“You still haven’t answered my question though.” He said looking thoughtful.
“Which one?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, the one where you’re trying to bulldoze me into a hoax relationship with you?”
“You have to say yes!” He took Jasmin’s binder from my hand and opened it. “Haven’t you seen this?” He lifted the guest list to my face and pointed at Sarah’s name on it written in clear bold letters. “I told you she’d be there. So for the last time, you are my girlfriend Emma Duvall.” He announced with finality. I hear a light gasp and see Jasmin’s delighted face. Jo was right, she was carrying at least seven expensive looking boxes of what I’m assuming are heavenly chocolates.
“You’re dating Emma?” She asked Jo and turned to me with wide happy eyes. “I had no idea.”
Neither did I.
I bit my lip, resisting the urge to hurt Jo in a painful way when I heard a deep voice behind Jasmin, coming from the doorway. “Yes, Ms. Duvall. Are you dating my brother?”
Chapter Three
I jerked my head so fast, it was a miracle my neck didn’t break and I didn’t crumble down like all those people from The Vampire Diaries. There he stood in his six feet and then some glory looking down at us minions. Hopefully, I won’t start blabbing like those tiny devils and ask for bananas.
“I . . . uh . . . we . . .” Shut up you stuttering idiot, I mentally smack myself.
“Yes,” Jo said stepping up with a happy grin. I would have kicked him where it hurt if everything that was sexy in the room wasn’t standing across me, gripping me in place with those eyes just like he had the first time. Jake stepped inside the living area, making me hyper-aware of every tiny movement he made. Be it to remove those designer shades, or straightening that shiny watch. He walked towards me as a predator would stalk its prey, in smooth, lithe steps. Drooling over him on the TV or the billboards was one thing but looking upon him in person at such proximity was a completely different experience. He could earn another fortune if he started pricing people for a close up look at his face. The past years had been good to him. Screw good, they had been generously great considering how magnificently handsome he was and a body that seemed ripped even through the fitted formal white shirt, grey waistcoat, and pants.
“You didn’t answer my question, Ms. Duvall.” He said coming to a stop in front of me. “Are you dating my brother?”
I glanced at Jo begging me with his eyes to go along this ridiculous nonsense. Also, he was pinching my arm that was out of view from the siblings, like a spoiled brat bullying his way to get what he wanted. I turned back to Jake and said weakly, “Yeah.”
A thousand times shit. I didn’t want Jake to think I was taken. I’m available Jake, all five feet and two inches. Yes, I’m short. Sue me. I curse Jo for this stupid idea. He needed to have more faith in his love for Sarah rather than doing this. Stupid fool. I debate if Sarah made a good call breaking up with him.
Jake scans my face in silent intensity and I think, here we go. He knows I’m lying. Which made me partially happy and sad in equal measure. Because it didn’t matter if I was single or not since the world knew that he wasn’t. The last Jo had told me, Jake was dating a Victoria Secret model. I look down at my body subtly at the rounded softness of all my womanly assets. Sigh. “I see.” He said nodding, face blank, voice unreadable. I couldn’t decipher his feelings on the topic. “Very well, now if the meeting is done . . .” He glanced at Jasmin who nodded. “. . . I would appreciate it if you could remove the monstrosity of a car from the entrance. I’m expecting some guests and wouldn’t like them to have a heart attack looking at that.”
With that, he left me scowling at his back. That devil Jake Vandervaal. How dare he call my cute red beetle a monstrosity? The nerve. I lose the thoughts of killing the eldest sibling in his sleep when Jasmin came forward to hug me goodbye.
I immediately start to work on the project as soon as we reach the office. Hours later, we have a team meeting, discussing and planning how and which parts we’ll be executing when and drawing up the timeline as we had done countless times before. I passed the papers consisting of the design aspect in the binder to Margot, our designer, and asked her to draw up several options for the presentation. As confirmed in the meeting, I didn’t have to look for a venue because the couple wanted the wedding at the palace and Jasmin texted me the contact details of Geeta, the coordinator at the palace. Thankfully, she spoke English when I called her. Jo & I were in the middle of discussing which vendors to approach on this when my phone rang.
“Jasmin.” I greeted.
“Hi Emma, I hope I didn’t disturb you but I wanted to know your plans for the vendors regarding the flowers and lightings.” She said.
I shared a look with Jo, who nodded encouragingly. “Well, Jasmin, we were thinking that it would be better for me to fly out to the premises and contact local vendors and go from there. We feel it would be more practical . . .”
“Absolutely!” She agreed enthusiastically. “That’s exactly why I called. Instead of dealing with the ones here in Boston, and arranging transportations would honestly be a headache. Scoring the locals would be much easier and efficient in case of any last-minute changes.” We shared the same thoughts.
“We agree then,” I said and give Jo a thumb up. “I’ll do my research and also ask Geeta to send me a list of local vendors that come highly recommended before I fly out in a couple of days to inspect the material personally.” I never took someone’s word for it. I made it a point to check the quality of things personally.
“Oh, there won’t be a need to contact Geeta for this,” Jasmin said. “Jake has several wholesalers he knows in Rajasthan. I’ll ask him to call you and you can discuss it among yourselves.”
“Uh.” I start scribbling on my notepad as I think of an answer. “Okay,” I said finally because firstly, she was trying to make my life easier, and secondly, it would be useful to talk to Jake compared to scavenging vendors in a country I’ve never been to.
“Great. If you need anything, I’m just a call away. Goodnight!” She hung up before I could form a response.
“Local vendors it is,” I tell Jo and sit back in my chair.
Later that evening, having looked at the millions of pictures and dimensions of the Ahuja Palace that Geeta had sent me, I stretched and yawned loudly like an ill-mannered imbecile. Man, I was tired, hungry, my eyes felt like sandpaper and my stomach groaned as if a whale was dying in there. Everyone had left for the night because unlike me they had a life. I wasn’t a social pariah, I did have a few friends but they were all married and busy having kids or had plans with their boyfriends. I didn’t have either because I was busy making a living to live the said life sometime in the future. Hopefully near future. I grab my bag from the desk and rub my eyes while walking to the door. The whale groaned again with a vengeance.
“Did you eat?”
I shrieked like a banshee whose hair was on fire at the unexpected voice. I looked up to see Jake gracing my office with his presence. “Jake.” I let out a shaky breath.
“Ms. Duvall.” He said with that annoyingly polite bow.