Chapter 16 - Oh My God!

"Have you seen the most searched topic on the net?" Harry asked the moment Tom accepted his call.

"No. I'm still busy getting acquainted with my new house. Why? What's trending?" Tom asked as he watered the plant in the flower pot. Harry had paid quite an outrageous amount of money to get the occupants of the apartment to leave and let him have it on such a short notice.

"Well, your kid brother beat you to it. He just got engaged."

"What? Bryan? Engaged?" Tom asked in obvious disbelief.

"Yeah, everyone is just as shocked as you are since he had been involved in a scandal just earlier this afternoon." Harry said as he paced around his living room.

"That explains why he didn't take his call earlier... Hold on, he's calling me now. Let's talk later." Tom said as he hung up Harry's call and received Bryan's call.

"You sure do know how to spring surprises. Congratulations kiddo! You've made mum proud." Tom said making Bryan want to cry. He didn't know whether or not to tell his brother the truth since Sonia was still holding on firmly to his hand. He was trying to use the call to while away time so she would leave, but she was bent on following him around the suite.

"Thanks. I was in the middle of a shoot when you called earlier." Bryan said, wanting to change the subject.

"What about your fiancee? How long have you known her? Where did you meet her?" Tom asked curiously.

"Why don't I tell you about that when we all go on that family vacation?" Bryan asked, hoping before then he would have been able to convince Sonia to leave him alone.

"Family vacation? What family vacation?"

"Mom hasn't told you yet? My assistant mentioned something about mom making plans for a family vacation." Bryan explained.

"Oh! Okay then. I was only calling to check on you. It's good to know you're doing fine. I'll leave you to enjoy your engagement night. Let's talk some other time." Tom said before hanging up.

Who would have thought the reckless and irresponsible Bryan would ever get married before him? Tom wondered in amusement as he checked the time. When he saw it was past 9 PM already, he decided to give his younger sister a call. She had requested that they only call her late in the evening since she was almost always busy during the day. At twenty-four she was a very successful lawyer, and was a senior partner at one of the biggest law firms in the country.

Jade Hanks who was busy going through the files of a client for a case she had to present in court the next day, looked up irritably when her phone started ringing. She didn't need anyone to tell her the call was from a member of her family, since she had saved their numbers with a specific ringtone. She reached for her phone distractedly, and then smiled when she noticed the call was from Tom.

"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" She asked as she stood up to stretch her body.

"Hey sunshine! I've missed you too." Tom said with a smile of his own. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her until he heard her voice.

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"I've missed you more. Mom asked you to call me, didn't she?" Jade asked in amusement.

"Yeah, but I would have called you eventually. You know we are all always so busy and stuff... Have you read of Bryan's engagement on the net?" Tom asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Bryan? Our Bryan? Engaged?" Jade asked incredulously making Tom chuckle.

"Yeah. He engaged a lady this evening. According to Harry it's all over the internet."

"Why do I find it so hard to believe this? It might just be a publicity stunt, I won't put that past Bryan." Jade said with a scoff.

"You never can tell, people change. How is work? I hope you're staying out of trouble?" Tom asked hopefully.

"I'm trying, but the case I'm working on at the moment is kind of complicated. I've been receiving several death threata via calls and messages." Jade confessed.

"What? Have you reported to the police?" Tom asked in alarm.

"Yeah. They're looking into it, or so they claim. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The firm has some men guarding me though."

"You're sure you don't need to leave there for the time being? Your life might really be in danger." Tom said in concern.

"Well, this is one of those things I signed up for when I decided to be a big shot lawyer. I'll be okay eventually, and if I'm not, I can always find my way back home." Jade promised.

"Just take care of yourself, okay? Let me know if and when you need my help." Tom said before hanging up.

His mother had been right. He needed to check up on his siblings more often, Tom thought before heading to the door when he heard the sound of the doorbell.

He smiled to himself when he looked through the window and saw his pretty neighbor standing by the door with his tray in her hand. She was looking fresh out of the bathroom and dressed in an oversized shirt and shorts, with her eyeglass in place. She looked like a dork.

He walked over to the door and opened it, "Hello neighbor!" He greeted with his most disarming smile.

"I figured I bring back your tray. Thanks for the cobbler. It was really nice." Lucy said as she handed the tray to him.

"I suppose you're done settling in? Why not come in for a glass of wine? Or coffee?" Tom asked when she looked like she was going to leave in a moment.

Lucy looked at him uncertainly as she wondered how she was going to let him understand she wasn't going to be the sort of neighbor to sit around watching television with him. She would rather be in the comfort of room by herself reading a book or surfing the net and... "What are you doing?" She asked when he suddenly pulled her into the house and shut the door behind them.

"You're thinking too much. Getting to know each other for an hour or less won't hurt. Just relax. So is it going to be wine or coffee?" Tom asked again.

"Coffee."

"Wine it is then. You need to unwind. You seem really tense." Tom said as he walked over to the mini bar and took out the cheap wine while Lucy watched him, wondering why he was being so bossy.

"Here. To being neighbors." Tom cheered as he handed her the glass of wine.

"I can't get drunk so I'll just take a few sips and then be on my way, I need to rest since I have to be at work very early tomorrow." Lucy rambled on.

"Just drink." Tom said as he kept watching her, "So how is your best friend Sonia? Have you been able to show her your dare-to-do list?" Tom asked, startling her.

"Sonia? How do you know about Sonia?" Lucy asked in alarm making him chuckle.

"You must really have no memory of our conversations because you were drunk. You told me about her. How you both are the exact opposite of each other. How she has had so many boyfriends while you are yet to find the motivation to get one." Tom said, making Lucy suddenly remember the moment she had been drunkenly laughing and telling him things at the club.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed when she remembered telling him how she felt her nipples were too big, "Oh my God!" She exclaimed again, making him chuckle some more since he could tell she had just remembered some pretty embarrassing stuff she must have said.

Chapter end