Chapter 38

"Ok, let's go over the list." Mike said as he and Naz sat on the couch five days later with two glasses of red wine and their to-do list for their upcoming wedding.

"Flowers, check. Photographer, check. Dinner is in Darius' hands as we have the ceremony on a Monday night. I have Sasha's dress, my shoes and what not." Naz said as she looked at their to-do list with a pen in hand. Her legs swung over Mike's lap.

"I got my own suit." Mike said, Naz crossed it off the list.

"We have wedding bands." She said, crossing another item off the list. "We can't book the Officiant until we have a licence and a date in mind. My green card should be here some time in the next two weeks. Maybe later as SECNAV was banking on me dumping you. I can see him sticking it to me, for rejecting him." She added.

"He can be callous but you said immigration were happy to rubber stamp you." Mike said, assuring her. He knew she was worried about the other shoe dropping. That not being on SECNAV's friends list didn't help. But he knew the SECNAV didn't control everything. He felt like it would all fall into place. He wanted to believe that something good would happen for Naz.

"Politics are a mystery to me." Naz said, she flexed her feet and fidgeted a little. Mike smoothed his hands down the front of her lower legs before he caught one of her feet and stopped it from moving. She gave him an apologetic smile as she relaxed.

"Same, but we know it will be a Monday." Mike told her, Naz gave a warm smile.

"Yes, we do. Guest list?" she asked him, she looked back to the page in her hand.

"I'd really like Andrea, Darius, Sasha, Russell, Meylan and his wife; Mira." Mike told her, she nodded writing the list of names on the side.

"Tom?" Naz asked out of curiosity, Mike made a face as he'd been trying to decide whether he wanted Tom there or not. Tom was his friend but there was still fraught tension with them. He didn't like how Tom wanted to explode out his wedding. He didn't need Tom planning some elaborate surprise adding around 195 people to the guest list. Then there was his kids.

"It means we have to have their kids too. You wanted Azima?" he asked her as he remember her saying she wanted Azima to be invited.

"She said that she wanted to have my hen's party this Friday as Burk and the boys are going west for a couple weeks of sun and fun. She wants to go with them." Naz told him with a half shrug. She didn't mind that Azima was skipping out as Naz just wanted to be married, the guests were rather superfluous to her.

"So, you should be sober just in time for Halloween on Saturday." Mike teased, Naz gave an apologetic smile as she shrugged.

"Yeah, I hope so. But no promises, as I know it's going to be a messy night." Naz said as she sank further into her side of the couch. "But I've made the lollipops and I have a tasteful costume." She assured him.

"I'll have Tylenol and Soylent at the ready to get you back on your feet." Mike told her in amusement, he watched a light blush grace her cheeks. He couldn't see what she'd need to blush over but he had learnt that the simplest gestures seemed to touch her greatly.

"Ok, the Guest list. We were discussing Tom." Naz said, she noticed his reticence as it opened the door to more guests. Then when did the list stop growing? And if they managed to keep it small, they'd still have two kids bored out of their brains. "Maybe we could pay for a sitter and keep the party for adults only. That way we're not opening the door on who should and shouldn't be invited." She suggested.

"I hate that I feel bad for wanting a small celebration." Mike confessed.

"I know, but you have to remember it's our day." Naz said pointing between him and herself. "We get to do it our way and everybody else can like it or lump it." She told him.

"Adults only." Mike said, settling the earlier question altogether. He just hoped Tom didn't take it personally that Mike didn't want Sammy or Ashley there.

"Ok, we have our guest list." Naz said ticking another off the list.

"Honeymoon?" Mike asked in amusement.

"Take the phone off the hook, close the curtains and have sex. Lots of sex." Naz said writing it on the page much to Mike's amusement. He chucked as he watched her underline 'lots of sex'. Well, he assumed it was what she was underlining, to make it clear that it was important.

"Just when I thought our list was getting shorter. You add to it." Mike said with an amused expression as he sipped his glass of wine.

"A 'to do' list is never ending." Naz informed him in a teasing manner.

"What else can we tick off?" he asked her.

"Not that I can see." Naz replied.

"Ok, quiz time." Mike said, Naz gave a groan as she dropped her head back.

"No." Naz whimpered, Mike smiled.

"Yes, which event do we celebrate on the 4th of July?" Mike asked her, she gave him a dark look as he'd started quizzing her to make sure she was doing her homework. She appreciated it but she didn't need a quiz every day.

"The signing of the Declaration of Independence." Naz replied, Mike rolled his hand at her in a gesture that said he wanted a longer answer. "Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams all wrote that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776." Naz answered.

"Very good. I'll make an American out of you." Mike quipped.

"How are you going in here?" Cho asked Sasha, she pulled off her headphones and rested them on the table.

"I'm going to be dreaming in Korean tonight." She told him, he wore an amused smile.

"Anything useful?" Cho asked.

"I have a great recipe for Bibimbap, otherwise nothing. There's no central theme to the conversations to suggest a code. The conversations are all casual everyday going ons. Office politics, main concerns seem to be finding more resources for their people. I don't think they have enough resources to be a serious threat." Sasha told him. Cho gave a nod even thought he looked frustrated as she felt about the situation.

"They still have nukes." Cho argued, Sasha nodded as it was true.

"Which they have never used not even during the Pandemic. They've always stated that their Nukes were for defensive purposes only. I think we need to direct our energy to countries who have serious issues with us in the past and now have the motivation to attack us given our weakened state." Sasha advised.

"Russia is looking less likely." Cho added thoughtfully.

"I know Peter says we should forget about South America. But maybe we shouldn't. We have years of bad blood with them. It's easier for to transport weaponry and nukes down south than it is across to Asia. A smart enough leader could've sent in immune people across the boards to steal the nukes and take it back down while the pandemic was in full swing" Sasha argued, her mind had been spinning out possible scenarios where South America could build itself into a superpower.

"They have been making strides in stabilising their continent. Finally, the ground is nearly even. If the countries in South America came together and formed a coalition; they'd have a large enough force to invade us." Cho said thoughtfully.

"It feels insane to be here talking about this. I've seen the resentment for the US, I've felt it when I was on the Continent in Europe; when I was in Asia. We're truly hated US because the cure was too little too late for them. They despised us because we told them the cure was for the world but we took months in manufacturing and delivering it. They don't understand why it took so long. If they did, maybe they'd let it go but I understand their resentment. All we need is for them all to pool their resources and one event to set them off." Sasha said.

"Here we are have no border control, our coast guard is a joke." Cho said.

"SECNAV has publicised how great our military is but the reality is that we're spread thin and one nuke landing here in Norfolk. That would decimate the Navy which 70% of US' Military forces." Sasha said. Cho nodded as he saw her reasoning and concern.

"Put a pin in North Korea. I want you to join the team of analysts; focus on South America for the next couple days. See, if maybe there is something we've overlooked." Cho told her, he tapped her door frame and left the room.

"Yes, Sir." Sasha mumbled tiredly, her phone beeped with a message. She picked it up and read the message. She made a face as she texted a reply, just another thing she didn't want to do was added to her list.

"You look pensive." Tom told Sasha as they sat in a café that afternoon. He had an hour to burn before the kids got home and he had no interest in the numerous chores or work he should've been doing. So, he called Sasha up and asked her out for a coffee.

"Nothing, just a long day inside of a dark room." She told him, she wished she hadn't come out for coffee. She was stressed enough with work, but sitting here, she felt the knot of tension in her chest twist more tightly. She pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to rub her eyes as she didn't want to smudge her make up or at worst get it in her eyes.

"No windows?" Tom asked, she felt freer in her dark office than she did outside having coffee with Tom.

"There are, and you know I can't talk about it. So, stop prying." Sasha told him, she felt a little trapped by his questions as there was no way she could get out of it the 'good guy'. She wondered why she had said 'yes' to being here when it felt like a chore. An obligatory meeting than an actual activity she wanted to do. She could only guess she felt maybe she'd be proven wrong and enjoy herself. But about ten minutes in, she was regretting it.

"I didn't call because I wanted to pry. I wanted to see you. Anyway, I've been watching the news and I think I know what's going on." Tom told her with a grin, Sasha was amazed how in one sentence he could make her feel simultaneously wanted and patronized.

"I still don't want to talk about it." Sasha told him before she took a sip of her drink.

"Come on, we're a good team. I'm an excellent sounding board. No one know if we talked about what's going on." He told her. He leaned on the table and gave her a boyish smile. The one said 'play with me'. What he was asking her to do was treason and career suicide.

"If this is how coffee is going to be. Then I'm going to go-" Sasha started, she had even put down her cup when Tom cut her off.

"No, stop. Sit and relax. I'm sorry." He told her sincerely.

"It's my job, Tom." She told him, she hated how oversensitive she sounded but she much preferred her life when everything was neatly compartmentalized. "I'm trying to keep my career from being a learning tool for future women on what not to do." She added snidely.

"What has that got to do with me?" he asked incredulously. "I asked you out for coffee cause I want to catch up and I feel like I'm getting my balls slowly twisted off." He added, half jokingly.

"My problem is that you only see our friendship as a stepping stone for your career or to a sexual relationship." Sasha told him truthfully. She felt stressed, tired and bitter as she looked at him. She wished she saw him as charming and could laugh but she looked at him with suspicion. She wondered what he was up to, why he was sitting across from her looking affronted.

"Whoa, that is not true." Tom argued.

"Really, you sit there with your shirt unbuttoned and hair looking messy. Smiling at me all coy as you think watching CNN makes you an intelligence officer working just as hard as I am. It's not cute, it's demeaning. I don't get what your end game is. But I despise being toyed with." Sasha informed him. Tom sat back with his hands in mock surrender.

"I apologise, I was going for flirty and light hearted but it seems like I'm out of touch with everything." He heaved a sigh as he looked to her. "So, I'll be honest, no games. Not that I was playing one with you to begin with."He argued, before he grew sincere. "I want to date you, I still find you attractive and feel we got something here worth exploring." Tom said honestly.

"I don't." Sasha said, the words popping out of her mouth surprising them both. She meant it. Tom looked taken aback by her rejection. "I'm trying to decompress for the past two and half years of hell. I need time to acclimate, something said the same thing to Naz." Sasha added as she should've been taking her own advice than pushing herself into work. Pushing herself into a friendship with Tom when she was clearly not ready.

"Everyone loves her and she is doing well for herself." Tom said sourly, Sasha knew he was just expressing his bitterness about her rejection than showing malice towards Naz. But it rankled Sasha's nerves and stirred her own resentment.

"Yes, your life is just a horrendous ordeal at the moment. I'm amazed you haven't run off the parts unknown already." Sasha sneered, she didn't know where her anger was coming from. But she was so tired of his 'woe is me' attitude.

"Low blow." Tom told her darkly.

"You're the one who left. I saw the exhibit, you grieving, fishing and dating. She's very pretty, I just don't know why you didn't stay in Greece. It looks like a beautiful place to live, you weren't alone and you had your peaceful moments there. You clearly didn't want to come back, so I don't see why you're even here." Sasha said, there was a sting to her words but he could also see she was being honest not malicious.

"It was for a time; home. If you ignore the lack of food and Nostos addicts, maybe it'd be a great place to live but America is home." Tom said.

"So, was that all you did with your 16 months?" Sasha asked him.

"There was my side mission, that everyone chooses to ignore than appreciate." He said.

"When have you ever cared about being appreciated by the bosses or needed a pat on the back for doing your job?" Sasha asked him.

"I feel it should be noted or at least taken into consideration given lately, I feel like I'm being hit with the stick than given a carrot." Tom told her, as she clearly had no idea what he'd been through nor understand who he was, his pain, nothing. She was just another person who felt entitled to blame him for her pain. He was tired of it.

"You could've said 'no' to the 'mission' and kept to what looked like a quiet and happy life. You left 16 months ago because you were burning out. You couldn't justify the losses, or even look at yourself and instead of staying out of it. You came back out of ego not some sense of responsibility or honor-" Sasha started but Tom cut her off.

"You don't know anything. So, back off." he told her, as she off on another planet. He was not going to be her punching bag.

"I would if you'd just grow the fuck up." Sasha said, the knot in her chest unbearable. She was failing at staying calm. She felt like her body was dumping adrenaline. It was not the time for such a reaction, it was an overeaction.

"That's rich coming from you. You slept with a guy you barely knew and he betrayed you. Now, you're acting petulant and distrusting of all men. Very mature." Tom said, getting in his licks.

"I also kissed your stupid ass and ended up being dumped on Mike's lap like an unwanted puppy. Don't think that you're Mr Perfect or better than Fletcher." Sasha told him.

"I never stopped loving you, I always wanted to be with you." Tom told her, a declaration that should've made her heart soar but instead made her feel sick to her stomach.

"You got a funny way of showing it. You didn't even ask me to go with you, 16 months ago. No, you left everything and everyone. Went to Greece and never once looked back, never picked up phone to leave a message. You moved on very quickly to other women." She held up her hands to stop him from defending himself. "You don't have to apologise for it, but don't act like you're the injured party here. That you're the one with his nose bent out shape when you got everything you wanted, just the way you wanted it." She said, needing to leave and yet her body struggled to get moving. Her arms and legs felt heavy and cold. Her head was spinning. She felt jittery.

"That is not true." Tom told her, Sasha scoffed at him. "I wanted to call, but it was never the right time. I wasn't in my right mind. When I was, it was too late. Too much time had passed and we made no promises, we weren't even in a relationship. You moved on too." Tom said.

"I did, because I wanted to be happy. I'm not sorry for moving on. I miss Fletcher, he was a fling but he was fun. The only time, I got to decompress and be a little selfish and laugh was around him. He may have betrayed me in the end but his reasons were just. He's not a villain as you want to paint him. He was a good soldier who followed his orders til the end." Sasha said as she took another sip of her drink. Hoping it would restore some strength.

"Are you kidding me?!" Tom asked incredulously as she made it sound like Fletcher was a hero. It completely mind boggled him.

"No, I would've done the same in his shoes. Orders are orders, I'm bound to my oath to America and the Navy just as he was to his own." Sasha said.

"You deserved better than that." Tom told her, he saw something snap in her demeanour, her back went rigid and she looked drawn and pale. He knew he'd hit a trigger in her.

"You have no clue what I do and don't deserve. If you did, then we wouldn't be here like this. So, don't presume to tell me how it should be." She told him in such a cold manner. Tom reared back surprised by the side of her, that he was seeing.

"I'm done, I think we need more time and space. You need to be more appreciative of what you got. I need time to relax and get over my issues that I have ignored until now." Sasha said as she rose from her chair. She tossed down enough money to cover her coffee and a tip. Her hands shaking, she felt colour drain from her face as she had to get away. She walked away from Tom, she heard him call her name but she didn't turn back as every fibre of her being told her to run.

Her heart pounded a million miles an hour, she was sure she was going to be sick. She picked up her pace, it wasn't until she was in the driver's side of her car that she managed to take a deep inhale and exhale. Even then, she didn't feel well, she flipped open her phone and called one person who wouldn't judge her.

"Sounds like a panic attack." Azima told Sasha, half an hour later. Sasha sat at the kitchen table watching Azima and Naz mess around in the kitchen. The two were making lollipops from scratch for Halloween. Sasha would've helped but her hands were still shaking.

She'd called Mike, luckily Azima was at his place with Naz as they were able to pick her and her car up; bringing her back to Mike's house. Mike didn't ask questions, instead he pretended for her vanity that something was wrong with her car as she claimed. Now, he was poking her car's engine.

Naz and Azima set her up with snacks of crackers when pickled and sun-dried vegetables. A cup of tea and a blanket around her shoulders. She felt a little better but overall, she felt drained and uneasy.

"I'm solid, no anxiety, some stress." Sasha said, she wrapped her hands around the warm cup of tea; Naz made for her. Even though she felt lousy, she did feel better being surrounded by her friends. She felt the warmth of their happiness surround her. She was glad she hadn't bucked up and tried to go it alone.

"You know there's a reason why people have R&R for more than a week." Azima said as she was mixing up food colours and laying edible flowers into lollipop molds.

"You guys have been working hard for over two years. That is a lot of sleep deprivation and high levels of stress. It's time to zen out." Naz said as she watched the pot of sugar that was melting.

"Which is why I am going west where Mary Jane legal there. It's perfect timing as my period is next week and for the first time in four years, I'll be able to afford to mellow out my angry uterus." Azima said with a serene smile.

"I think you all could use some temporary mellowing out. Anyway, don't be so hard on yourself." Naz said as she stirred a pot of melted sugar. "Tom is very stressful to be around, you said you only had two hours of sleep last night. You'd been at work since 6am this morning. Azima, the sugar is ready." She said, Sasha watched at the two were so in sync with one another. Naz stepped back and Azima picked up the pot by the handle and started pouring the hot liquid into different cups and into the molds.

"You probably had low blood sugar. I know Soylent is supposed to give us everything we need but just like being a vegan, it doesn't work for everyone." Azima told her, she was the one looking for medical excuses for why Sasha felt uneasy. While Naz looked at Tom as the source with Sasha's lifestyle choices factoring in.

"That is true, I became anaemic when I tried being vegan once. My body just can't digest all the nutrients I need from fruit and vegetables. Maybe you're not digesting the Soylent properly and you're becoming vitamin deficient." Naz suggested in a casual manner.

"I doubt it happens so quickly." Sasha said feeling unsure of herself.

"You never know but, I'd recommend Vitamin B12 shot. I'm not deficient, but when I was working long hours, I found it really helped put some pep in my step and knock the edge off caffeine nausea. It's an easy gamble." Naz told her.

"We were given vitamin B12 shots in Kenyan Navy to help with seasickness and for fatigue. It really does help." Azima said in agreement as she placed the pot back onto the stove and started helping Naz make marbled lollipops.

"Like I said before, I'd try the B12 shot first as no one would bat an eyelid at you asking for that. If you don't feel any better then stick yourself in for doctor's advice and having it all on the record." Naz said with a shrug.

"It's not a bad idea." Mike said as he walked into the kitchen from the garage.

"You eavesdropping?" Sasha asked him.

"I walked in at the end part." Mike said as he was wiping engine grease off his hands with a rag.

"How's my car?" Sasha asked him.

"Still in one piece and functioning perfectly. I'm changing the oil in my own car." He told her, he looked down at the lollipops that were starting to set.

"Don't even think about it." Naz warned him, Sasha smiled as the couple were adorable. She had to admit she had never seen Mike so relaxed and light hearted before. It was nice to know the man had a softer side.

"I thought you made enough before." He said with a frown.

"That was until the friendly reminder that came in the mail from my Arch-nemesis." Naz said in a dramatic manner that no one was truly worried about her. But they all played along for amusement.

"You've only been here for two weeks." Sasha said wryly, a smile on face.

"Candace Preston, I am going break her." Naz said making a determined expression.

"Not literally, I hope." Mike said as he got himself a glass of water.

"Of course not, I'm just going to outshine her wherever possible just to stick it to her." Naz said with a smile before she kissed Mike's cheek.

"I'm going back to the garage." Mike told them, he disappeared to the safety of the garage. The women laughed.

"You know, you can come home with tonight. I found a really good Nigerian restaurant that delivers in my area. We can put some stuffing back into you." Azima said to Sasha who felt the warmth of her friend's offer.

"I'd really like that." Sasha replied with a smile.

A few hours later,

"Curmudgeon." Naz said with enjoyment as she laid down tiles onto the board. Mike now understood why she had held her breath through his go. She needed two letters from word that were vertical to her layout. They had finished a quiet dinner before breaking out the game. Sasha and Azima had left hours ago.

"Been holding onto that one for a while?" He asked in amusement as he added the number to her score.

"You're letting me win on purpose. You know that I'll still have sex with you if I lose, right?" Naz asked him, she ran her foot up the back of calf under the table. Mike wasn't going to tell her that playing footsies with him under the table was distracting. Nor was he going to complain about the view as her loose singlet dress she wore to bed was gaping in a delectable manner. Yes, he wasn't on his game, but then his mind as well as other parts of him were thinking of her and a game that didn't involve scrabble tiles.

"I was not worried about that." Mike said with a smile, playing it cool.

"Then what's got you distracted? You're usually over 100 points ahead of me." Naz said pointing out what was usually the truth whenever they played.

"Just worried about Sasha, she wasn't herself. Someone has their foot in a distracting place." Mike pointed out as he reached under the table and caught her foot that was pressing up against his groin. He blew out a breath which was of pleasure. He pulled it up and onto his leg just so he could have more coherent thoughts.

"I finally know your Achilles heel in Scrabble." Naz said with a chuckle. Mike gave her a look. "You have no rule about no touching while playing scrabble." She reminded him before she grew serious. "As for Sasha, I'm worried too. But we can't do much for her, except be here for when she needs us." She said with a casual shrug. It belied her own demeanour as he knew she was just as worried as he was.

"I know." Mike said in agreement but it was hard to do nothing.

"Well, we can make sure she and Tom sit on opposite sides of the table. Far away from one another." Naz quipped, Mike snorted a laugh. He hoped it didn't come to that.

"Hopefully they'll work it out." Mike said as he played his tiles. "Now, are you going to stop distracting me from the game?" he asked her wryly.

"Excuse me? I'm not the one walking around the house commando in grey sweatpants." She told him, Mike frowned as he didn't get what she was trying to accuse him of. He honestly didn't think she had noticed, but he was wrong.

"So?" he asked.

"Please, it shows everything and it's very distracting. Especially while we're playing Scrabble. How am I supposed to think of words when you're just there with such easy access." She told him, Mike chuckled as he had never given it much thought before. He did it out of comfort not as an invitation. But then he looked at her top. Silently pointing out her tactics to her which she was using to distract him. She grinned as she leaned forward a little more as she knew exactly what she was doing. "How am I going to win, if I can play a little dirty too?" she asked him, as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Play fair, not dirty." Mike told her, damned if he was turned on. Something he never thought would happen while playing Scrabble.

"You have never played fair." She informed him.

"I have." he argued.

"Please, when we were on the ship you'd be sitting there in your uniform all freshly showered and shaved. You made all the rules, including your no British English." She argued teasingly.

"There is nothing sexy or comfortable about that uniform. It's starched to the point it could sit up on its own and we don't have enough 'u' tiles for British English spelling. Scrabble is an American game. So you have to use American English." He rebutted with a grin.

"You think heels and a tight dress are comfortable?" She asked him.

"No, but it looks good." Mike said as he understood the point she was making.

"Just as your uniform looks good on you." She told him.

"You're never putting it on." He told her, he meant it as it was a rule. There were some things he held sacred one of them was the uniform had meaning and should be respected. It wasn't outfit for sex or foreplay.

"Don't want to. I only want to strip you out of it when you get home." She told him, her meaning not lost at all. "Just like how I want to strip you out of your clothes right now." she told him, she rose from her chair. Mike watched as she stripped off the cardigan and moved to him. She pushed the game further up the table before she lifted up her dress and sat on the cleared space. She bit her bottom lip and smiled salaciously as she leaned back and opened her legs.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's going round commando." Mike remarked in appreciation as he smoothed his hands up her legs.

"Oh that was good." Sasha said, she felt like her world had finally righted itself. She still felt off, but in general she was more relaxed and real food after a week of ingesting Soylent only felt amazing. She lazed on Azima's couch and wished she didn't have to get up as it was so comfortable. It made her think that she really needed to get a proper place to live as BOQ was not cutting it. She needed a little more luxury in her life.

"They know how to make the most out of very little food. I wish I had the rations to make you my father's recipe beef stew and ugali. That would put the meat on your bones." Azima promised her.

"One day, you will." Sasha said, Azima nodded.

"Indeed, I will. Now, you want to talk about it? Your coffee with Captain Tom." Azima asked her as she sat cross legged on the couch looking directly at Sasha.

"I see everything that is wrong between Tom and I. Not just him, but also me. I see us making each other's lives miserable. I need my work life to compartmentalised from my main life. I need to be able to decompress from my work, he wouldn't let me have that especially with him on the outside as he is." Sasha told her, Azima frowned as she like Sasha understood the issues of balancing out work and a healthy social life let alone a love life was difficult. It was even harder when there were secrets.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Azima offered.

"I tried, and I just couldn't. It's on me, but I can't help how stressed I am. I'm calm at work, I meet him for coffee and I wonder what does he want from me? How is he going to use me as a stepping stone to get back into the inner circle? I wonder why can't he just ask me stupid inane questions about the weather or offer that we go on a hike? No, it's coffee so he can bitch about Naz controlling Mike and him not knowing what's going on anymore. It was the same garbage he talked about at the BBQ last Saturday. He just has to be in everyone's business judging them and trying to improve them when he's the one who needs to be adjusted." Sasha said with an aggravated sigh as she was starting to feel stressed and nauseous.

"Hmm, you don't need that kind of negative energy." Azima surmised, as she was just looking at how much Sasha's demeanour changed by talking about Tom. She was rooting for the two to get together but couldn't see it working if Sasha wasn't happy. Sasha had gone from being relaxed to bent out of shape in just a few sentences. Azima knew Tom was not the root of all Sasha's problems but he was the prominent one and the easiest to get stuck on.

"I wanted so badly for there to be this magical moment where we'd just click. He'd be my magic pill that makes me feel what Naz and Mike have. I'm just not feeling it. He said all the right words to me and I didn't want it. I just wanted to run." Sasha said, scared of what it meant but too tired to analyse it. She looked to Azima.

"What you need is fun." Azima told her, Sasha gave her a look as it wasn't the answer she was looking for. "Tomorrow night we will have that at the hen's night. For now, I need your opinion on Naz's outfit." Azima told her, she disappeared into her bedroom and came out with a top. Sasha burst out laughing, as it was priceless.

"It's good right?" Azima asked with a smile as she looked to her creation.

"Naz will love it." Sasha assured her, grateful not just for the levity but for the distraction it gave her.