~* A.N.*~
This took longer than I planned and a lot has changed since I last started this chapter so forgive me if things seem a bit out of whack from the story line. I actually did start on that SM/GW crossover but it still has lots of kinks to work out. In any case, FTSW will be ending soon so I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks for the reviews!
~Chapter XXIII: Finally Committed~
I stared down at the ring on my left hand as it shined radiantly back at me, it was a beautiful two karat clear princess cut diamond ring. I smiled and gripped Andrew's hand even tighter as he smiled brightly at me.
"Congratulations!!" shouted everyone in the room after we parted.
"Thanks, I hadn't planned on proposing to Serena until after the party but I just thought there would be no other moment more perfect than right now," replied Andrew proudly as he looked down at me lovingly.
"So, were you shocked Rena?" asked Alex nudging me.
"Yes! I never would've imagined that this would happen," I answered, still taken away by the surprise that was thrown at me. Andrew and everyone looked at me with a confused look on their faces. "I mean, of course I thought of settling down with Andrew, but I thought that would be much later on after things settled down," I added, a blush rising to my already flushed face. It was starting to get hot and it looked like I was the only person feeling that way.
"It's okay Sere, it's understandable with everything that has happened ever since you came back to Japan," Andrew responded, kissing my cheek.
"Yeah, thank God Raye wasn't here to ruin this wonderful moment," Lita retorted out of gist. Everyone laughed loudly in return as I rolled my eyes.
"Who says I'm not here?" announced a voice from the entrance.
'Oh my God, are you kidding me?' I thought exasperated.
"You weren't invited, so I'm kindly asking you to leave," replied Galen with a stern look on his face. Raye laughed in response. "I'm not going to ask you again, I don't want anyone to ruin Serena's birthday," he added in a serious tone that I could tell had gone up a few decibels.
"I'm not here to ruin anything, I'm just here to wish her a Happy Birthday and to congratulate her as well," answered Raye confidently.
"Well, thank you for the well wishes. I appreciate it Raye," I replied quietly, a smile coming to my face. It shocked me that she was actually being cordial with me, or maybe this was all just for show?
"I'm surprised you managed to snag yet another eligible bachelor," Raye blurted out as calm and collected as ever. I looked at her in shock, how on Earth can you waltz into a private party and give the hostess hell and still look like everything was cool?
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked while trying to remain calm. 'To hell with it, might as well get this over with,' I figured.
"Well, I'm just stating the obvious. When we were younger you snatched Darien away from me, now you have Andrew. So I'm just congratulating you, it takes a true woman to get the two top bachelors in Japan to fall head over heels in love with her," Raye answered snidely.
"Stop this right now Raye!" yelled Darien from behind me. I was surprised that he even spoke up. "You have no right coming here just to spite Serena, why don't you just leave. You've done enough damage for a life time," he added angrily. I could see the vein in his temple start to bulge and it was beginning to frighten me since I've never seen this side of Darien before.
"Thanks Darien, but I can handle this on my own," I spoke up, placing a hand on Darien's shoulder to calm him down before things got worse.
"You're finally able to stand up for yourself now? I guess you have changed after all," laughed Raye. I walked up to her and looked her straight in the eye.
"Yes Raye, I've changed in more ways than one. Sorry I can't say the same for you, you're still the same bitch that I forgot all those years ago," I said proudly.
"That is one thing I don't deny," laughed Raye.
"Aren't you satisfied? What more can you take from me? You broke Darien and I up over 5 years ago, isn't that enough Raye?" I asked tiredly. I was beginning to get annoyed with her self-righteous attitude. I just got engaged and it was my birthday for Christ sake! "If you didn't come to celebrate my birthday with me, then you should just leave. I don't owe you anything and I'm fed up with all these childish antics," I stated and turned to walk away before I had the urge to smack her.
"It's not my fault you couldn't satisfy your man Serena," Raye spoke up as I got to my table and reached for my chair. The entire room had been quiet the entire time and I could tell they were all watching our every move.
"You're right, it's not your fault. I don't deny that you won when it came down to Darien, but as you can see there is nothing wrong between Andrew and I," I replied mockingly before taking my seat and smiling at her.
"Well, you did have a kid with him," Raye added rolling her eyes.
"I'm not ashamed of being a single mother or having a child out of wed lock, so I don't see why my life is of any concern to you. Or are you that envious of my happiness that you'll say anything just to make me look bad?" I questioned curiously.
"Why would I ever be jealous of you?" asked Rayed, her eyes flaring up with anger. "You're not perfect you know," she added in a hushed tone. Was I actually getting to her? It sounded as if I had struck a nerve, and that pleased me to no end.
"Sure sounds like you're jealous," Alex snorted with a chuckle.
"Raye, why don't you just leave Serena alone? She has never done anything to bother you, so why are you trying so hard to make her life miserable?" asked Amy with her timid voice. She sounded scared, but in a way tired of being scared.
"Nobody here is happy with your presence. You should take that as a hint that you're not wanted," added Mina sadly. I looked at Mina and knew exactly how she felt. We used to be the best of friends, and look at us now, arguing like cats and dogs. It hurt Mina the most because she loved the bond we shared, and it saddened her to see that we could no longer mend that broken friendship.
"You're all on her side?" asked Raye, her tone of voice suddenly changing. I looked at her curiously, was she finally realizing the extent of our argument?
"Yes Raye, we just don't understand what made you turn on one of your best friends that way," admitted Lita. "We were so close that we all considered one another a sister, and suddenly you changed all of that," she added quietly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything! Serena just couldn't get what she wanted, so she's upset with me for taking it from her. I can't help it that she's a baby and I'm not going to give her everything likes she's some sort of princess!" yelled Raye, tears forming in her eyes. I sat there and observed the entire confrontation quietly. The girls were all on the verge of tears and Raye was starting to shake. Whether or not it was due to her being angry or upset, I could not tell.
"Is that what you think of her? She's never once expected us to give her anything. Why would you even think of something as ridiculous as that?" Amy asked confused at what they were arguing about.
"I think I know what's going on," interrupted Mina quietly. "You are really jealous of her, aren't you Raye?" she asked as she looked into Raye's eyes to see how she really felt. I turned my eyes over to look as well, and it was as clear as daylight.
"Why Raye?" I whispered without even knowing it.
"Why?" Raye asked furiously. "You always got everything you wanted Serena! Are you blind or just stupidly naïve? Every guy you have ever lusted for has fallen madly in love with you, and all the people around you love you more than anything!" she shouted, tears now running down her face.
"I just don't understand why it would make you hate me this much?" I asked her quietly. I looked at all the girls and they were crying as well. Had our friendship always been this way? Was I truly too naïve to see that Raye had hated me all these years?
"You have never felt the way I have, you've never been alone. You have a family and TWO guys that love you so very much, how could you ever understand how I feel?" Raye shot at me and I was speechless for a moment.
"You're right Raye, I don't know how you feel and I can't say that I understand what you're life is like, but haven't you realized by now that life is what you make it out to be?" I replied casually. I'm not going to apologize to her for living my life. I've been through a lot but I've never once let anyone see how hard it was for me. "Even if I've been through a rough experience, I would still hold my head high and smile at the world, because I don't think it would help the situation to let everyone know my weaknesses," I told her quietly. "I've been through more than you can even begin to imagine Raye, but you will never see me hold a grudge for having a harsh life. That's why everyone says life isn't always easy, you just have to make the most of it," I added with a sigh.
"You make it seem like you're living the high life," Raye said exasperatedly.
"I don't need sympathy from anyone Raye, I refuse to make anyone else suffer alongside with me. So what if your life is hard? Why would you ever wish that upon anyone else? Think about it Raye," was my reply with a shake of the head. "I'm sorry that you had to go through so much, but that's no reason to hold it against me," I added, looking her right in the eye so she would know how sincere I was being.
"How can you live like that?" Raye asked me quietly, returning my gaze.
"You just let go Raye," I told her with a smile.
"Let go?" questioned Raye, unsure of how to react to my smile. I saw her shoulders relax a little and I stood up and walked over to her.
"Yes Raye, just let it go, all of it," I whispered as I brought her into a hug. As soon as we touched, Raye broke down in tears, sobbing quietly. "It's okay Raye," I said, trying to comfort her. Amy, Mina, and Lita walked over to us and we all just stood there holding one another as Raye cried and the girls sniffled quietly.
"I'm sorry," Raye whispered in between hiccups and sobs. "I should have never taken my anger out on you and done all those horrible things to you," she added and I could tell she wasn't lying by looking at her eyes.
"It's okay, what are friends for right?" I laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"I am happy for you though," Raye added in a hushed tone. I nodded at her to signal that I understood.
"So, we're all good now?" Andrew interrupted our heartfelt moment cautiously. I smiled and left the girls to walk over to him. He pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head lightly. "I'm glad you guys are okay again," he whispered.
"Me too," I added quietly with a huge smile on my face.
"So can we have cake now?!" asked Keith suddenly. I had forgotten all about my birthday party so when I looked over to my son I couldn't help but laugh. He was sitting patiently beside the cake with his foot tapping the floor anxiously. I swear it was such an adorable sight, and was inwardly hoping someone caught it on film.
"Okay, time for cake now baby," I replied, heading over with Andrew to cut my cake. The room got quiet once again as candles were lit and they sang 'Happy Birthday' to me. I blew out the candles and made a wish before pictures were snapped left and right. The cake was cut and everyone sat down talking while eating cake and dessert for the next hour. Afterwards, I shared my first dance with Andrew as his fiancée. We danced to 'Where Are You' by Natalie and J. Roman because I had fallen in love with it the moment it was released and thought it suited us.
"Happy Birthday Serena," Andrew whispered into my ear while we danced. I looked up at him and he pulled me in for a sweet kiss. It lingered on my lips for a while and I just stared at him quietly as he smiled at me. "I love you," he added, pulling away to look at me. I could see the love in his eyes and it made me tear up slightly.
"And I you," I responded after finding my voice. "So very much," I added as I leaned into his embrace. Everyone joined us on the dance floor and we all just danced to different types of music for the remainder of the night. Afterwards, Raye and the girls left but not before promising to have lunch with me so we could catch up and talk in a more private place. My parents volunteered to take care of Keith for the night so that Andrew and I could have the night alone. When everything was over and all of the guests had departed, we stayed behind to help the group clean up.
"No, you two go home and rest. Celebrate your engagement alone!" Michelle shooed us as she pushed Andrew and I out of the ballroom with nothing but our coats. I was going to say something when she put her finger on my lips. "Don't worry about a thing. Your gifts will be waiting for you in your suite when you get back, now go have fun," she whispered sweetly before handing a duffel bag to Andrew.
"Thank you Michelle, tell everyone I appreciate this so much. It was a lovely evening and I couldn't ask for better friends," I replied quietly as she hugged me and we left the hotel in my Mercedes.
"So where would you like to go?" Andrew asked, helping me into the car.
"The port," I whispered as he held my hand and drove out of the city. We arrived shortly and headed towards the yacht Andrew had at one of the piers. He grabbed our bags as I boarded the yacht first. After putting our coats away we found a bottle of champagne sitting in a bucket of ice with two glasses beside it waiting for us on the coffee table. "Looks like they were planning this," I whispered with a smile.
"That's nice of them, they seem to know everything before hand," replied Andrew as he popped the cork and poured us some champagne. I'm not going to disclose with you what went on for the remaining part of the night because that's our private life and you'll just have to make due with your own imagination.
"I love you, you know that right?" I whispered to Andrew right before falling asleep in his arms. He kissed me on my temple and pulled me in closer.
"I know honey, and I love you too," stated Andrew before he too succumbed to fatigue. I opened my eyes to watch him sleep for a bit before I really let myself rest. The next morning we headed back to our suite to find all my gifts and flowers overflowing in my bedroom. "Looks like we'll need another suite to store all your gifts," teased Andrew as he slid boxes around to make room for our bags.
"Mama!" greeted Keith as he ran into my arms and kissed me. I looked around to see if anybody else was in the suite but found nobody, which concerned me quite a bit.
"Good morning to you too baby," I replied while returning his kiss. "How long have you been here by yourself?" I asked, looking around once more for precaution.
"Not long, Jason picked me up from nana and papa's house this morning, but had to take a conference call in his room for a few minutes," answered Keith excitedly.
"Oh, okay then. So were you a good boy for nana and papa?" I asked him.
"Of course, I'm always a good boy mama!" answered Keith excitedly.
"Sure you are," I teased before placing him back down and walking into my bedroom to unpack my things.
"Mama!" cried Keith after he heard my comment. "I am a good boy, right?" he asked me, almost uncertain now. I laughed and nodded before returning to my bags. It was moments like these that I loved experiencing. Naivety can be looked upon as a sign of ignorance, but in its purest form, I think it's just another sign of innocence.
"Hey kiddo, how was your night?" asked Andrew as he picked Keith up and placed him on the bed beside my suitcase.
"It was awesome, grandma rented this really cool scary movie and I got to stay up late watching it!" Keith said excitedly. "You should watch it too mama," he added as my face scrunched up at the thought of horror movies.
"No thanks baby, I think I'll pass," I replied, shuddering as my mind wandered to psychopathic serial killers and stalkers lurking about in people's houses unbeknownst to them. "Sometimes I wish you'd watch those cute little kiddy movies, least I won't have nightmares for weeks," I muttered, more to myself than to the boys.
"You're such a chicken mama, they're not real you know!" said Keith as he and Andrew both erupted into fits of laughter. I sent Andrew a glare before stomping off to put my clothes in the hamper.
"Sorry babe, couldn't help myself, he is right though," whispered Andrew, wrapping his arms around me as he placed little butterfly kisses down my neck.
"I know, but you didn't have to laugh at me, meanie," I pouted.
"You know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he added, squeezing me lightly.
"That's what they all say," I feigned hurt and pushed him away.
"Are you mad at me mama?" asked Keith quietly as he tugged on my shirt.
"No baby, mommy was just playing around," I answered, hugging him as I ran my hand through his hair to soothe his anxiety.
"Don't worry squirt, we're not arguing," added Andrew, tousling Keith's hair right after I had just fixed it, earning a glare from me. 'Sorry' I saw him mouth with a grin on his face as I swatted him.
"So we're still gonna be a big happy family?" asked Keith, looking up at the both of us, catching us off guard. I had no idea he would ever imagine us splitting up so I didn't even know how to respond to something like that.
"Yes kiddo, a huge family, and we'll live happily ever after," answered Andrew, picking Keith up and slinging an arm over my shoulder as I looked at him confused.
"Good, because I wanna be a big brother!" cheered Keith, smiling so wide I couldn't help but laugh at his comment.
"I don't recall agreeing to a huge family Mr. Forbes," I spoke up, poking Andrew in his side roughly, while smiling at Keith who was still off in his own little world.
"You didn't seem to be complaining last night," replied Andrew, winking at me as my lips opened in shock. I glared at him and prayed to God that our son hadn't heard a word that he had just said.
"Complain about what?" asked Keith curiously. Sometimes I wish he didn't have such a good ear. I pinched Andrew from the side hard before turning to smile at Keith.
"Nothing baby, daddy was just talking about our evening. Isn't that right honey?" I answered sweetly, giving Andrew a stern look so he'd play along.
"Yeah kiddo, just grown up talk," feigned Andrew, shrugging when I gave him a look because he had no idea what he was saying. With a roll of the eyes I headed out to the kitchen to grab some coffee and flipped the TV on to catch the news.
~News~
"According to our sources, a birthday dinner was held for fashion designer Serena Moon at the Hilton hotel last night," announced the anchorwoman.
"That's right Nicole, everyone who was anybody was invited to take part in the lavish occasion," interrupted the anchorman beside her. "There are even talks of a heated dispute as well as possible upcoming nuptials for the secretive C.E.O. of Moonlight Fashions," he added while flipping through the papers in his hands.
"Do we have any info on which eligible bachelor her supposed fiancé might be Robert?" asked the Nicole, with a note of curiosity in her tone.
"Rumor is it that he fathered Miss Moon's child, Keith, who was involved in the custody dispute with Darien Shields some time ago," replied Robert, leaning over to show the anchorwoman his files.
"So there you have it first ladies and gentleman, Andrew Forbes and Serena Moon are said to be engaged as of late yesterday evening," reiterated Nicole before shuffling through her files a bit. "It seems like that's all we have, but we'll keep you updated on any changes involving this huge story," she added, setting her papers down.
"Thank you for joining us, we hope you have a pleasant day and look forward to keeping you up to date with the latest breaking news tomorrow morning," Robert said as soon as Nicole finished. "This is Robert Miyamoto and Nicole Saito of Starlight News, signing off," he wrapped up.
~Myself~
'How on Earth did word spread so fast?' I thought to myself, flipping the TV off and staring off into space as I stood there blowing on my already cool coffee mug.
"Honey?" called out Andrew. "You know how the news is. Don't let it get to you okay?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist as he rested his chin in between the nape of my neck.
"What?" I asked, snapping out of my daze when I heard my cell phone ring. Fumbling around, I tried to recall where I last had my phone hastily before it went to voice mail. "Shoot," I muttered, looking around, beginning to panic as I heard it ring for the third time.
"Mama, your phone!" yelled Keith as he came rushing into the living room with my cell in his hand. I reached for the phone and tapped the screen to accept the call before it could re-direct to my voice mail.
"Serena Moon speaking," I answered automatically and motioned for Keith to go back to his room. I paused for a moment and shook my head after realizing that I wasn't answering a business call.
"It's good to hear that you're always thinking about work dear, but I think it's okay to loosen up a bit here and there sweetheart," replied the voice at the other end.
"Daddy?" I asked, checking the caller id to make sure I was right.
"Yes, pumpkin, it's me. Just wanted to call and congratulate you on the big news," answered Richard, my adoptive father, in a merry tone.
"Wow, we haven't even announced it officially yet, how'd you find out so quickly?" I asked, trying to calculate the time difference between Japan and California. 'There is no way the news over there could have caught wind of it already,' I thought exasperatedly. There was a 16 hour difference for crying out loud!
"When you've been in the industry as long as I have, nothing gets away from your ears, you should know that by now sweet pea," replied Richard with a chuckle.
"Don't lie daddy, it's now 10 am over here, so it's 2 am over there right now!" I pointed out, shaking my head slightly.
"How kind of you to remind me of the time difference my dear, but can you blame your mother and me for wanting to congratulate you?" Richard reasoned, chuckling as I sighed in defeat.
"You woke mom up just for this?" I asked him incredulously.
"Well, yes, it's pretty big news. Why wouldn't I?" asked Richard.
"Daddy! You know mother needs all the rest she can get," I scolded him.
"Don't worry sweetheart, I wasn't tired anyways," came another voice in the background. I looked down at my phone in disbelief.
"Why are you still up mom?" I asked, shaking my head as I sat down and stared at the phone, as if it was a video screen or something. 'They'll be the end of me,' I thought, rubbing my temples as I felt a migraine coming on.
"Well, your father and I just got home around midnight from one of our outings," answered Sara, my adoptive mother, in her usually bubbly tone.
"Outing?" I asked, wondering where they would be going at such a late hour.
"Yes, I took your mother to an outdoor drive-in and we watched a classic movie," answered daddy. "You know, the same one that I used to take you to see when you started living with us?" he added, painting a mental image in my head.
"Yeah, I remember," I whispered, thinking back to those emotional days.
"Anyways, it was a lovely evening sweetheart. I can see why you two used to go all the time now," said Sara, trying to change the mood to keep me from thinking. I smiled knowing how my mother is always constantly looking out for me.
"I'm glad you liked it," I answered, leaning back on the couch after I set the phone beside me. "But it's 2 o'clock in the morning over there, so you two need to get your rest," I reminded them.
"Yes mother," said Richard as we all burst into laughter. "No, you're right, we should get going," he added in a more serious tone afterwards.
"When will you be making the official announcement dear? Your father and I will fly over to celebrate with everyone," asked Sara before I could say bye.
"Oh, about that, I haven't even thought about that yet. I mean, it just happened last night, so I kind of don't want to announce anything yet," I answered quietly, rubbing my temples lightly.
"Don't be silly, you need to get to it first before some stupid writer starts making all these assumptions and the next thing you know, some scandal will be floating around about you two," stated Sara in her motherly tone.
"Your mother is right Serena," said Richard suddenly.
"Okay, I'll get something together by the end of the day," I said tiredly. 'There is just no time for rest I swear,' I thought to myself.
"Mama, I thought I heard grammy and grampy's voices," interrupted Keith as he came over and sat next to my foot.
"You heard right son," answered Richard as I saw my son's eyes light up with happiness. It has been quite some time since he last spoke to my adoptive parents, so I'm sure he missed them a great deal, seeing as how they helped me raise him while I was attending fashion school.
"Hi cupcake," cooed Sara's voice suddenly. I could only laugh at how mother still cooed at Keith as if he were still a baby.
"Hi grammy! Hi grampy!" called out Keith, picking up my phone and speaking into it loudly before I could grab it from.
"Whoa, why hello there son," laughed Richard as I'm sure his ears were about ready to pop from the loud greeting Keith just shouted.
"Baby, don't yell into the phone, grammy and grampy can hear you just fine," I explained to Keith after setting it back down beside me. I saw his lips form an 'o' shape like he realized the mistake he made and I could see the frown already coming.
"It's okay son, grammy and grampy are happy regardless," interrupted Sara trying to console Keith before he got upset.
"I'm sorry," whispered Keith quietly. I laughed and picked him up to hold him on my lap as I rubbed his back.
"It's okay baby, just try not to do it again okay?" I said gently. "Wanna say night to grammy and grampy so they can go to bed?" I asked, hoping it'll cheer him up a little bit. I saw him smile and nod quickly so I turned the speaker off and handed him my cell after locking the screen so he wouldn't tap anything else on accident. I had the LG Prada touch screen phone, so it was easy to pull up other menus
"Good night pumpkin!" I heard mother call out enthusiastically while she blew kisses to him over the phone. I laughed at the same time as daddy did, we were both well aware of how attached she was to Keith, it was like he was her own child at times.
"Night lil guy, we'll see you soon okay?" daddy said to him with a chuckle as everyone heard Keith shout a 'Yeah!' excitedly while jumping up and down.
"Good night daddy, get some rest please mom," I added before I heard him acknowledge and we both hung up.
"Your parents?" asked Andrew, startling me as I looked up and found him standing over the couch looking down at me. "Sorry," he mouthed quickly after seeing me jump up from my position on the couch.
"Yeah, daddy just had to call and congratulate us. Apparently people in the fashion industry already know," I answered after tossing my phone to the side.
"You think it was someone from the party that slipped the news?" Andrew questioned, handing me a mug as he came around and sat next to me. I shrugged and leaned on him as he wrapped his free arm around my waist.
"I think I'll give everyone a call and see what they think before jumping to conclusions. But just a heads up, there might already be articles printing as we speak," I answered, taking a sip out of the mug. "Oh, my favorite," I replied happily, melting into Andrew's arms as I savored the white chocolate mocha. "How'd you know?" I asked, looking up as I saw him shake his head and laugh.
"Well, I guess the last 5 years of constantly hearing you yell out Starbucks orders to Kayla has paid off huh?" said Andrew, laughing as my lips formed an O shape as I realized he had been around on the various occasions that I had needed caffeine.
"Well, I'm glad you paid attention Mr. Forbes," I replied, poking him in the side as I sat up and placed the bug down before heading towards the kitchen. "Keith baby, have you eaten yet?!" I called out loudly so he could hear me from his room.
"Yes mama!" Keith shouted before poking his head out the door. "But, I can eat again if you make something yummy!" he added eagerly.
"You seemed to have inherited your mother's bottomless pit," laughed Andrew, ducking as I threw a wad of napkins at him.
"I resent that!" I said, waving the spatula at him warningly. I finished making breakfast and set the table before Andrew came back with Keith and they both sat down to eat and talk while I cleaned up.
"Mama, you're not hungry?" called out Keith as I grabbed my cup of coffee and kissed him on the head before heading for my room to change.
"No sweetie, mommy has to get ready for an announcement she has to make today," I answered while I searched for my phone to call Galen.
"Wait, you're making the announcement later?" asked Andrew, sputtering on his coffee as I turned and quirked an eyebrow at him. Had we not just discussed this with my parents not too long ago or was he not paying attention?
"Yes hunnie, I think we discussed that part already," I answered, rolling my eyes as I speed dialed Galen's cell without looking at my phone.
"Galen speaking," greeted Galen while Andrew and I were still talking.
"Should I come too?" asked Andrew, wiping his hands and following me into my room. "I mean, it would look weird if I didn't partake in this," he added defensively.
"Hello?!" yelled Galen loud enough to interrupt our discussion.
"Crap! Hi Galen, sorry about that, totally forget I called you on speed dial," I explained, feeling bad for keeping him on hold this entire time.
"It's okay Rena. What's all the commotion?" asked Galen curiously.
"Oh, right. I need you to do a press release about the engagement for me a.s.a.p. please," I replied, while I walked into my closet to look for an outfit with Andrew following close behind me. 'Seriously Andy,' I thought, not bothering to turn back and deal with him as I rummaged through my clothes.
"Got it doll face. It should be out within the next two hours I'd say," answered Galen quickly. I could hear him flipping through papers and I figured we should cut the conversation short so he could get a hold of the staff to write up the announcement.
"Thanks a mil Galen, I owe you," I whispered before pulling out a cream colored dress. It had a square neckline and empire bust that came down to my knees with a black hook belt that wrapped around the waist and two pockets on the side.
"Sere?" called out Andrew, snapping me out of my train of thought. I had completely forgotten he was still behind me while I was off in my own little world accessorizing my outfit.
"Sorry hunnie," I apologized with a blush, setting everything down and pulling him out of the walk-in towards my bed. "There isn't going to be a physical announcement Drew, just a small announcement will be published in a few magazines," I told him.
"What?" came Andrew's response, turning to me somewhat confused. "So it'll just be like all those gossip columns I see at the news stand?" he asked.
"Gossip columns?" I inquired teasingly. "Just kidding," I added quickly before he could even counter my comment. "Seriously though hunnie, I don't think I've ever heard of a column in any fashion magazine ever having gossip in their headlines," I explained.
"Oh, so it's a fashion magazine. I thought it was going to be one of those stupid things you find at the corner stand or something," said Andrew in a relieved tone.
"Why, afraid this announcement will hurt the firm?" I asked, curious as to why he was so nervous about the editorial announcement.
"No!" Andrew refuted before I could have any time to feign a hurt look. "Not at all babe, please don't get me wrong. I just want to make sure people don't make any stupid assumptions and spread rumors like wildfire," he added, grabbing my arms to reaffirm his stance on the topic.
"Okay, okay, I get it," was my response, trying to peel his tight grasp off my arms that were beginning to go numb. "I was just teasing sweetie, let go already," I added with a laugh before poking him in the side.
"Oh, sorry," replied Andrew, checking my arms to see if there were signs of bruising since my skin was easily agitated.
"Uncle Alex and Aunt Michelle are at the door Mama!" called out Keith from the living room. I ushered Andrew out the door to stall while I quickly changed into my outfit and threw on some accessories before rushing out to meet them.
"Sorry bout that," I apologized, taking a seat next to Michelle, who eyed my outfit fully before nodding her approval at me. "Hey to you too," I laughed as she smacked me playfully on the thigh.
"Galen just called not too long ago. He said something about a column in today's release about your upcoming nuptials?" said Alex, interrupting my quiet discussion with Michelle about my outfit.
"Yeah, daddie called last night," I said before anything else could be said, which ended up ceasing any further questions since we all knew his mind set.
"That explains it. See? I told you so," chided Michelle as she looked at Alex with a smirk that left Andrew and I clueless.
"Huh?" I uttered in confusion. Andrew shook his head and laughed, realizing that Alex must have been coming up with all these crazy reasons as to why we were pushing for an immediate announcement. "Wait, what's so funny? I don't get it," I said, looking at everyone like they had grown another head or something.
~*A.N.*~
Okie.. I'm gonna cut it there so I can spare myself all the scrolling.. I changed my mind and decided to add 2 more chapters.. so 25 total.. not sure where I'm going yet.. but it'll be good.. I have lots of dramatic turning points in store..