Author's Note: I own nothing but Dave!
"I've been having a recurring dream about Sylas Cockerell."
"I'm starting to think I should charge you by the hour," Dave smirks.
If he would cut his hair and throw away his baseball cap, he wouldn't be that hard on the eyes. I wonder if he has a girlfriend. No. NO! I had promised myself that I would retire from matchmaking. My perfect record couldn't handle another Sven-and-Haley-style debacle. That woman who wrote "To Kill a Hummingbird" had it right: you should go out when you're at the top of your game.
"In my dream, Sylas asks me to marry him, and I turn him down. What do you think that means?"
"It means you didn't like the ring he bought you."
I glare at him, and he looks guilty.
"Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you that Sylas isn't the right guy for you."
"What are you saying, Dave? I've been planning my LIFE around Sylas Cockerell for years!"
"He's just a piece, Harmony. He isn't the whole puzzle. Besides, pieces don't always fit."
"But I have it all figured out. Sylas is my plan!"
"You can always get a new plan, Harmony. So...uh...I noticed that Evan hasn't been around as much lately."
I couldn't stop myself from glancing at the empty side of the bed, where Evan should have been.
"Since we were in his room, you mean?"
"Yes, and...no. You two were rocky before Sylas showed up, so...what if Sylas is just something to focus on, while you're waiting for things to work out between you and Evan?"
"Sylas Cockerell is my DESTINY, Dave! He's not some distraction! After all, I'm in-like with him."
"I know that's what you thought while he was visiting his aunt, but you did say that he was weird about Janet Featherstone and Joseph Dixon. All I'm saying is: you should talk to Sylas before you make him your plan."
I move toward Dave, and he flattens himself against the wall, whimpering about not shooting the messenger, but I just give him an awkward hug, and he looks like he might faint at any moment.
I'm at the EVERYTHING-is-organic store with Daddy, who is towering over a quivering employee (the kid couldn't be more than sixteen), and ranting about the pesticides that will kill us all, when Warren taps me on the shoulder.
"True is throwing an engagement party for Sven and Adelaide next Saturday. It would be totally groovy if you and your father came."
Wait a minute! He's MARRYING her? I thought they were just dating. How was I going to tell Haley? FUCK!
"Warren, are you sure about inviting Daddy?"
Daddy had moved on from ranting about pesticides, to ranting about the evils of marriage, particularly about marriage leading to people putting sunflower seeds in icing.
"Of course, Harmony! Your father is one cool dude."
Maybe I should re-think my ban against Warren's special brownies, especially if they could make Daddy seem bearable.
I decided that the best way to tell Haley that Sven and Adelaide were getting married was to wait until we were on True's porch.
"Haley, we're here for Sven and Adelaide's engagement party," I say, and I ring the doorbell, before she has a chance to have a breakdown.
Adelaide looks like you would expect a model to look. She is a size zero, with no breasts and no ass, which means she has nothing a man would want but money and prestige. According to Evan, that's all Sven Echnovich cares about, so he chose well for himself. But...not so much for everyone else who has to put up with her.
"Adelaide, I hear you're...musical."
Actually, I hadn't heard anything of the sort, but most of the people I know are musical, so I figured it was worth a shot.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't say so, but my friends tell me I could have been a professional singer."
Adelaide has the most complimentary friends to ever be complimentary. Whenever someone compliments some one else, Adelaide will chime in that her friends say she could have been a professional whatever-the-compliment-was-about. If she isn't bringing up her friends, she's bringing up her parents, who are richer than God, with their mansions and yachts and private air planes and antiques that are envied by collectors around the world. Despite these advantages, she has "internal resources" that allow her to cope with adversity. "Sven only lives in an apartment, but my internal resources will help me survive the space limitations." "Sven doesn't have a personal chef, like my parents, but my internal resources will help me learn to cook for us." I would just LOVE to tell her where she can shove her internal resources!
non-damsel: I owe my Adelaide to your Amy. GAH! I miss My Own Mr. Knightley SO much. Can't I just deal with Becka, instead of Haley?
