Merrion/Ari/Drake/Open
Merrion said nothing for a while, his brain processing this latest bit of information. Finally, he exclaimed, "WHAT?! Drake, you're dating Arielle Chiaro and you never told me?! Chloe neither?" Well, Chloe he understood not telling him, but Drake?
"Well, see, this is all the more reason you need to dance with her!" He held his tongue to declare just how lucky he thought Drake was, but as he did so, he thought about Chloe, and he tried to make sense of the situation. Well, he guessed he didn't need to make sense of it since they seemed content enough.
"I couldn't be a bad friend and hog your date all night," he continued. "The one dance was--" More than he ever dreamed. "--all I can ask for. So you should dance with her." Was he babbling now? No more wine tonight, that was for certain!