A Sauce Down the Pole

Chapter 46

"I think this dress is too tight, I won't be able to eat and drink as much as I want", Omuhle said fixing her dress, "Why did you buy a smaller size, Ntando can you please pass me the mascara", Mandy was busy with her make up. "I bought it a month ago, it was a perfect fit then, I don't know why I am gaining every day", she explained, "Duh, you eat a lot lately", Peace said wearing her heels. Azana was done and waiting for them to finish, "Guys can you hurry up, remember we booked a table, now imagine if we don't show up on time."

They were going to their end-year dinner, they were all done with their exams and were preparing to go home soon. Peace had a cute dinner date with Rea a day before, saying their goodbyes and wishing each other a good festive season. It has been over a month since she spoke to Akwande, she broke up with him. She was still dealing with her broken heart but was getting better every day, her busy schedule played a major role towards her healing. They had fixed things with Azana, and they were close again. She informed her friends about the breakup, she never confirmed that he cheated but they could tell. Peace did not like to talk about stuff that would make her emotional or where she would feel like a fool, so they never really asked her.

They were finally at the restaurant, "This place is beautiful", Peace was taken away by the architecture of the building, "And expensive, I swear people think we are rich", Ntando added, "I hope so", Omuhle said. "I cannot believe this is our last gathering this year, I'm gonna miss you guys", Mandy said in a squeaky voice, "Bruh, the year passed by so fast, there's a lot we did not do", Peace added, "Yeah, I wish we can have one more month", Ntando said pouring herself a drink, "In fact, let's get shots for that, tonight we gonna party like it's our last time because it is". A few minutes later, shots were brought to their table, "Till next year!", Azana raised her shot, and they all followed as they all lifted their shot glasses, "Till next year!", they all said in unison. "Oh, I love you guys", Peace said shaking off the shot from her head. "This music is going to kill our vibe", Omuhle complained, "True, I hope they change it soon", Peace agreed.

They were the life of the party, making all kinds of noise. They had asked the DJ to play their kind of music. They owned the dance floor with a few individuals joining them, mostly men. "Peace, these are our new friends, they are handling the bill from now on", the drunk Azana walked towards Peace with two men by her side, "Hi guys", Peace greeted not trusting them with their bill. "Hi, I'm Sipho, this is my friend, Corry", he introduced himself. Sipho was visibly interested in Peace, so Azana and Corry left them to talk after they all engage in a little conversation. Unfortunately for Sipho, the music was too loud for him to properly have a conversation with Peace, and she really wanted to party with her friend, so they exchanged numbers, and Peace promised to see him before they leave.

"Second location, any suggestions?", the restaurant closed at 10 pm, but they still wanted to party. "Let's go to your workplace", Azana suggested, "Girl, get that out of your mind, the boss banned me from coming with my friends to work", she said honestly, "What? Why?", they all asked in unison, Peace never told her friends about her new rules at work, "He just wants to punish me, do not worry I got it, let's just go somewhere else", she did not want to talk about it, especially now. "Okay, I think I see a spot next to your workplace, it closes at 4 am, what do you think?", Peace gave it a thought, it would piss Antonio off to know she was partying next door, she knew that club was his competition and he would not appreciate one of his best dancers going there, "Let's go", they ordered an uber right away.

"Y'all need a ride?", Sipho parked his BMW next to them, "We already ordered an Uber", Peace answered. He got out of the car, "Where y'all going? You don't seem like people who are going home". Now that they were outside, she had the opportunity to analyze him, he was a proper African man, a man Peace had always dreamed of, his beard made him look 10x attractive. Peace was lost in admiring him when Omuhle clapped her hands to get her attention, "What's up with you? The man is offering to take us there", Omuhle explained to her friend who missed that. "We won't fit Omu, there 5 of us and he already has people riding with him", she turned to him, "How about we meet there?", Peace suggested, "Okay", he walked to his car, "Oh, and thank you for covering our expenses", she thanked him.

They arrived at the bar and met up with Sipho and his friends, then they went in all together. "Y'all could make a nice couple", Azana whispered to Peace as they entered the bar, "Right! Girl, his skin", Peace was obsessed with dark skin. The place was a vibe, they continued partying, with Peace dancing closely to Sipho, to a stranger, they looked like a very in-love couple. They would sit and talk for some time, their conversation was all flirtatious, and Peace was falling for it, or made she was drunk.

'Girl, get yourself together.'

"Girl, I need to pee, please come with me", Mandy asked Peace, "Yoh Mandy, I am trying to catch my breath here, I am too drunk hence why I am drinking water", that was after 15 shots and 5 cocktails, Peace could feel that she was close to blacking out, so she took a break. "Please Peace, I am scared to go alone this place is full", she begged with her legs crossed, "Fine, I might as well pee", she stood up and immediately knew she was losing her balance, "Fuck!". On their way back from the restroom, Peace bumped into someone, "Oh shit! I am sorry", she immediately apologized after spilling his drink, "It's fine", he was a bit annoyed about the mess, Peace could tell from his voice, "Wait,", he said as Peace passed by, "Sauce?", she turned in horror that people could recognize her outside of work. "What are you doing here?", he asked, and she had to look closely because it was dark and she was drunk, "Andile! Where have you been?", she said excitedly, Mandy had long left her, "I party here now, I did not want you caught up in my problems, I know about the argument you had with my brother-in-law after that dance". She took some time trying to remember what he was talking about, "Oh! Right, you shouldn't mind him, he's always throwing tantrums!", she was shouting at the top of her lungs so that he could hear her, "So, why are you here?" "Ah, my boss banned me from partying at his club, so where else than close to home?", they both laughed, "Okay, it was nice bumping into you, I hope to see you around", they hugged and separated.

Sipho and his friends left around 1 pm, he had to get some sleep because he had to work in the morning. He asked to see Peace again and she agreed, she accompanied them outside the bar. "I like you", he admitted causing her to blush, Peace had a cute smile and people had always told her. Before leaving, he asked for a hug, and she agreed, when he pulled away, they looked each other in the eyes and shared an unexpected kiss. His lips were so soft, Peace could taste the hubbly flavour on his tongue but still liked it. "You're a good kisser too", he complimented., Peace said goodbye and went inside. Before she could enter the bar, she looked around, she felt like she was being watched.

At 3:05 am, they were chilling catching their breaths, "Yoh, I want to go now", Mandy said, they were not drinking anymore, they were all very drunk, except for Peace who was sobering up from drinking water for hours. "Where is Azana?", Peace just noticed that she had moved from where she was last dancing. "At the dance floor", Omuhle answered unbothered, "No, she is not there", Peace said, her eyes quickly searching the place, considering that she was already feeling uneasy. "Probably restroom", Mandy suggested, "The way to the restroom passes right in front of us, we could have seen her", Peace was starting to get anxious, "Okay P, what do you suggest?", Ntando who was a bit better asked. "Let's go search for her, this place is not safe", she grabbed their bags as they held their heels. They searched everywhere inside, "Maybe she is outside", Mandy suggested, "What would she possibly want outside?", Omuhle asked, "I don't know catching breath, or smoking", they all look at her, "What? You all know she smokes sometimes". Indeed, they found her outside, smoking, talking, and laughing with a man, "Bitch, we've been searching for you, what are you doing here?", Peace almost yelled at her, "She's coming home with me, ladies", the man answered first, "Whom the hell you think you are? Get lost", Peace spoke. "Let's just go home, if you can't handle alcohol Azana, just say so", Omuhle said, "Yes, because you are stressing us out", Ntando added, Peace was focusing on spotting their uber, "Guy, you just cockblocked me", Azana laughed, "But I still love y'all".