Jennie
"Tzuyu can eat the frosting, Momo can eat the cake." I problem solve and then quickly change the subject. "So, you said the three of you went to school together?"
"Yes, we met at Seoul National University. We worked hard and played hard, didn't we?" Momo says.
"What about you?" Tzuyu points her fork at Bambam and Irene. "How do you two know each other?"
It seems that I'm not the only one who is getting a weird vibe from the pair. They look at each other like they're both waiting on the other to answer.
"Well..." Bambam finally starts, "I think we mostly always knew each other. Irene grew up right down the road. She's like a sister to me."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Lena says and gets a laugh.
"Speaking of siblings..." Momo pipes in. "Mina, dearest, where's that troublesome sibling of yours?"
"Lisa?" Mina squishes her cake piece on her plate. "She's around. Somewhere. Doing whatever Lisa does."
"But the bridesmaids are all here." Tzuyu and Momo laugh at their own joke.
I feel a nagging curiosity tingling in my chest. I try to push it down and focus on the cake (it's really sinfully sweet), but then my big mouth gets the better of me. "Does Lisa have a reputation?"
"Oh, please." Momo sighs. "She was practically our sorority's mascot. Everyone got a ride on Lisa Manoban at one point or another, if you know what I mean."
"Not everyone." Mina shoots back.
"No, you're right." Momo says. "We avoided that honey trap, didn't we?"
"Speak for yourself, dear." Tzuyu murmurs under her breath, just as I'm passing the plate over of chocolate cake over. I lose my grip at her comment, and the plate nearly flies out of my hands. I catch it, but not soon enough. A square of chocolate cake, topped with creamy, dark frosting, topples off the plate and lands directly on Tzuyu's stark white blazer.
Tzuyu cries out bloody murder, and the table lapses into silence. "My Ralph Lauren!" she screeches. "Do you know how much this costs? It's ruined!"
"I'm sorry," I stammer, "I'm so sorry..."
"Aww, put a sock in it!" Irene laughs. "It's just cake! See?" With that, she grabs a handful of lemon cake and throws it across the table when it hits...
The bride-to-be. It smashes into her hair and rolls down her dress.
For a second, everyone, even Tzuyu, is quiet.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." Irene groans. "That was meant for Bam, not you."
Mina picks the white frosting out of her hair and screws her eyebrows together. "Top score for creativity." Mina says. "But if I were you, I'd go with the red velvet cake. It does much more damage."
With that, she picks up a square of red velvet between her manicured nails and rubs it on Bambam's chest, all over his nice shirt.
"Hey!" Bambam barks. "I like this shirt!"
"Now it's handsome and delicious." Mina grins and sucks the frosting off her finger.
"Son of a..." Bambam throws a square of cake back at her, and Mina yelps with laughter.
"I want in!" Lena says.
Before I know it, cake pieces are flying back and forth across the table, hitting everyone. The tasting has dissolved into an all-out food fight. So much for keeping a handle on it. Tzuyu and Momo shriek and flop helplessly, so I usher them out of their seats and out of the line of fire. I tug them into the nearby bathroom.
Here, Tzuyu looks like she's about to cry. I quickly yank a paper towel out of the container, wet the edge, and try to pick apart the chocolate smear on her blazer.
"It looks like I crapped myself!" Tzuyu whines.
"Tzuyu! It's on your shoulder! How would you have crapped all the way up there?" Momo shouts at her.
"I don't know!" Tzuyu snaps back.
"Are you going to be okay?" I ask as I continue to try to clean it up.
"It's a disaster."
"Can I get you a flat white from Starbucks after this? What do you think?"
Tzuyu pouts puppy-like and nods.
Once everyone has settled down, we close out the tab with Audrant Bakery.
"The vanilla cream cake." Mina tells the owner through shrill, hiccupping little giggles as she dabs tears from the corners of her eyes. "We'll order the vanilla cream wedding cake, please."
Meanwhile, Irene has taken over the task of cleaning up Bambam. She wets a napkin and rubs it over his broad chest. They laugh about it, and I notice her eyes never leave his face.
Like a sister, huh? I think to myself.
As much as it pains me to admit it, maybe Lisa was right. Maybe Bambam is a little less innocent than he lets on.
I only feel a little guilty telling them to bill Lisa for the clean-up crew before we head out to the nearest Starbucks.
