All my loving people were seated, chummed up, at a banquet table.
A best friend catches my eye and ushers me to sit next to him. "C'mon!"
But I spot an old lover and can't help but to sit next to him instead.

Grief. Guilty delight. A little bit of mischief-happiness.
I'm sorry, but I'm really not.

We talk about good California Chardonnay. He astonishes me by choosing the right words.
Apologises for not making it to dinner the other night. "That's quite alright." I shrug.
"No, I'll make up for it soon anyway," he gleams,"and not now. Now, I am temporarily occupied with choosing the right kind of anise for my new dish."
"What dish?"

The table freezes. Murmurs; "Anise, is it? That's in this extraordinary dinde du chocolate...?"
He shrugs (muks). "Yes yes. Still on the road to perfection, alas..."
Cheers, excitement, a lovely chaos. Another best friend (the dearest of all kinds) exclaims;
"I just KNEW you'd marvel us one day!"

And I love him.