inspiration, she started dropping food onto Don’s plate.




She tried curry chicken, followed by satay, then bake fish, each a left over bread roll she ate, sashimi, noodles.





Every piece she dropped, she would look eagerly towards Ella, as if expecting her to stop her when something Don did not like fell on his plate.





Ella rolled her eyes at Celeste before a giggle burst out.


Ella : Stop it… he eats everything…







The temperature around the table cooled down several notches when Don apologised and when Ella apologised too, the conversation started flowing.


By 3pm when the restaurant staff told us the buffet line is closing, we’re pretty much back to normal.




Ella was still quite sore about Don passing out on their big day and we all could tell she was about to start another one of her rants.


I was not about to let a healing wound reopen so I blurted out that Don had already made plans to apologise.







James : Actually…. Don made plans already…. To give you a surprise….


I could see all eyes turning towards me all of a sudden and I raised up my hand to calm everyone down.


James : Yes… yes.. there’s something Don planned for….. I need to go check on the progress…






James : Don’t come up to the suite first ya….






This time round I reached out for Celeste’s hand but she slap it away playfully and said she would join me on the supervision of the surprise.



The moment we are out of earshot, Celeste immediately knew what to do.






Celeste : Okok… let’s chin chye buy some balloons and party stuff from across the road, decorate a bit , light some candles or something.