It hadn't occurred to him that Merri and Rene didn't know Ric, but then, he supposed it made sense. Ric had been pretty busy since getting back, and Drake had hardly had time to see Merri and Rene anyway. This had been the first time the three of them had gotten together. "He's something," Drake muttered, referring to Champagne. "And he was.... my birthday gift. From Ari and Aspel." He looked over at Ric and motioned for his friend to hand him a slice of pizza. "Gimme."
Ari handed him his drink and he took a long sip, savoring the taste. It was extra sweet - his favorite. "You're the only psychic one here, Ric. I thought I was going to spend a nice, relaxing evening alone." It was said in jest, because there was only so much rest he could get in his current state. "But since it's my birthday, I demand you all entertain me."