AN: Okay, I made a slight mistake in chapter one. I said Summer was marrying Dominic but she's not. She's not even engaged to him. Sorry for the confusion…
Chapter Three
The Event
Marissa Atwood picked up a crystal champagne flute and admired it surreptitiously, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. When Summer went for it, she really went for it.
"Can I help miss?" a well-dressed waiter asked, a tray of small cracker-like things in his hand. Marissa couldn't put a name to them, posh food never really had been her thing.
"No, no. I'm fine thankyou," she replied with a smile. She turned her back and headed out into the garden, where people were starting to fill in.
A large family suddenly appeared at the rose- and lily-strewn arch that acted as the entrance to the whole soiree. A huge smile transformed her features as she noticed her husband Ryan, his sandy hair swept of his face and his bright blue eyes searching the grounds, probably for her. Behind him were Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, and then behind them was… Oh no.
Marissa's smile vanished as she made her way over to the family – her family.
"Hey," she called, catching Ryan's eye and resisting the urge to smile too much.
"Hi," Ryan said as she reached them, his voice husky and a grin spreading over his handsome features. Marissa felt herself blush a little. Her dress was pretty sensational. A deep green silk Chanel that tucked in at her waist and flared out a little to her knees. The neckline was sweetheart and the whole dress was held up by thin spaghetti straps.
"Seth!" Marissa greeted, throwing her arms around her friend in what she hoped was an enthusiastic greeting. She was glad to see him sure, but it was just that tonight… Well, tonight was not the night for excess drama.
"Hey Marissa," Seth greeted back, his own voice seemed a little strained.
"Marissa, you look beautiful," Sandy complimented, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Kirsten hugged her daughter-in-law.
"Wow, well… you're here," Marissa said, at a struggle for what to say. She was nervous – real nervous. "Um, Ryan. Can we talk?"
She grabbed her husband by his dinner jacket sleeve and pulled him over to the back of the marquee.
"Marissa, what is it?"
"Seth's got to go," Marissa replied simply. Ryan shook his head and smiled.
"Look, I know you don't want them to meet, but I mean… Seth's home for the week. They've got to meet sometime you know?"
"Yeah, yeah, sometime? Not today!"
"Why not? They're in a controlled environment with loads of witnesses. They can't kill each other here."
"Ryan. They can't meet tonight… They, they just can't!" Marissa was getting hysterical. Ryan put his arm on her slender shoulder and kissed her temple."
"look, I'll make you a deal. Seth's my friend – my brother. I can't just ask him to leave…"
"But…"
"And," Ryan continued, "Kirsten wouldn't hear of it. She'd be scared he'd run off again."
"True. It's what he does best right?"
"Ouch. But anyway, I will do my best to keep Seth out of Summer's way, and you try to keep Summer out of Seth's way."
"Like a mission?"
"Yeah. Like a mission. Deal?"
"Okay, lets get 'Mission: Save the party' under way!"
Summer tried her hardest to smile as yet another tipsy guest smashed one of the crystal champagne flutes that had cost her a fortune. "I'm a guest now, I'm a guest now," she whispered under her voice. She couldn't do any of the hostess-y things she wanted to do because she was a guest of Dominic. Everything was left in Meagan's capable hands.
"Hey," Marissa said, a little too cheerful.
"Oh God, what's happened?" Summer asked, looking around the party to find some kind of catastrophe awaiting her, like one of the guests walking into the buffet table or one of the waiters tripping about having helped himself to one too many sips of the champagne.
"Relax, Nothing's wrong," Marissa laughed.
"But you had that look."
"What look?"
"The look that says 'I've found out something terrible is happening but I'm going to smile and act totally natural'"
She knows me too well, Marissa thought. "Nothing's wrong," she repeated. "I'm just having a good time."
"really? You don't think it's a little…"
"perfect?"
"dull."
"N…" Marissa started, but she saw Seth heading straight for them. "Oh my God, I've left my… my wallet in the bathroom. Come with me?"
"Sure," Summer said, a little confused as Marissa grabbed her waist and pulled her over the grass into the main building.
"Seth man, there you are!" Ryan yelled. He looked relieved, a little too relieved.
"What's up?"
"I haven't seen you for a long time man, just wanted to… you know, catch up!"
"Oh…kay. About what?"
"Uh, how's it going at Wild Storm?"
"Oh, great. Or, it was until I quit"
"that's… you quit?"
"Yuh huh. I couldn't let my creative juices flow, my hidden talents show themselves, my…"
"Seth, it's a comic book company."
"And... I had to illustrate a load of crap that I didn't even write. You ever heard of 'Yeti-Man'?"
"No"
"Exactly. And I am sorry to say that I put that crap out there. Me, Ryan, me! It's been so hard to live with myself since it got branded 'excellent graphics for the worst story of our time'"
"So you quit."
"Yes Ryan, I quit."
"Wow."
"yeah."
"Do Kirsten and Sandy know?"
"Uh, may have left that detail out. If they know I've got nothing tying me toLA they may ask me to come back. Again."
"Right."
Seth shrugged and blew the air out of his cheeks. He looked around. "Pretty fancy here."
"Yeah. It's nice."
"Better than the old soiree's Julie Cooper used to do. Who organised it. And please don't say it is Julie Cooper Ryan, just don't… don't shatter my dreams."
"It's Summer."
"Oh. Well, as impossible as it seems, that – that was actually worse."
"You did ask."
"So she's here?"
"She's the girlfriend of the vice-president of Fieldings, so yeah. She's pretty important."
Seth stared into space dejectedly. He hadn't been expecting for her to suddenly throw herself into his arms – it was more likely that she would throw an unpinned grenade into his arms – but it still hurt. They had been together for so long at one point.
"Where is she?"
"Uh…" Ryan said fantastically. He'd forgotten his mission for a moment there. "I don't know. But when I see her I'll point her out."
"Right. Because I think we should just get it out of the way, you know? Clear the air."
"Right"
Seth stared at his brother piercingly. "Don't sound too disbelieving," he chided.
"Sorry."
"You don't think we could sort it out?"
Ryan stared at his shoes, uncertain how to reply. It was no use lying, Seth would see right through him.
"Well," he began, then decided to throw himself straight into it. "You disappeared the week after you married. How do you expect her to react?"
