Page 4 of The Marriage Negotiation

"When is the wedding?" I asked.

Maybe I was busy.

"Two weeks," Peter replied. "You have to be there. I've rented a tux for you and everything."

"I have a tux, Peter." I actually had two. "Just tell me when and where the wedding is going to be."

I still hadn't decided whether I was going or not, but I was leaning toward not going...and changing my number.

Peter relayed the information and then asked, "So, you'll come?"

"I'll think about it."

"You have to come, Patrick. You're my little brother. You have to be at my wedding. I can't wait to introduce you to my fiancé."

I could imagine the type of person that had agreed to marry my brother and I shuddered at just the idea of meeting them.

"I need to go, Peter. I have a meeting soon."

"What?" Peter scoffed. "They actually have meetings for convenience store workers?"

And there would be one of the reasons I wanted nothing to do with my brother. He was a jerk and had been since we were kids. He hadn't changed as he grew up.

"I don't work at a convenience store, Peter."

Peter let out a loud laugh. "Oh, you got fired?"

I rolled my eyes even if Peter couldn't see it. I had worked at a convenience store when I was in high school. That had been a long time ago. I wasn't about to tell him what I did for work now. Knowing my brother, he'd probably ask me for money.

"If you need a job," Peter said, amusement clear in his voice. "I could hire you on here at Dad's company. We could always use a janitor."

"I don't need a job, Peter."

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't ask me to pay for your airfare."

"I won't." I'd never ask my brother for money, not even a single penny. It wasn't worth being in contact with him. "Goodbye, Peter."

I hung up before he could say anything more.

I dialed my mom's number, wanting to get the truth about this wedding. I couldn't shake the feeling that Peter was scheming.

"Hey, Mom, it's me."

"Patrick," she replied in a happy tone. "How are you, son?"

"I'm good." I hadn't told them about my move yet. At this point, they didn't even know I was a doctor. They knew I worked in a hospital, but they assumed I was a janitor or a paper pusher or something.

It wasn't that I hadn't wanted to tell them, but I hadn't wanted word getting to Peter. As much as I loved my parents, they could never keep anything from him.

I held out hope that somewhere deep in their hearts, they knew that Peter was a bad seed. I hadn't seen it so far. From the day I was born, Peter was treated as the older sibling and golden child.

Granted, they showered me with love and affection, too. They just refused to see the bad in Peter.

"Peter called."

"He did?"

"He said he was getting married and asked me to attend his wedding in two weeks. Is he really getting married?"

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