I'm Asian, so if you feel you have the need to mock my English skills, do realize that English is not my native language.
Lexie gawked at the excessively decorated wedding invitation that sat perfectly isolated centered on her desk. It was as if it was mocking her; taunting her with its fanciful, silver writing embellished on the front. That separated invitation served as a reminder of the one thing she didn't have, the one thing she wasn't sure she even desired to have and the one thing that her younger sister Molly was apparently now getting; a husband.
Lexie Grey, thirthy years of age is the only one left, yet to be hitched among her sisters. Her family members made it their personal sanction in life to point out that obvious fact. Lexie's mother, Susan, so sweet in her maternal nature, had worked diligently to set her up on countless blind dates that turned out to be one astronomical disaster after the other. Susan Grey always looked so exceedingly hopeful whenever she told her daughter about the newest beau that she prearranged her daughter to go out with. But Lexie just couldn't find it within herself to disappoint her mother by telling her 'NO'.
Then there was her father, Thatcher Grey, the Ex-Navy Seal who was consistently inviting one of his poker buddies over with their presumed available sons. She was skeptical regarding the timing of her father's poker setup time so conveniently planned around the same time she usually stopped by her parent's home for a Sunday afternoon luncheon visit.
Lexie tried on several different occasions to talk to her father about these visits but he refused to hear any of it. Thatcher Grey was a stern man, still extremely fit for his sixty-five years of age and effortlessly able to wave off any of her protests with one steely look. And if that wasn't enough, her older sister, Meredith Grey, had recently jumped on the 'find-a-husband-for-Lexie' bandwagon.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Lexie slumped in her chair and sulked. She couldn't understand why it was so important to her family that she has a husband. Yes, this was the prime time of her life but she was happy with the way things were currently going. Lexie worked hard to get to where she was at today and she did it all without the aid of any man. She didn't need a man then and she most certainly didn't need a man now.
"I have caffeine," April announced cheerfully as she waltzed into the nurse's station with two Starbucks cups in her hands. April was Lexie's best friend. She's also a surgeon at SGMW. April Kepner was also smart as a whip when it came to traumas. Some people find her annoying mainly because of her high pitch voice but she seems to have more confidence in herself and her abilities.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Lexie breathed out while she took one of the coffee filled plastic cups from her. "You just don't know how bad I need this right now."
Slowly, she brought the rim of the cup to her lips and clutched it carefully as she blew away the rising steam.
April took a quick glance at her crestfallen expression and immediately knew something was up. "Uh oh. Which one was it and what did they do this time?"
April and Lexie had been friends since their internship and she'd met all of the Grey clan on one occasion or another. Over the years she heard about each and every one of their setups, hookups and mess ups. She had an inkling that Lexie's mood, more than likely, had something to do with one of them.
Lexie let out a not so humorous chuckle. "You know me all too well. This—" she noted and pull something from her lab coat, pointing at the cursed invitation. "Is the problem?"
April grabbed the card that she was referring to. She ran her fingers over the embossed lettering and softly muttered, "Impressive." She opened up the invitation and began to read. It was an invitation to Molly Grey- Eric Thompson's wedding. Molly is the baby of the Grey siblings. April's eyes widened when she realized that the wedding was going to be held in Hawaii in just two weeks' time.
"You lucky bi-otch!" April exclaimed tossing the invitation back at her. "You're going to Hawaii and you're complaining, why?" This is a vacation in paradise. She was failing to see exactly what Lexie Grey's problem was.
Lexie rolled her eyes and carefully set her cup of coffee down on the edge of the desk. "If you want to go so badly, then be my guest," Lexie stated seriously. "I'll gladly give you my ticket!" Slowly, Lexie exhaled. She was frustrated because she anticipated what would happen in Hawaii and she really did not want to have to deal with it. "You know how my family is, April. They won't ease up on me just because Molly is getting married. If anything, they are all going to be even more insistent."
"Ah," April nodded, understanding the problem now. "This is about the 'find-a-husband-for-Lexie' campaign," she said, shaking her head and laughing.
Lexie glanced over her shoulder and glared back at her friend. "It's not funny. They all have their own families to deal with. Why is it that they all feel the need to stick their noses in my business? Can't they see how happy I am now?"
April had to work to hide her smile but she understood what Lexie was telling her. Lexie's family had proven to be relentless in their efforts to tie her to a man. April sat her cup down and tried empathizing to reassure her. .
"It can't be that bad. This is Hawaii for crying out loud. Beautiful sunsets, exotic flowers, men with bodies made of pure sin walking the beaches…."
Any hope that April had at coaxing a smile from Lexie quickly dwindled when she found herself on the receiving end of a peeved glare.
"Not you too?" Lexie groaned. April held up her hands in surrender.
"Just saying," she replied innocently. "I'm not telling you to go out there and marry the first guy you see. I'm just telling you that you should loosen up a bit. Why don't you let your hair down and open yourself up to some other possibilities?"
Lexie turned and walked away, stomping every step of the way. She didn't want to open herself up to any possibilities. She was happy just the way she was. "It's going to be a week of torture."
"Well geez, Lexie, the way you talk, it sounds like your being shipped off to some sort of torture camp. It's just a wedding. Your baby sister's wedding at that! If the family gets to you that bad then why not just find some random guy and pretend that you're with him? As in, seriously with him. Maybe even tell them you pulled a Vegas trip and got married. I bet that they'll leave you alone then."
April wasn't really being serious. She was only trying to show Lexie that she was being downright petty about the whole situation. At least she had a family that cared about her enough to want to see her happy, even if their definition of happy was slightly different than her own.
"What did you just say?" Lexie's mind was already racing thoughts. April just might be on to something there. "Rent-a-husband? It's perfect!"
"What do you mean, what did I say?" When she glanced up, April eyed Lexie carefully. She had seen that look before. The fixated look that says she's thinking about something. That same intensified look that says the wheels in her head turning and her mind mulling over something that's absolutely crazy.
Then she remembered what she said and it all clicked. "You can't be seriously considering what I just said?" April looked completely horror-stricken that Lexie would even go there. When she didn't immediately respond to her question, April walked in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her so that they were face to face. "Lexie, please tell me you're not really thinking about going out and finding an impromptu husband?"
Lexie looked up at April and blinked a few times. That was exactly what she was thinking. "Why not? It seems like the perfect solution."
"What guy would you even consider going along with something like this? No self-respecting man is going to play hubby for a week and not expect anything in return."
Lexie furrowed her brows in concentration. Taking a step back and pulling away from April.
"I can pay him," she spoke aloud. She was considering the possibilities from every possible angle that she could imagine. "I have the money and my family would be thrilled to see me with a man." She turned back around and shrugged. "So why not? I could tell them we did one of those quickie drives by ceremonies in Vegas like you mentioned and none of them would be less desirable. All their attention would keep focused on Molly's wedding instead of me. The poor single doctor whom can't seem to find a guy that wants to spend the rest of his natural born life with her. It makes perfect sense to me."
April was speechless. She stood rooted in her spot. "You're one crazy lady Lexie Grey, if that's what you think. You have finally lost every marble in that tiny head of yours. Again, I'm going to ask you – who in the world would you get to do something like this and then pull it off successfully in front of your very distinguishable family?"
"Good morning ladies!"
Mark Sloan suddenly came out from the on-call room and grinned widely at them. When neither of them said a word he simply nodded to them both then walked away.
April turned around and looked at Lexie who had that starry look in her eyes. "No," she told her, horrified that she would even consider a guy like Sloan.
"Yes. He's perfect." Lexie replied knowingly.
"No, you can't. It's not right." April insisted.
Mark Sloan was the type of man that was all business when it came to the OR but outside of OR he was the ultimate manwhore. The guy came to work on most days smelling different perfume and on the others he carried with him the telltale signs of lunchtime quickies with the evidence of leftover lipstick staining his starched navy blue scrubs.
"He's perfect. He's a good-looking man and there will be zero chance of us ever really hooking up. I can offer him an unforgettable, sensational trip to Hawaii; for that one week, at least, my family will be off my back. It's a win-win situation. Everyone will be happy."
April closed her eyes for a minute wanting to shake some sense into Lexie. She could see that she was dead set on this new plan of hers. She could see it in her eyes. Going off past experience, there was nothing she could say that would change her mind. Lexie was stubborn like that. When she was set on something; nothing and no one would be able to stand in her way.
"You are asking for a world of trouble," April cautioned her as she started to back herself towards the pit. She pointed her finger at Lexie and narrowed her eyes. "Don't let it go unsaid that I didn't warn you, Lexie Grey."
Lexie gave her friend an honest smile.
"Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing," she assured her as she continue to walk. She had dallied long enough and now it was time for her to get some real work done. She felt a hundred times better since she had come up with a plan of action to ward off her family's attempts at setting her up with another blind date disaster. "Just watch." her pager starts to ring off and muttered to herself, "You'll see."
Let me know what you think..