Chapter 42
Ireceived the call just as I was putting on the last of my makeup for the day. Aurora hadn”t contacted me, which was very unlike her, but it just proved all the more that she wasn”t quite happy with the fact that I was absent as she got ready. And so, to put even more pressure on me to get ready, as I was applying my lipstick while I was slipping into my shoes.
I had known ahead of time that we would have such an event like this, so I had prepared. I had packed on as much sunscreen as my skin could take and had the cutest little ensemble with a pleated skirt and a white shirt.
I didn’t understand golf, but I expected anyway for the shoot to be quite fun. A lot more guests had arrived, most of them quite elderly and middle-aged and wealthier than could be fathomed, so I knew that for sure they were going to feel right at home at the golf course and have a blast with their day.
All in all, in the morning, I was plenty excited and looking forward to the day. The only slight dent and dread was dealing with Aurora, but I was in the wrong, plus it wasn”t something I could avoid, so I geared myself up with courage and was soon on my way.
My phone began to ring then, and I ignored it. But when it called again, just as I was heading down the staircase to Aurora”s room, I had no choice but to pick up in case it was her. What I saw, however, was that it wasn’t her. Instead it was Drake, and although butterflies instantly fluttered in my stomach at seeing him, I was already nervous because whatever he was going to say was for sure going to make me lose my head, and I couldn”t, not anymore, at least for the rest of the day. I had to make up for disappearing and give my whole attention to Aurora.
Still, I picked up just as I arrived in the hallway leading to her bedroom, and he replied.
“Are you with Aurora?” he asked.
I couldn”t quite keep the smile off my face, but after noting the coldness in his, it immediately started to falter. He wasn’t the most bubbly person when he spoke, but he usually didn’t sound so stern and gloomy, at least when he spoke to me. Or perhaps it was in my head, and this was how he always sounded? Whatever it was, I was quite startled and a tad bit worried.
“No, I”m not,” I replied. “I”m just heading up to her room now.”
“Alright,” he said, but then he went quiet again. He seemed so distracted and distant that I wondered what was wrong. Had I done something?
“Um,” I eventually spoke. “I”m at her door now. I’ll have to end the call.”
“I”ll call you back,” he said, and I wondered why.
“A-alright, sure,” I replied.
The call disconnected then, and I stared at the phone quite strangely. Then I knocked on Aurora’s door and headed in. I had to admit that I was nervous because obviously I wasn”t exactly on her good side currently. However, I didn”t feel quite nervous about it. Not till I got into the room and saw the three women that were present.
I didn”t even recall that Victoria had barged in on us until I saw the scowl on their faces, and then I sighed.
I didn”t even have a confident leg to stand on because I felt in the wrong, but I wasn”t going to be made to regret my night with Drake either, so I readied myself to accept the criticism, whatever it may be.
“Do you know how much preparation has gone into today?” Victoria asked.
I glared at her in response, and then I turned to look at Aurora. She lowered her eyes from me and returned them to her phone. She had a hair stylist working on her hair and a few others sorting through some clothes on a rack.
“I”m sorry I”m late, Aurora,” I apologized and picked up my camera.
“Why exactly are you late?” The girl Lindsey from the previous night asked, and at first, I ignored her. I picked up my camera and started tinkering with the settings, getting ready for my day, but she soon got pissed off by my attitude.
“You’re going to ignore me and act like you”re in the right here?” she asked.
I looked up then. I stared at Aurora, but she was acting for all the world like she was deaf, so I ignored her.
“Please let me do my job. It’s nothing to you if I was late.”
“It”s something to me if you were late because you were with my boyfriend,” she said.
I stopped then and sighed because she was that girl. She”d acted like it, she definitely looked like it, and I was in no way going to participate. The only unfortunate thing was that Aurora was present, and her ears were no doubt going to be soiled as a result.
“Please take it up with him, not me,” I replied. “I really don”t have anything to add to this conversation.
“Even if you told me not to do it again, I would. All so that you can stop this conversation right now and allow me to do my job.”
“You”re a fuckin-“ Victoria started, but at the harsh look I sent her, the rest of the insult quickly died on her lips.
“Be careful,” I told her. “I can be tolerant of the guest but not you. Be very careful with how you speak to me. I haven’t dealt with you yet on how you barged into my room. What kind of disrespect is that?”
She scoffed.
“Do you deserve any respect? Your client is right here and getting re-“
“Oh, please shut the fuck up,” Aurora suddenly spoke.
At first, I was startled, but when her words registered, my head lowered as I tried to hide my smile.
I knew she wasn’t happy with me either, but she wasn”t about to tolerate whatever nonsense they were starting. I couldn’t even stand it and would have preferred to just leave. Whatever they wanted to say about me within themselves, I really didn”t mind. I just truly didn”t want to be in the vicinity.
“Evelyn,” Aurora called, and I lifted my head, ready to respond.
“Yeah?”
“I’m not really happy,” she said, and I nodded.
“I understand.”
“I know that I showed that I didn’t really have a problem with it yesterday, but I wouldn’t be completely honest if I said that I wasn’t a tad bit displeased. I really want your focus during this period. You were kind of like the outsider in all of this, someone that could make it bearable. Now I feel like you”re a part of it and you”re a part of them.”
I couldn’t argue with this because even though she wasn’t exactly fighting with Drake, I still knew that things weren’t exactly the way she had imagined, and for that, there would be some hidden resentment that would be difficult to shake off.
“I know,” I replied. “I”m really sorry.”
“It”s alright,” she said. “Please focus for the rest of the day.”
“I am here,” I told her. “I”m all yours.”
Just then, however, and unfortunately, my phone began to ring. The room was so quiet prior that it immediately drew the attention of everyone present. I tried to ignore it, especially when I saw who it was from; however, when he called again, I had no choice but to answer it. I wanted to go out to the balcony for some privacy; however, when I knew that this would do nothing but raise more suspicion as to whom I was talking to and possibly stir a bit more anger from Aurora, I picked up the phone right there, determined instead to control what I said.
“Why aren’t you answering?” he asked, and I was both startled and annoyed.
I really didn’t want to be harassed for the tense setup today, but it seemed as though it was destined to be my fate from all angles.
“Was a bit occupied,” I replied.
“I”m going to need your assistance,” he went straight to the point, and I wondered what he was talking about.
“Sure,”
“Are you with Aurora right now?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Can you go somewhere where she can’t hear you?”
This was a bit difficult because even though everyone seemed busy, I knew they were intently listening. I really didn”t want to move, so I just remained in place.
“Sure,” I replied. I waited; however, and a few seconds later, he spoke.
“I have to take my mother to the hospital. My absence will be incredibly noticed, as well as my mom’s, since we have quite a lot of guests arriving. This will bother Aurora, I”m sure, and I can”t really think of a suitable explanation right now, so this is why I”m calling you.”
“Oh,” I said, wishing now that I had truly gone somewhere more private. There was no way that I would be able to control my expression and knowing that so many eyes and ears were on me made it even more uncomfortable.
“Any ideas?” he asked. “The helicopter will be arriving soon, so I need this sorted before we leave.”
This was serious and urgent. I wondered if whatever the problem was, was it something to be alarmed about. I no longer cared what any of them thought, so I hurried immediately to the bathroom. In there, I shut the door, thankful that it, as well as the step, seemed pretty solid, and thick, and then I continued speaking.
“Um… will you both be gone all day, or will you only need a few hours?”
“Probably all day,” he said. “I want her to be monitored for a little while so she can go through the rest of the ceremony as strong as possible.”
“Oh,” I replied, a gnawing suspicion beginning to tug at a corner of my heart. However, I couldn’t quite connect the dots just yet.
“You could tell Aurora that it”s some business meeting?” I suggested.
“My mom isn’t involved with the business.”
“A birthday?” I asked. “Of one of her friends” kids or grandkids?”
“If so, then it should have been planned, and Aurora should have been informed. This would only just upset her even further.”
“Um…” I wondered then why they didn”t just tell Aurora that her mother was ill. Perhaps they didn”t want to disturb her at all? I understood that bit, but I also knew that if I was in her shoes right now, it would kill me not to know.
“Funeral, then,” I replied, “It was sudden, you have to hurry over, but you’ll be back before nightfall..”
“This sounds plausible,” he said. “Alright, I”ll go with this, and I”ll keep in touch. Try to stay with her and distract her from the absence. I know she”ll feel bad a bit; it is a pretty important photoshoot today, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, since her fiancé is around they were really looking forward to it. And I heard she suggested it as well because he likes golf.”
”Yeah,” Drake replied. “It can”t be helped. Anyway, be reachable at all times. I”ll talk to you later.”
“Alright,” I replied. I wanted to head out immediately; however, I also needed a few minutes alone to calm my heart, so I stayed in place. About five minutes later, I walked out, and it unfortunately seemed that Aurora had her phone to her ears and a very deep brow. A frown was forming on her face. I assumed then that she was talking to Drake; however, for some reason, and as her eyes settled on me, she seemed to frown even more, if that’s even possible. She didn”t say a word, even though I knew that she was listening attentively to whatever Drake was saying.
Eventually, and still without saying a further word, she ended the call, and then she turned to look out the window.
I understood how upset she felt, and so when she stood up from her chair and went out to the balcony, I truly wondered what to do. I wanted to go with her, but I wasn’t sure now if she felt as safe and comfortable with me as she used to be, and this made me quite unhappy. Eventually, though, and when I saw that she wasn”t coming back into the room, I looked out to the balcony and took a few steps towards it.
“What have you found out to worry you?” Victoria asked, but I ignored her. Lindsey got up from her seat then, clearly irritated, and then she stormed out of the room.
I hesitated but eventually I opened the glass balcony doors and headed out. I didn”t go directly up to her, but I did stand behind her in case she needed me or had any questions.
“He’s already called you and informed you, hasn’t he?” she asked, and I nodded before realizing she couldn’t see me.
“Yes,” I spoke up, and she sighed.
“A friend’s grandchild”s funeral. For businesspersons, they had to be there. It”s sudden.”
She turned to me. “Does that make any fucking sense?”
I stared at her and without thinking instantly shook my head.
She seemed to become even more upset and truly I wanted to hit myself. But what else could I have said. The business always seems to come first, even today. She couldn’t tell the partner that her daughter had a photoshoot today? That her wedding is tomorrow? And that she couldn’t step away. Why is?—”
I paused in my tracks, that gnawing feeling once again coming to my heart. I was cautious, so I simply put my hand on her back and rubbed. I knew that I couldn”t say anything because whatever I did would sound like I was defending Drake, and I wasn’t exactly wanting to make her even more annoyed.
“Let”s just fucking cancel the whole day,” she said, and shrugged my touch away. I instantly panicked because this was definitely not what Drake wanted. However, for a moment, I did push him aside and considered if this was something that Aurora needed. I eventually decided that it was necessary. They wanted out of love not to bother her, and all parties involved would feel extremely unhappy if this misunderstanding interrupted the wedding festivities in this way.
It made me wonder once again why Drake was complicating this? I mean, it was normal for someone to fall sick during events like this, right? He could have just told her, and even though she was worried, she would be consoled by the fact that she would at least see her mother later that night. But the way he made it sound was as though it was?—
I paused then in my tracks, that gnawing feeling once again coming to my heart. He hadn’t sounded worried at all about the illness. It was as though it was something old that had flared up, and they were going to the hospital to manage it.
“Oh,” I said underneath my breath, and Aurora turned around.
“Oh what?” she said, and I managed to form a smile at her.
“Nothing. Also, I know you might want to take a break, and I support whatever you want to do to make you feel better, but your fiancé is around, and I think he might deeply appreciate the activities continuing. Plus, today is Victoria”s day. She brought in the photographers and flowers and all. It will really cause a dent in the entire ceremony if it’s just simply cancelled.”
She considered my words quietly for a moment and then she pulled out her phone.
“I”ll call David,” she said, and I nodded in response.