019

THE soft glow of amber lights bounced across the bar as the three friends settled into their usual corner table. The place was alive but not rowdy, low music drifting from hidden speakers, clinking glasses, and laughter from a group of young men at the far end. A waiter approached, laying down a bucket of ice and three tall glasses.

“Your usual?” the waiter asked, already reaching for a bottle of scotch.

“Yeah, line them up,” Jakes said, loosening his tie and leaning back with an easy grin. Adrian gave a small nod, scrolling briefly through his phone before placing it face down on the table. Leonard was already drumming his fingers impatiently, eager for the first round.

The waiter poured generously, the golden liquid catching the light, before stepping back with a polite smile.

“Ah,” Leonard exhaled, lifting his glass. “Finally, something to wash off the stress of this week.”

“To the weekend,” Jakes added, clinking glasses with the others.

They took a sip in unison, the warmth settling in. Conversation flowed easily, moving from business to random life stories. Then, out of nowhere, Jakes leaned forward.

“Did you guys hear? Kenny’s mum finally passed.”

The laughter and ease at the table fell still. Adrian set down his glass slowly. 

“She had been sick a long while.”

“Yeah,” Jakes said with a sigh, scratching his chin. “Hospitals, treatments… the whole works. I think it is a relief for her, finally at peace.”

Leonard shook his head, swirling his drink. 

“Sad, but you know Kenny, right? Nothing in his life is ever small. If it is a funeral, trust me, it is going to be a full-blown event.”

Adrian and Jakes chuckled knowingly.

“You are right,” Adrian said. “Man doesn’t know how to go low-key. Even grief, he will turn it into something loud.”

“Loud?” Jakes leaned forward, grinning. “He already said it himself, it is not ‘gone too soon,’ it is a celebration of life. He wants the after-party buzzing. Music, drinks, everything.”

That set them all laughing. Leonard slapped the table. 

“That is Kenny! Trust him to mourn with champagne and a dance floor.”

“Still,” Adrian said, voice softer now, “we should be there. Show him he is not alone. Presence, support, even financially if need be. That is what friends are for.”

“Count me in,” Jakes said quickly, raising his glass. “I will clear my calendar for him.”

“Same here,” Leonard agreed. “No excuses.”

Another waiter walked up just then, this time with a tray of fresh cocktails, sliding them onto the table in place of their empty glasses. Adrian nodded in thanks.

“Well,” Adrian said, picking up the tall glass of rum punch, “once he fixes a date, I’m booking a suite immediately. Not going to risk late arrangements.”

Jakes grinned. 

“Good call. I will do the same. And trust me, I’m not going solo. I know you will be at that after-party with Vivian.”

At her name, Adrian’s lips twitched, almost betraying something, but he nodded calmly. 

“Fair enough. You know me though, I stick to one mistress.”

Jakes chuckled knowingly. 

“Yeah, yeah. Mr. Loyal, in disguise.” 

They laughed.

“Women.” Leonard lifted up his glass, “I don't need to worry, I know there would be enough at that party, side by side with booze,” he laughed.

“Ahh! Leonard, ahh!” Jakes lamented, Adrian just shook his head, laughing.

Leonard scoffed, his eyes lighting up mischievously. 

“Speaking of women… guess who has got a new catch?”

Both Adrian and Jakes groaned in unison.

“Again?” Adrian frowned, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just introduce us to… what was her name last week? Sandra?”

Leonard waved a dismissive hand. 

“Old story. She was too clingy. This new one, she is perfect balance. Hot, independent, and knows how to keep her distance.”

Jakes laughed, nearly spilling his drink. 

“Leonard, every day, it is a new girl. You are turning it into a career at this point.”

“I’m not complaining,” Leonard shot back, smirking. “Life is short, my friends. Why waste it with one flavor?”

Adrian set down his glass with a deliberate thud. His tone was calm, but his words were weighted. 

“Leonard, I have got to say this. The way you change women, it is dangerous. You are exposing yourself. All these infections, all these risks… one day, it will catch up to you.”

“Exactly,” Jakes chimed in, wagging a finger. “Man, slow down. Not every pretty face is worth the hospital bills. Don’t wait till you are lying on a bed regretting.”

Leonard laughed loudly, throwing his head back. The waiter passing by gave him a curious look.

“Relax!” Leonard finally said between chuckles. “You two worry too much. I’m clean, I’m careful. Even though I go raw, I do it with precision. I’m as free from infections as you are from poverty.”

Jakes shook his head, smirking. 

“Your mouth will land you in trouble one day.”

Adrian didn’t smile. He leaned forward, lowering his voice. 

“It is not just about you, Leonard. Women like Clara… they don’t deserve to spend their lives in hospitals because of one man’s carelessness.”

For a second, Leonard’s smirk faltered, but he quickly recovered. 

“Clara? Come on, don’t drag her into this. She has got her issues, sure, but that is not on me. I’m fine, and I always will be fine.”

Adrian sat back, eyes narrowing, but he let the matter drop. Jakes coughed, trying to diffuse the tension.

“Alright, alright,” Jakes said, lifting his glass again. “Let’s not ruin good drinks with lectures. Here is to Kenny, his mum is gone, but we will show him he has got brothers who have got his back.”

They clinked glasses once more. Leonard’s grin returned, Jakes laughed easily, and Adrian forced a small smile. But even as the alcohol burned warmly down his throat, Adrian’s thoughts remained heavy, circling around Leonard’s careless bravado and Clara’s endless hospital visits.

Some truths, he knew, could no longer be ignored.

***

Immediately after finishing up from the lounge, Adrian drove straight to his girlfriend's. In her bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed, his back slightly hunched, his eyes following her every move. Vivian, already dressed in soft silk pajamas, crossed the room with measured steps. She pulled open her closet door, reached in, and brought out a slim envelope. Her expression was unreadable as she walked back and sat beside him, close enough that the faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air.

Wordlessly, she handed him the envelope.

Adrian’s brows furrowed, his lips tightening as though he expected a blow. He took the envelope, glancing at her for some sign, but she gave him nothing, no words, no emotion, just that calm, unreadable stare.

With a quiet exhale, he tore it open. Inside was a single folded sheet of white paper. He pulled it out and unfolded it slowly, his fingers deliberate, his eyes darting quickly across the lines with the calculated courage of a man used to bracing himself for unpleasant truths.

The silence in the room thickened. Vivian didn’t move; she simply watched him.

When Adrian finished reading, he closed his eyes briefly, then folded the paper back with careful precision. Turning to her, he finally spoke, his voice low but steady.

“It is nothing serious,” he said, letting out a small sigh. “Just typhoid and malaria… you will be fine.”

Vivian tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into something that wasn’t quite a smile. 

“Hmm,” she murmured. Then, after a brief pause, she asked, “What if I was pregnant?”

The words froze him. Adrian’s hand stilled halfway through folding the paper, his gaze snapping back to her. For a moment, he said nothing, simply held her eyes. Then, with a deliberate calm, he replied:

“Vivian, don’t get pregnant.”

Her eyes widened, as though his words struck deeper than she expected. She scoffed lightly, a sharp sound in the quiet room. “Oh!” she exclaimed under her breath, almost mocking.

“What if I am pregnant?” she pressed, her voice firmer this time.

Adrian turned fully toward her, locking his gaze with hers. His answer came with a finality that left no room for doubt:

“The only person allowed to get pregnant, is my wife,” he said.