The Tenth Night
Veronica Whitby
Veronica tapped her nails against the tabletop, her patience getting thinner and thinner as the time ticked slowly by. She already knew she was going to be having some strong words with Edwin because he had been five minutes late, but the lay-about Nathan had kept them waiting for half an hour, something which was not at all acceptable in her books. Eriko and Eiko were both speaking in Japanese, after having arrived only seven minutes ago, and it wasn't like they could start their conversation without him because they were a group, although she often found herself wondering why on earth she ever spared most of them the time of day.
Just as Rae was about to get up and order another round of drinks, Nathan came strolling into the coffee shop at a leisurely pace. "What can I say - my fans love me," was his excuse as he sat in the vacant seat around their table.
"You have about as many fans as the dirt on my shoe does," Veronica snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. She was definitely not in a good mood. "But that's not what we're here to talk about."
"I think we all know what we're here for," Greg pipped up. "And I, for one, think we should just skip all these formalities and get on with it."
Before anyone could agree, Rae spoke. "You know that's not how we work. We must discuss."
Eiko muttered something to her sister and after replying back to her in Japanese, Eriko joined the conversation. "We're bored with the discussions. We already know what happened last year and what has to happen this year - let's just get on with it," she said, earning an agreement from Greg.
"Lists?" There was a flurry of movement as everyone moved to look through their pockets and bags for their piece of paper. Both twins pulled out theirs and laid them on the table, with Nathan and Edwin following suit. Rae continued to search her bag.
"I had to shred mine otherwise my daughter would have hunted for it," Greg lied, not wanting to let them know that he'd somehow lost his list after putting it away in its normal place. No one other than him and Samantha went behind the desk and he knew for a fact that she didn't have it so he had no idea where it was. "But I know the name I'm putting on the final list."
Edwin turned to Veronica and noticed she didn't have her list. "One of the boys must have eaten it. Again. I swear, if they could get away with it they would just eat paper," she said, grimacing at the mention of her children.
Rae was still rummaging through her bag. "I had it before I left to come here," she explained, dumping her wallet and other items on the table in an attempt to find the paper she was sure she had. "I don't know where it could have gone."
"Well, do you know the name?" Eriko asked, to which she nodded. "Then it doesn't matter." She then pulled out her own notebook and in English, wrote down the one name she'd carried over from her list as well as the name her sister chose too. She then slid the notebook over to Greg, who wrote down his name before sliding it over to Rae, who completed her name and gave it to Nathan. He made a stupid remark as he wrote his one down before chucking it to Edwin, who flapped about in an attempt to make sure it didn't hit the floor.
By the time it was passed to her, Veronica knew that this meeting was long past its time limit. In her neat handwriting, she wrote the name of the person she knew was the sole occupier of her list before giving it back to Eriko. She knew it'd get some questions so when the Japanese girl raised her eyebrow at the name, she was prepared. "Are you sure about this? Don't forget it's not about just about you."
"I know that," she snapped. "It's our tenth year. I've waited long enough to be able to put his name down on that list."
"You put your husband," Nathan said, a knowing smirk on his face. "Just 'cause you wanna fuck Edwin freely."
Rae frowned. "You'll do that to your boys?" she asked.
Veronica bristled. "It's my name, it's my choice. I've got my alibi for the day sorted, just tell me whether you're too afraid and I'll choose another name."
Eiko said something to her sister. "She said she agrees with the name. It's our tenth year - it's time we went one up from the previous years."
Just as Rae was about to get up and order another round of drinks, Nathan came strolling into the coffee shop at a leisurely pace. "What can I say - my fans love me," was his excuse as he sat in the vacant seat around their table.
"You have about as many fans as the dirt on my shoe does," Veronica snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. She was definitely not in a good mood. "But that's not what we're here to talk about."
"I think we all know what we're here for," Greg pipped up. "And I, for one, think we should just skip all these formalities and get on with it."
Before anyone could agree, Rae spoke. "You know that's not how we work. We must discuss."
Eiko muttered something to her sister and after replying back to her in Japanese, Eriko joined the conversation. "We're bored with the discussions. We already know what happened last year and what has to happen this year - let's just get on with it," she said, earning an agreement from Greg.
"Lists?" There was a flurry of movement as everyone moved to look through their pockets and bags for their piece of paper. Both twins pulled out theirs and laid them on the table, with Nathan and Edwin following suit. Rae continued to search her bag.
"I had to shred mine otherwise my daughter would have hunted for it," Greg lied, not wanting to let them know that he'd somehow lost his list after putting it away in its normal place. No one other than him and Samantha went behind the desk and he knew for a fact that she didn't have it so he had no idea where it was. "But I know the name I'm putting on the final list."
Edwin turned to Veronica and noticed she didn't have her list. "One of the boys must have eaten it. Again. I swear, if they could get away with it they would just eat paper," she said, grimacing at the mention of her children.
Rae was still rummaging through her bag. "I had it before I left to come here," she explained, dumping her wallet and other items on the table in an attempt to find the paper she was sure she had. "I don't know where it could have gone."
"Well, do you know the name?" Eriko asked, to which she nodded. "Then it doesn't matter." She then pulled out her own notebook and in English, wrote down the one name she'd carried over from her list as well as the name her sister chose too. She then slid the notebook over to Greg, who wrote down his name before sliding it over to Rae, who completed her name and gave it to Nathan. He made a stupid remark as he wrote his one down before chucking it to Edwin, who flapped about in an attempt to make sure it didn't hit the floor.
By the time it was passed to her, Veronica knew that this meeting was long past its time limit. In her neat handwriting, she wrote the name of the person she knew was the sole occupier of her list before giving it back to Eriko. She knew it'd get some questions so when the Japanese girl raised her eyebrow at the name, she was prepared. "Are you sure about this? Don't forget it's not about just about you."
"I know that," she snapped. "It's our tenth year. I've waited long enough to be able to put his name down on that list."
"You put your husband," Nathan said, a knowing smirk on his face. "Just 'cause you wanna fuck Edwin freely."
Rae frowned. "You'll do that to your boys?" she asked.
Veronica bristled. "It's my name, it's my choice. I've got my alibi for the day sorted, just tell me whether you're too afraid and I'll choose another name."
Eiko said something to her sister. "She said she agrees with the name. It's our tenth year - it's time we went one up from the previous years."