dinner with friends draft 1

The Peruvian restaurant was small, no more than 6 tables, and our group immediately took over all of them, there wouldn't be strangers around, and that was for the best. And so with a little help from the sparse service staff, we managed to join all the tables together in one long line. That way all 16 of us where able to sit comfortably, though not talk to everyone, but gather in smaller cliques. Everyone seemed so at ease by that time, so relieved of the day’s emotions. 

The tiny restaurant offered something of a safe heaven, where we could each unwind. I always tend to think back to that night with a mix of sadness and regret. It had been a particularly good tournament for me but I had fallen short as usual, and my friends had not fared any better.  So we traveled in small groups to fit better in the taxis, that also gave us time to grow reacquainted with our friends who we seldom had chance to see, mainly due to the distance between the capital city and our own port-side metropolis. Also it was a chance to meet new people, especially an exuberant brunet I had been chatting up for a while now.