Some people gathered at the side of the barbecue grill. They were roasting, dropping the ingredients, watching the fires, adding charcoal, and skewering the meat... Apart from Arabella and Janessa who took pictures, almost everyone else gathered around to tell jokes.
It was because Randy told them about the embarrassing thing in the hot spring in Korea. And then things got a little spontaneous. Others began to tell their own embarrassing stories. It was both funny and shocking.
Noticing their laughter, Janessa hurriedly put away the camera and rushed over. She happened to hear a minion of Randy telling jokes.
"I read this joke. It's really funny, but it may spoil your appetite, so don't eat anything for now...." He gave a slight cough and then continued, "Well, there's a patient who went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor asked him to take a stool test, but he couldn't poop at the hospital, so the doctor gave him a cup and asked him to bring it back tomorrow morning. But the next day... Ha-ha..."
He couldn't help but giggle. The person next to him pushed him and then he continued, "But the next day, the patient came back empty handed. The doctor asked him, "Where's the cup?" The patient replied with an expression of great frustration. He brought it with him when he left home. He was afraid it would fall out, so he wrapped it tightly in newspapers. Finally, he wrapped it in black tape. But when he got out of the car, he found the tape had been cut and his bowels had disappeared.... Ha-ha! "
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone looked down at the kebabs in their hands but had no appetite.
Randy slapped that man and shouted, "Scram! You have ruined our appetites!"
The others looked at each other with embarrassment but suddenly laughed at the same time, including Emma, who was skewering the meat. She pursed her lips with a faint smile, but Jaquan noticed it and kept staring at her.
Arabella also noticed it. When she was looking at Jaquan, she found he was tilting his head to look at something. Then she followed his gaze and saw Emma.
Arabella was not sure what Jaquan was looking at. She followed his gaze several times and could only see Emma and Stony. So, Jaquan must be looking at Emma.
Why was he staring at her?
Could it be that he liked Emma?!
Arabella was somewhat disbelieving and even felt ridiculous. They all knew that Emma had a son. Regardless of whether she was married or divorced, Emma had such a big child with another man. Arabella had been tolerant since she could accept that Jaquan liked any woman. But it couldn't be Emma who had such a big child.
How could he? How could he like Emma?!
Arabella almost laughed in her exasperation. By the time she realized it, she was already standing in front of Emma.
Noticing Arabella coming, Emma moved aside to give her space. Arabella stood beside Emma, picked up a disposable glove, and put it on. Then, she began to skewer the mushroom.
Seemingly inadvertently, Arabella glanced sideways and saw Jaquan gazing at Emma.
Her anger exploded as if magma was erupting violently and burning her heart.
"I have forgotten to ask you. Where's your husband?" Arabella asked in a low voice. Her tone was light and casual but her grip on the skewer was so tight that her knuckles turned white.
Emma paused and turned to look at Arabella before saying, "He's gone abroad."
"Abroad? Which country? What is he doing?" Arabella asked again.
"America. He is a chef in a restaurant in Chinatown."
Arabella breathed a sigh of relief. Since Emma had a husband, Jaquan wouldn't have a chance. So, she softened her tone and asked, "Isn't it very hard to take care of the child alone?"
"I'm OK." Emma had been indifferent. She just focused on dealing with the food with her head down as if Arabella's questions didn't bother her at all.
Stony glanced at Arabella, then quietly walked over to Jaquan, pulled at his trouser legs, and whispered, "Mr. Jaquan, shall you go to my mother's side?"
Jaquan wanted to go, but there were so many people including Arabella. He didn't want to be too eye-catching.
However, he did not expect Stony looked so nervous.
There were about five people between him and Emma. He looked back slightly and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"Mom doesn't like to talk about the past," said Stony, pursing his lips. "That beautiful woman has been asking."
Jaquan noticed it when Arabella went to Emma, but he didn't expect Arabella to ask Emma about the past.
"OK, I'll go over later. You go back." He took a few sauce-coated kebabs from Ferne and handed them to Stony. "Give them to your mother and let her find a place to eat."
Stony realized it and smiled, "Got it."
He handed the kebabs to Emma and then pulled her elsewhere to eat. Emma took off her disposable gloves and walked towards the disposable dining table with Stony.
Jaquan took some skewers and walked towards Arabella. After Emma left, Arabella had planned to leave as well. But after taking off her gloves, she saw Jaquan coming with three grilled squids and a sausage. So, she stopped there.
Beside her, Ferne and Noah were talking and Randy's people were joking. The delighted laughter echoed through the forest.
"Do you want it?" Jaquan handed the squid to Arabella.
Arabella hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.
She wondered if Jaquan came to blame her.
But Jaquan just stood there eating grilled squid with her. He didn't say anything nor did he ask.
He came just to give her squid? Could it be that he wanted to make up with her?
But why had he been peeking at Emma?
Arabella couldn't figure it out.
Jaquan handed over a napkin. Arabella took it and wiped her mouth. Then she looked up and saw Emily eating grilled sausage on the other side. Her mouth was stained with sauce. Vincent was wiping her mouth with a napkin. When he finished it, he pressed his finger heavily on her lips. Emily glared at him in pain.
It was said that once a man fell in love, he would be very childish and deliberately do something to attract the attention of the woman he liked. Arabella never thought Vincent would be so childish.
Neither did she expect that since she was with Jaquan, Jaquan had never been childish.
"Everyone, come over and eat!" Randy called.
Everyone sat at the dining table. Only Harold and Rex stayed at the grill, watching the clams and abalone on it and dropping some seasoning.
Emily took two drumsticks from Ferne before she left. She gave one to Harold and the other to Rex. They then ate it face to face. Insensibly, they started a game to see who was faster. There was no referee or timer. They just stared at each other while gnawing at the drumstick. Rex finished it quickly. When he was about to show the bare bone to Harold, he heard creaking sounds. Then Harold opened his mouth and it was nothing inside.
"..."
This guy had eaten the bone! How could he take it so far?!
Rex made no complaint but continued to turn the abalone over. As he did that, he regretted that they should race to eat abalone to see if Rex ate the shell!
Ferne brought red wine with him every time he went out. He took it out and poured everyone a cup. They drank red wine while eating the roasted food. In the deep forest, the air was very fresh, which was a pleasure to breathe.
Janessa didn't eat much but kept taking pictures. There were pictures of Emma and Stony eating on the dining chair, Ferne and Noah spreading sauce side by side, Vincent wiping Emily's mouth, and Harold and Rex eating drumsticks with their eyes wide open. Janessa turned around and the camera captured Armando.
His hair was too short, less than two centimeters long. The buzz cut made him look a little fierce, but his sincere eyes looked at Janessa like a loyal dog begging for something.
"Stop filming. Let’s eat." Armando said as he got her the only chair that had a cushion on it.
Janessa grunted assent and sat down. Then all the people present stood up and propose a toast. “May our dreams come true in the new year. May all lovers unite in marriage. May our love true and eternal. When we meet again in the future, we could still get together so happily, enjoy the cheap barbecue, drink the expensive red wine, and have a breath of fresh air while talking and playing around.