{"id":1005,"date":"2012-05-22T06:00:31","date_gmt":"2012-05-22T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=1005"},"modified":"2012-05-21T10:06:26","modified_gmt":"2012-05-21T17:06:26","slug":"season-6-episode-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=1005","title":{"rendered":"Season 6, Episode 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breakfast Breakdown<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nONE WEEK EARLIER\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d Mia said, as the black, shiny limousine – complete with chilled champagne and strawberries – whisked them silently towards the centre of London.<\/p>\n

Ana smiled secretively. She\u2019d won an astronomical amount of money playing poker on the plane and obviously had plans on how it was going to be spent. \u201cHave some more champagne,\u201d she said, popping another bottle open.<\/p>\n

Mia and Willow shook their heads. They were tired and light headed from the plane trip. Ana was still on her winning high and shrugged, filling up her own glass, and kept the bottle next to her.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you were going to shout us breakfast,\u201d Willow said, turning slowly in a circle and taking in the enormous suite that Ana had booked for them at the Langham in Regent Place \u201cbut this is\u2026ridiculous! We don\u2019t need to spend this much on a hotel room, surely?\u201d<\/p>\n

A flicker of annoyance crossed Ana\u2019s face. \u201cI won the money and this is how I want to spend it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concierge, who had personally showed them straight to their room, cleared his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I could just have your credit card,\u201d he said. \u201cI will complete the check-in process for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana leant across and whispered to Willow. \u201cCan we use yours? Mine is maxed out and all my money is in cash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow hesitated, a frown flickering across her face. \u201cHow much is it going to cost?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll pay in cash when we check out,\u201d Ana said, ignoring her question. \u201cBut they need a card to keep on file.\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow reluctantly handed her card to the concierge.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, could you book a table for us in the restaurant for breakfast,\u201d Ana said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be down in about thirty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery good Madam,\u201d he said, slipping silently out of the room.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The restaurant was half full when the girls traipsed down, freshly showered and hungry. Ana immediately ordered a bottle of chilled champagne and coffee.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like eating something fresh. With berries,\u201d she told the waiter, as he opened a bottle of bubbles and filled up three glasses.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent,\u201d he said. \u201cShall I leave the chef to recommend a few dishes for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Ana said. \u201cJust bring out whatever is good. We\u2019re starving!\u201d<\/p>\n

A younger couple took a table across from them. They looked around at the luxurious surroundings, awestruck. Bright gold bands flashed on their ring fingers. They grinned at each other, and held hands shyly over the table.<\/p>\n

Willow leaned in to Mia and Ana. \u201cI bet they got married yesterday,\u201d she said, nodding towards them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re so cute,\u201d said Mia giggling. \u201cThey look so out of their depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana took a swig of her champagne and grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d she called across to them.<\/p>\n

The couple looked up, horrified expressions of people who had done something wrong but didn\u2019t know what.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you just get married?\u201d Ana asked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cY\u2026y\u2026yes,\u201d the boy stuttered. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana shrugged. \u201cWild guess.\u201d She took another sip of her champagne. \u201cAre you having a champagne breakfast to celebrate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no,\u201d the boy said turning bright red. \u201cI don\u2019t think we could aff\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He received a kick from his new wife under the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cErr, I think we\u2019ll just have tea.\u201d he finished uncertainly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense!\u201d Ana called the waiter over. \u201cA bottle of your most expensive champagne for this couple,\u201d she said. \u201cOn us.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

A breakfast parfait – served in a delicate crystal glass –\u00a0 of thick, greek yoghurt layered with fresh berries, coconut flakes, honey toasted oats and caramelised nuts was served first.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd another bottle of champagne,\u201d Ana said as she took a mouthful of the parfait.<\/p>\n

\u201cAna do we really need to drink more?\u201d Mia said, groaning. \u201cI\u2019m tired and already tipsy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHumour me,\u201d Ana said. \u201cWe can go straight to bed afterwards. And just think how well we\u2019ll sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia nodded reluctantly and drained her glass as the fresh bottle was bought out.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Several bottles later, and all three of the girls were giggling and talking nonsensically. Jetlag and champagne – a wonderful combination.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank god we\u2019re not in Melbourne anymore,\u201d Mia slurred, leaning back in her chair, contentedly drunk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy were<\/em> you so keen to get out?\u201d Ana asked. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m getting divorced and Willow\u2026 well, that was just shit. But what\u2019s your deal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia regarded her friends. Maybe now was the time to tell them the truth about why she absolutely had to leave Melbourne.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that I was…falling for Johnny,\u201d Mia announced. \u201cBut I was wrong. I just needed to get away and clear my head.\u201d Well, it’s almost the truth<\/em>, Mia thought.<\/p>\n

Ana and Willow looked at her, shocked, for about thirty seconds, before Ana burst out laughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s hilarious! You nearly had me there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s what happened,\u201d Mia said, puzzled. This wasn\u2019t the reaction she was expecting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah right,\u201d Ana said, in between giggles. \u201cYou and Johnny? As if!\u201d<\/p>\n

Willow regarded Mia closely. \u201cAna, I don\u2019t think she\u2019s joking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana wiped her eyes. \u201cYou mean\u2026 you actually thought… you and Johnny? Our Johnny?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t slept with him or anything, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia hesitated. \u201cNo,\u201d she lied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell that\u2019s a relief.\u201d Ana filled up her glass. \u201cYou\u2019re so not his type. I mean, it would never work.\u201d She looked at Willow. \u201cRight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an unusual couple,\u201d Willow said, carefully, \u201cbut, you know, stranger things have happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana snorted. \u201cOh come on! You and I both know that he would eat her alive!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u201d Mia said, angrily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re you and Johnny is\u2026 well, he\u2019s Johnny. He\u2019s not into girls like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGirls like me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know. Good girls. Girls who don\u2019t like to take risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow would you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana rolled her eyes. \u201cMost of Melbourne knows. He\u2019s not exactly a monk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait\u2026\u201d Mia\u2019s mouth fell open. \u201cYou mean\u2026 you\u2019ve slept with Johnny?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana shrugged again. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Now it was Willow\u2019s turn to be shocked. \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYears ago,\u201d Ana said. \u201cWhen we all worked together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence. \u201cWhen I was going out with him?\u201d Willow said, icily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were drunk,\u201d Ana said. \u201cIt was no big deal. Besides, you always told me that you weren\u2019t officially an item and that you didn\u2019t even really like him in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s OK to just sleep<\/em> with him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was ages ago,\u201d Ana said, exasperated. \u201cBut my point is that Mia wouldn\u2019t last five minutes in a relationship with Johnny.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell it doesn\u2019t matter anyway,\u201d Mia snapped. \u201cBecause he\u2019s marrying someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, Ana and Willow stared at her, speechless.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m calling him,\u201d Ana said suddenly, pulling out her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d You can\u2019t!\u201d Mia tried to get the phone from her, but Ana pushed her hand away.<\/p>\n

Johnny answered almost immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny, are you getting married?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Who told you that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re not<\/em> getting married?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAna, who told you I was getting married?\u201d Johnny sounded exasperated.<\/p>\n

\u201cMia did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMia\u2019s with you? Can I talk to her? I need to\u2026 explain something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana held the phone towards Mia. Mia shook her head. She had tears in her eyes. \u201cHang up the phone! Please! I can\u2019t speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy on earth not?\u201d Ana said. Then realisation dawned. \u201cOh my god, you did<\/em> sleep with him! And now you\u2019re in love<\/em> with him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease hang up the phone.\u201d Mia\u2019s voice was desperate.<\/p>\n

Ana ignored her and blasted Johnny down the phone. \u201cOf all the people you could have slept with… Do you love her? Do you even like<\/em> her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnny sighed. \u201cAna, just put Mia on.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Well?” Ana demanded. “Do you?”<\/p>\n

“What’s it to you?” Johnny snapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew it,\u201d Ana said, drunken triumph ringing in her voice. \u201cYou\u2019re incapable of loving someone as nice\u00a0 and normal as Mia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let me talk to Mia,\u201d Johnny said, exasperated. \u201cI can expl\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia finally managed to wrestle the phone from Ana and hang up the call.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess it\u2019s better to know now, that he\u2019s not in love with you, right?\u201d Ana said. \u201cBetter to know than keep wondering?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia looked shocked and stood up. She fled from the table, tears streaming down her face.<\/p>\n

Willow groaned. \u201cAna, why did you have to say that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the truth,\u201d Ana said, angrily taking another sip of her champagne. \u201cAnd if she can\u2019t handle it then that\u2019s not my problem.\u201d She turned and pointed a finger at Willow. \u201cAnd why didn\u2019t you back me up? You know that Johnny wouldn\u2019t be into her. Isn\u2019t that what friends are supposed to do? Tell each other the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s this for truth then,\u201d Willow said. \u201cYou\u2019re being a total bitch and I think you should go and apologise to Mia. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana regarded Willow coolly. She pushed her chair back from the table and stood up, her napkin falling to the floor. She turned and stalked out of the restaurant without a backwards glance.<\/p>\n

The waiter – having watched the others leave – walked up the Willow. \u201cCan I get you anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the bill,\u201d Willow said wearily.<\/p>\n

The waiter handed her a shiny leather folder.<\/p>\n

Willow\u2019s mouth feel open. \u201cThree and a half thousand pounds!\u201d<\/p>\n

She pulled her credit card out. She\u2019d have to get Ana to pay her back later. The waiter disappeared again and Willow stared out of the window, lost in thought. They all needed a good sleep. Things wouldn’t seem so bad then.<\/p>\n

A movement outside caught her eye. She saw Ana walk out the front door of the hotel, dragging her suitcase erratically, and hail a cab.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell\u2026?\u201d Willow stood up, but the cab sped away, with Ana in it.<\/p>\n

I guess I\u2019m stuck with the room bill too<\/em>, Willow thought furiously.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Breakfast Breakdown ONE WEEK EARLIER\u2026 \u201cWhere are we going?\u201d Mia said, as the black, shiny limousine – complete with chilled champagne and strawberries – whisked them silently towards the centre of London. Ana smiled secretively. She\u2019d won an astronomical amount of money playing poker on the plane and obviously had plans on how it was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[218],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1005"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1007,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1005\/revisions\/1007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}