When I finally took her elementary-sized hints to vacate her apartment - after staying for one more coffee at her mom's insistence - I flashed her a look full of mock contrition.
"So sorry that I ruined your night, Sofia. Maybe I can make it up to you? Replace what you missed out on."
Sofia had flashed me a murderous look, knowing she couldn't rain her usual cutting censure on me while her mom was there. Instead, she bared her teeth at me as her eyes conveyed the depths of her displeasure.
"No problem. I've already rescheduled."
And with that ominous comment, my mocking smile dropped as my stomach did.
I had driven home to Helensville, white-knuckling my steering wheel as visuals of Brian and Sofia swirled through my mind.
"Shit, your mom is dishing up the food," Barron remarked as he bent his head to look through the patio doors. "Look, before we go in, I wanted to ask you something."
I gave him my full attention. "What's up?"
"Eden and I are done wasting time. We wanna get married as soon as possible, so we're setting a date some time in October." Barron gave a fond smile as he thought of his fiancée. "E's always loved Fall."
"Wow. That's awesome, man. I'm super happy for you guys." I agreed that there was no point in them prolonging their engagement. These two were fated since birth. They may have taken a detour on their road to happiness, but now that they were back on track, there was no need to delay the inevitable.
Barron nodded, pure male satisfaction lighting his features. "Thanks. We have a lot to organize. We've already found a venue and are just finalizing the date with the owners. Anyway, E's asking Sof to be her Maid of Honor. I was wondering if you'd be my Best Man?"
My eyes widened in surprise. Genuine astonishment filled me at my cousin's request. Of all the things Barron would ask of me, I wasn't expecting this.
"You're asking me?" I finally found my voice.
"Well...Ryan's closer to Eden, so he's going to be in her bridal party. I'm going to ask my friend, Travis, to be one of my groomsmen. You've been in my life the longest."
So I was the pity ask. That stole the wind out of my sails a little bit. My cousin literally had no one else to ask, and the reason I got the role over Travis was because Barron had known me the longest.
The funny thing was, the old me would've been offended and turned Barron down out of cocky spitefulness and pride. But even though my first reaction was disappointment that I seemed to be a "last resort" ask, I also felt...honored. And lucky. Honored and lucky that my cousin would trust me enough with such an important role. I planned on proving to Barron that he wasn't making a mistake by asking.
"Barr," I turned to him with an earnest smile, "It's an honor to be asked. I accept."
Barron rolled his eyes. "Okay, calm down. I ain't proposing to you." He then softened the jest of his words by pulling me in for a hug.
"Thanks, man." He gripped my shoulder tightly. "Don't make me regret this." His tone kept its lightheartedness, but I could sense the underlying warning. If I put one toe wrong, I would most likely be regulated to the relative he only tolerated seeing on holidays.
Dinner was a relaxed affair. Our parents were thrilled that Barron asked me to be his Best Man. It set the mood, and conversation flowed toward talk of the wedding. They had found a farm about an hour away from New Haven. The owners rented their land out for events, so they planned on getting married on top of a hill on the property before setting up a Marquee for the reception. There were a lot of logistics that they needed to figure out, such as heating, accommodation, and transport for their guests. Luckily Eden and Barron were wealthy enough to take care of any problems that arose.
"So, Si, how's work?" My Uncle Gavin asked.
"Busy, but it's slowed down now." I took a sip of my beer and shrugged. I worked for a top wealth management group as a financial advisor and handled a lot of affluent client portfolios. Therefore, many of my dealings were centered around tax returns and strategies, mainly how to minimize them.
I worked my ass off in college to obtain my Bachelor's degree in Marketing and Business Administration and a minor in finance and economics.
I had always been apt in mathematics and economics, so when I veered into the path of financial planning, I put my head down and took off running.
I was determined to be successful, to make my parents proud.
After passing my CFA exam, I entered an FPA Residency Program and was mentored under a senior advisor at the local bank I worked at after college. From there, I became a Certified Financial Planner and accepted a job with a large wealth management group, O'Ryan Financial Advisors, Inc.
I didn't stop there. I climbed my way up the ranks, my effervescent and charming personality helping to establish me as a popular and sought-after advisor. I wasn't afraid to get my hands dirty when it came to marketing and procuring clients. I networked my ass off, schmoozing with folks from different walks of life. I knew how to sell myself and was confident in my ability to handle their money carefully, keeping their best interests at heart.
It wasn't the career I had initially seen myself doing, but I came to enjoy my work and the temperamental nature of its demands. It was only a short time before my long-time clients became friends.
"The last few months have been crazy. Even more so than usual."
The start of the year brought annual reviews. Investment returns from the past season were out, so strategies for next year had to be discussed. I had just over two hundred back-to-meetings over two months.
