Waking Up with a Ring on My Finger and a Bad Boy at My Side [03]

Brandon with Evelyn? In this place? What the hell was she doing here anyway?!

I frowned, feeling a little bit too frustrated. I didn't want to think what I wasn't suppose to so I guess I had to go over and confront Brandon. Mmkay then, what would be my line? "Hi Brandon, what a surprise! And Evelyn? Wow, have you turned into a Malibu Barbie doll?"

...No.

"Well good evening sweetheart! I thought you were in a business meeting with some executives or something."

Holy crap what if Evelyn was the executive?

But last time I saw her she was still relying on her daddy's credit card--

What...the hell was going on?

Was that Rachel? Rachel Laurent?!

Oh wow, it was like my worst nightmare came true. Both of the people I didn't really like in the same room. Fantastic! Rachel caught my eyes and I turned my frown upside down...or forced it to turn upside down.

Brandon blinked a couple of times when Rachel told him something and then he looked up. Well, I guess there was not much of an option left for me but to walk over and talk.

And reluctantly, I went over as stiff as a robot.

"Er, hi," I muttered. "Samantha!" Evelyn said as if we were long lost best friends. She patted the seat next to her. "Wow, this is great! Sit down."

It was an order rather than an invitation.

I shot Brandon a 'what's-going-on' look, which he immediately understood. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table...in a very bussiness-like manner. It was kind of a turn-on actually--

"Evelyn came to New York because of her new job," he started politely, looking me intensely in the eyes. For some reason, it didn't give me the jittery, warm feeling in my stomach that time. Instead, it gave me a very uneasy feeling growing inside of me.

"Really?" I said, turning my attention a bit towards Evelyn. She put on a fake grin. "As a wedding planner."

What?

"I've heard so much of you," she giggled. "In a way, I guess you're an inspiration--"

It was as if I've automatically muted everything she was trying to say next. A few months ago, she sneered and scoffed at me as if I was the most disgusting creature that walked on planet Earth. Few months later, she was being nice to me?

And Brandon was being nice to HER?

And Evelyn...

Oh god, I was so confused. "Let's set aside our differences, and just be friends again!"

NO!

I smiled sweetly. "Sure," I replied after a while. "Let's."

I had to restrain myself from asking why she wanted to make friends with me. But I knew the answer sooner than I would've imagined. "Now about your wedding with Brandon. I heard that you had difficulties of planning it."

My head snapped towards Brandon in disbelief. He told her?

"Oh no need to be embarrassed, darling," Evelyn said, trying to pull back my attention to her. "Don't get angry towards dear Brandon. We met up a few nights ago with our friends," she said, emphasizing on the word 'our'.

Brandon shot me an apologizing look. "Maya, a colleague, asked about our wedding," he said. My stomach churned. Why didn't he told me about Evelyn?

Oh crap, wait a minute. I think he did try to tell me about her a few nights ago, but I was so distracted since I had 5 weddings to arrange in two days. My cheeks grew hot.

"So I offered a cheap price to plan your wedding! And my reputation is pretty big in Detroit," she said, winking at me. I wanted to grab a fork and stab it through her eyes.

Self-consciously, my fingers ebbed away from the silverwares.

"And Brandon accepted straight away," she said, nodding thoughtfully. She then looked at Rachel, who was silently observing us as if we were lab rats. "I've told Evelyn about your wedding venue and everything..." she started.

What? What the hell was she talking about?

"Lucky for you, we've got it at The Plaza. Some ugly couples pulled out at the last minute. But we have to move up your wedding to next month. The 17th."

February?! But I've sent the wedding invitations to my friends!

"You have?" Brandon asked. Crap, did I said that out loud? At the same time, his phone rang. He frowned at the sound, as if it was a very crappy song. He fished it out, looked at the caller ID briefly and sighed.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to take this."

He got up and walked outside where it was less noisier.

"Then you have to deliver them a new batch of invitations," Rachel said briskly, taking a sip of her tea. "It's a wedding at The Plaza. One would be stupid to refuse the offer," she continued and I felt as if she was making an indirect insult towards me.

"But--" I tried but I was instantly cut off by Evelyn. "So it's set then," she said, taking out her BlackBerry. "On the 17th, The Plaza, NY," she dictates. Things were happening too fast I couldn't even understand what they were saying.

"Hey listen--" I tried again, but they completely ignored me when they discussed about themes and menus and stuff like that. "Evelyn!" I finally said, almost shouting. "I want to plan my own wedding!" I said, sounding childish.

But they can't do this to me!

Evelyn laughed shrilly again. "Darling, you have so many things on your plate already! I'm just here to make your life easier," she said. "And Brandon's already agreed to this! So why are you being so selfish?" she said, rather hotly.

I was literally speechless. I was trying to search for the right words to form a proper sentence, but it was like trying to grope for a specific item in the dark. "I've seen Evelyn's work before. It's far more better than every wedding planners that I know," said Rachel.

I couldn't help but felt rather offended by that. She gave me a sharp glare. "Do not mess your own wedding up," she said menacingly. "I couldn't afford to have my son look as if he was marrying an improper, idiotic lady."

"I was going to plan my own wedding until you guys showed up! I don't want to have it in The Plaza! I wanted to have it in Detroit or probably...on a beach somewhere..."

"I will not allow it," Rachel hissed.

Fuck this. I threw sugar flowers at her once, I can do it again.

"So everyone agreed on The Plaza?" Brandon asked after what seems to be an eternity of silence. Evelyn immediately responded positively and I was about to argue with that again...until I saw the happy glint in Brandon's eyes when he looked towards me.

Somehow, that stopped me.

"I think I'm going to cook dinner," I answered, trying not to sound offended or hurt or anything. It was just that I seriously needed to get out of this restaurant. I kissed Brandon's cheek, bade my farewell to the two bitches-- I meant, women and went back to my apartment.

I haven't open my parcel that Margaret gave me yet. I wasn't that excited anymore.