By: Beautiful Fool
March 20, 2004 (Edited Janurary 7, 2005)
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This is an edited version of the lunch chapter. Hopefully, from earlier chapters, you know who and what is and isn't here.
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- 2 Months Later -
Darien and Courtney's wedding plans were coming along. They had now been engaged for three months, and Courtney was in a hurry to get everything prepared. Darien was a little worried that she would go over budget, but then figured that this was their only wedding, so maybe it should be just the way she wanted it.
The only problem 's dream dress was made by a certain designer. Yes, that certain designer was Darien's famous ex-girlfriend, Serena. Courtney knew exactly who she was, and what she once was to Darien, but she was determined to have that one specific dress.
Her dream dress was a strapless design, except for one thin strap that went from the right side of her chest to over the shoulder and to the back left side. A small white silk rose was pined to the strap in the front. The entire gown was the type to fit like a second skin all the way to the knees where it flared, but only slightly. The veil to the dress was small, down to the waist area, and was made to clip onto hair that was in a bun or a similar style. Courtney fell in love with it instantly, and knew that that was the dress for her.
Darien made the wrong decision to try to persuade her to go with another designer. But she gave him a better choice, either he talked to Serena about making her the dress...or the wedding was off. Darien was never one to take an ultimatum easily, it made him angry in fact, but he did love Courtney. And Serena was a great person. So he told her he would try...but could make no promises. Courtney was happy with that answer.
Darien had called Serena to ask if she'd like to have lunch. But he didn't have the guts to tell her why, so his excuse was merely, 'Just to get together.'
Serena agreed to meet him at a restaurant that she usually went to for business related meetings. It was nearing noon on a Saturday when Serena and Darien finally got together.
"Darien, I was beginning to think you stood me up," Serena said, smiling as she stood to greet him with a friendly hug.
Hugging her lightly, and smiling as well, "I asked you to lunch, what kind of man would I be if I stood you up?"
Serena got silent as she looked down. He knew that was wrong. To her, he may be a nice man...but not much of one. Darien cleared his throat as they both sat down.
Serena opened up her menu and began reading, as did Darien, "So, Darien, why did you call me out of the blue? I haven't seen you in a few months-not since before..." her voice trailed off, but she quickly cleared her throat, "Anyway, what's going on with you?"
Damn! She was jumping into this quicker than he had hoped. Couldn't she see the sweat dripping down his face, or his quick breathing? Or was he just imagining all of that?
Darien set his menu down, then rubbed the palms of his hands, nervously, on his legs, "Well, like you said, we haven't talked in a few months."
Serena interrupted him as she set her menu down, " I had to admit that I missed seeing you around. I was happy that after what happened to us, that we could move on and get along. But you suddenly dropped out of sight."
He ran his right hand through his hair, "Yeah, well, I've been busy."
"With your wedding..." she said bluntly.
"Yeah."
"I was surprised that I heard about that through the grapevine. Have to admit that it was 'not' easy to digest."
"Trust me, I would rather have told you about that, instead of how you heard it."
Serena smiled, "Don't worry about it. What's important is that you are going to be taking that big step in life..." her voice trailed off, "...though not with me."
Darien turned his head slightly, "What was that?"
She blushed in embarrassment, "Nothing. Anyway, where were we?"
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, "Right. Well, there was something I wanted to ask you."
Serena placed her hands in her lap, trying to hide the fact that she had started twisting her napkin, "Ask me what?"
Darien ran his hand through his hair again, "Well..."
"Would you two like to hear the specials?" came a young waiter.
"I don't think we're ready," Darien said, slightly annoyed.
The waiter smiled, "Well, to help you along, our specials for today are..."
"I said we're not ready!" Darien said bitterly.
Both Serena and the waiter's eyes got large. Serena looked up at the waiter and smiled lightly, "Give us a few more minutes, please?"
Darien took a deep breath as Serena turned to him, "Darien, calm down. What's this all about, that's got you so worked up?"
He lowered his eyes as he spoke, "I need a favor."
Serena raised her eyebrow in curiosity. The tone in his voice told her something was up, and that this was definitely not the kind of favor a friend asks for a friend, "What kind of favor."
He swallowed a lump that had grown in his throat, "Well...it's really Courtney..."
Serena huffed, "You have got to be kidding me! What kind of favor could she possibly want me, ME OF ALL PEOPLE, to do for her?"
"shewantsyoutodesignherweddingdress..." Darien mumbled quietly.
"What?"
"Courtney saw this design of a wedding dress that you had done, and she wants that dress for the wedding."
Serena began to laugh, "That's really funny, Darien. You're joking right?"
The look on his face as he raised his eyes to her, told her that it was most certainly not a joke, "I can't believe you would have the gull to ask me that! Haven't you noticed that in the year and some odd months you two have been together that I haven't even met her? I haven't even forgiven you completely, but I haven't met her. Did it ever occur to you why that was?" Serena's voice was loud enough that other customers in the restaurant had stopped their dinning and were now looking at them, "What in the hell made you think I would agree to that? What's next? She can't have children and wants me to have them for her?" Serena tossed her napkin on the table, grabbed her purse and stood up, "For all I care, she can walk down the aisle in a bed sheet and tissue boxes. But I will not, and read my lips, NOT, design that woman a dress for her wedding. Make sure you tell her that!"
Darien's face turned a deep shade of red in embarrassment as Serena stormed from the restaurant. He wished he could crawl into a hole and die. That was the most humiliating moment of his life.