A table for twelve

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. As you know, Linh is leaving for Australia on the 28th, so we should give her a proper goodbye. I am writing to ask when you are free for a dinner on the weekend before she goes.

I have a few ideas. My first choice is the grilled fish place near the lake, because it has a quiet upstairs room. The downside is that it closes at ten and the food takes a long time to arrive. Another option is the hotpot restaurant on Nguyen Trai street. It is cheaper, and the staff are used to big groups, but it can get very noisy. Both places are easy to reach by bus from the office.

Please reply by Thursday and tell me which day suits you best, Saturday or Sunday. If you can't come, just let me know. I need to book a table for twelve, and the restaurants will not hold it unless I give them a final number. Last time we left it until the last minute, and we ended up splitting into two tables at opposite ends of the room.

About the money: I suggest that we split the bill equally, and that each person puts in a little extra for a present. Thao has offered to buy a photo album, so you only need to bring your share on the night. I will collect the money in cash at the start of the evening, so please bring small notes. Of course, if anyone has a very tight budget this month, tell me privately and we'll sort something out.

One more thing. Please don't tell Linh! She thinks we're only meeting for coffee, so I will say the dinner is a birthday party for my cousin. Thanks a lot, and sorry for the long email. See you soon, Minh