"No, actually...so Barron and I were thinking of going away for the weekend. Just the wedding party." She picked up her wine glass and swirled the liquid around, her eyes averting mine. "Since it's tradition for the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to plan their respective parties," she took a deep breath, but I could already see where she was going with this. "And since we're having a joint party...well, Simon insisted on planning it."
Yep, that's what I suspected.
There was an awkward lull after Eden dropped that piece of information. I side eyed Ryan who widened his eyes at me in alarm before downing the rest of his drink.
"So...we should expect a sex show in Vegas?"
Ryan snorted at my gag, wiping the excess liquid that he had spat out from his shirt. I rolled my eyes. Great, I'd have to run the carpet cleaner through my rug now.
"No! Barron made it clear to Simon that we don't want anything wild on this trip. Just us, somewhere nice and relaxing. I'd plan it myself but I have a few shows coming up that'll keep me busy and you know how busy The Homestead gets over summer."
"Well, should be interesting whatever it is he's planning," Ryan quipped.
I understood; really, I did. It wasn't surprising that Eden had to go away for work. As a top model, she was always called upon for showcases or ads and very rarely turned them down.
Barron, as well, his popular bar and eatery, always attracted an influx of numbers over the busy season. Only recently, with him and Eden rekindling their relationship, he'd taken a step back. But he still liked to be involved where he could.
With the time constraint barrelling down their necks, it made sense to pass on the planning to a trusted member of the wedding party.
ButSimon? Really?
I knew that Barron had a mini heart-to-heart with him; and that Simon apologized for his behavior. I was happy for them, mainly because family meant a hell of a lot to me. It would break my heart if I fell out with any of my relatives.
But I couldn't believe that Simon had done a full one-eighty in personality to be trusted with such an important task. There was no way.
As Eden and Ryan chatted about what kind of wedding party getaway they thought would be nice, I finished my wine silently.
It had been three months since the incident - or, rather,incidents. Eden and Barron's engagement party, Maria kicking Simon out, Simon staying over drunk.
I had smoothed things over with Brian - apologizing profusely for Simon's behavior as well as allowing him to borrow his clothes without permission. Luckily, he didn't seem to care and had forgotten that he left them there in the first place. Still, even though we had no obligation to each other, I needed to explain what had transpired that night. I explicitly corrected any assumptions he might have had that I crawled out of one man's bed, straight to his.
My friends were completely in the dark when it came to my...complex dealings with Simon. As far as they knew, our contact with each other started and stopped that fateful weekend.
They had no idea about his attempts to come onto me at Kelly's summer barbecue a couple of years back, no idea of my run-ins with him at my apartment whenever he stopped by to see Maria or cornering me near the bathrooms at their engagement party. As far as they knew, I gave him clothes and allowed him to stay at my apartment before he left the next morning without incident.
At first I kept quiet because he was Barron's cousin and at the time of our first run in, I wasn't yet friendly with Barron.
Afterward...well, I didn't want to rock the boat. What with Simon being Barron's cousin and all.
Plus, I knew how to handle myself. I met Simon's verbal sparring tit for tat. He enraged and frustrated me. With his stupid chiseled face. The cheeky winks he used to give me, the sly smirks. The way he used to grab at his chest in mock agony whenever I pinned him with a cutting remark.
"Ahh, you're breaking my heart, darlin'," he'd deliver.
But that weekend I spent with him, he was like Jekyll and Hyde. His behavior had been atrocious; no surprises there. But the last morning together, he had been...almost pleasant. I had sat there, dumbfounded, as he sat at the kitchen island and chatted away with my mom. He was charming, attentive...a perfect gentleman. And a stark contrast to how he had been acting up until then.
When he finally left my apartment, he gave my mom a cuddle and a kiss, causing the older woman to blush and shoo him out the door with a "please drive safely. Let Sofia know that you've made it home."
I had to hold my breath and clench my jaw to contain the slew of curse words I wanted to say, especially when Simon turned to me with big, butter-wouldn't-melt doe eyes. "I'll be sure to message her, Mama Sefina."
Yes, my mom had insisted he call her by the name all my friends referred to her by. I had almost blown my gasket when my mom said that.
Later that night, Simon sent me a follow request on Instagram. He had also sent me a message request.
Made it home safe :)
I had left him on read. As well as his follow request.
But I couldn't resist stalking his Insta page now that I knew he had one.
