“Why don’t you come sit with my group?” I point to the round booth, where my cousin and her friends are laughing.
Ellie’s eyes go big. “I don’t know. That’s a large group and I don’t really know any of them.”
I shrug and lean in conspiratorially. “Me either. I just met two of them. I usually get anxiety with strangers, but I’m trying to work on it. It would help to have another friendly face at the table. Please?”
She takes a deep breath and nods, grabbing her drink. “Let’s go.”
I lead her to the booth and introduce her as we slide in. “All right, team. Let’s kick ass at some trivia.”
Maggie already has the electronic tablet we use to submit our answers, and we were careful to pick a booth that gave us a good view of one of the monitors, so we can keep an eye on both the questions and the other teams’ scores.
The game starts and the first round is straightforward. Lots of pop culture questions about musicians, films, and sports players. We cruise through it with ease, then order a fresh round of loaded nachos as we settle in for round two.
The first question pops up on the screen.
This sweet breakfast bread, commonly baked in logs and rolled in breadcrumbs, is a staple in Filipino cuisine.
Liana bounces in her seat. “Pandesal,” she whispers, reaching for the tablet to put it in.
What is another name for a tear duct piercing?
Glee grins and grabs the tablet, typing in ‘canthus piercing.’
I glance at Maggie. “Were these questions formulated specifically for us? Next thing you
know, we’re gonna get some kind of DIY/construction thing.”
Mags laughs. “I have no idea where Vienne gets her questions, although I did tell her we’d be here tonight.” She shrugs and sips her beer. “I’m just grateful we have a diverse group of smart ladies making up our team!” She raises her glass and we all follow suit, clinking them together.
The next question appears on the screen:What is the Japanese art of decorative rope bondagecalled?
Ellie turns pink and leans forward to whisper. “Shibari.” I shoot her a glance and her blush deepens. “I’ve seen it in books,” she adds.
I grin at her, giving her a playful nudge. “Me too. I would have gotten it if you hadn’t.” She seems painfully shy, bordering on what might be an anxiety disorder. I’m glad she’s sitting with us and participating, though. I like her.
Another question appears:What is the only food that never spoils and has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs?
Maggie, Glee, and Ellie all shake their heads. Liana and I make eye contact and whisper in unison: “Honey.”
We grin at each other as we submit our answer. The questions keep coming, and our group keeps answering, almost like we’re experts in different subjects. Even when the trivia is tough, someone on our team always manages to get it.
“The last couple of questions will be hard,” Maggie warns. “Vienne likes to stump as many people as she can. I’ve been here more than once when no one got the answers right.”
I narrow my eyes. “Challenge accepted.”
We snack and chat as we wait for the final question of the round. When it appears, several players throughout the pub groan.
What is the phobia of bellybuttons called?
I look around at my team, but their faces are all blank. Not a problem. I reach over the nachos for our tablet and input my answer: omphalophobia.
“How do you know that?” Glee asks.
Maggie laughs. “Juliet knows all kinds of weird stuff.”
I shrug. “It comes from years of working in libraries. You never know what someone will need you to look up. I just happen to remember most of it. It’s kind of a hobby.”
We get another round of drinks and wait for the final question of the game. At the moment, our team—which Maggie named Harmony Hotties—is up by three points. But the final question is worth five, so our win isn’t guaranteed.
