Page 24 of Give It a Day
After a while, Kaye spots someone and excuses herself, leaving me in the crowd for a woman whom she greets as Elle—the only person she seems to be genuinely interested in talking to. In a moment, my mother weaves her way through the crowd to speak to both Kaye and Elle.
All the while, I busy myself by continuing a conversation with a power broker whose name escapes me, but I’m hardly paying attention to anything he says since I’m eavesdropping on my wife’s conversationwith my mother and that other woman. I catch a few things—my mother insisting Kaye call her “Clo” because “Chloe is not a fitting name for me anymore,” which Mother says with a laugh. She also divulges on how she used to be close friends with Kaye’s mother, how my mother finds it nostalgic to have a wedding like this for her old friend, Naomi’s only daughter, and how the seawater makes Kaye’s hair curl a little, same as Naomi’s. Elle quips in here and there, especially when they ask about her, and that’s when I realize Elle’s not affiliated to the criminal world like the rest of us are. Based on their conversation, Elle must’ve been my wife’s stylist for this reception. I think I might have seen her around once I acquired the estate. Usually, she’s trailing after my mother, so maybe Elle’s my mother’s stylist.
That means Kaye has befriended someone my mother hired to help her look the part of my blushing bride. But Kaye doesn’t care to know the criminals in this event. A curious thing…
My wife likes stoking the fire in rumors, not concerned about building relations with people who have power, but she befriends someone who holds none. Kaye’s certainly interesting.
I’ve heard the whispered rumors and wonder why she hasn’t takenmedown. Does she plan to? She could have fought her way out, ran away as far as she could, and burned it all down in the process. But she didn’t. And I’m glad she didn’t, or hasn’t, because when she lets her guard down—even for a fleeting moment—it’s like catching a glimpse of something rare, something priceless. And that’s what makes the risk of being burned, of being hurt worth it.
While I watch her laugh with her friend and my mother, I’ve decided that I’ll let her push me away just so she can pull me right back against her, however many times she wants.
I’ll prove that I’m not simply a man she’s forced to tolerate but the one she can’t live without. It’s not arrogance or power driving me. It’scertainty. Because I want her, and when I want something, nothingstops me.
She might try resisting me every step of the way, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because in the end, the greater the risk, the sweeter the reward.
My eyes never leave my wife’s form, even when she retreats into the vineyard, hiding behind rows and rows of the tall intertwining vines, with her new friend trying to catch up to her.
I make my way to the musicians and tell them to play louder. My little bird might chirp too loudly once I’m done with her.
7
Kayla
When my mother-in-law, or kinda cutely,Clo, has to go take care of something, I’m left with Elle, who I pull outside of the crowd, so she can fix my hair.
Elle and I keep walking until we find a corner away from the crowd, so that we don’t have eyes on us, because my hair’s become a mess! From perfectly straight to a frizzy tangle. The seawater’s mist makes me feel like I’m losing control, because I can’t even control my hair, damn it!
Though, I have to say, hearing Clo talk about my mom made me feel like my mom was here, enjoying my wedding reception—you know, the wedding she forced me into.
Would’ve been nice to have you here, mom and dad!
But fuck it, I miss them, and even though it was a short conversation from my nostalgic mother-in-law, it feels really reassuring somehow. It almost makes me want to check my phone again, if it weren’t for the fact that I left it on the vanity table in the bedroom I was in. I wouldn’t stop worrying about my parents otherwise.
Deep into the rows of vines, Elle’s by my side with her crossover bag, grabbing a spray of seawater mixture to use all over my hair while shebunches the strands section by section into her free hand.
Then, after a minute, she shows me a compact mirror, and I see my long straight hair flow into dark waves around my neck and over my shoulders. In that magical moment, she’s turned my unruly hair from a fluffy mess to flowing waves.
“Wow, you make it look so easy to style me. You’ll have to show me how to do it again sometime,” I say to Elle, who’s bashfully nodding.
Suddenly, Dae walks up to us, resting his hand on the small of my back. I look at him with furrowed brows, stunned that he found us so easily, but then again, thisishis estate. Or rather, it’sours.
“Oh, my husband’s here.” God, why do I sound excited? Calm down, Kaye. I clear my throat, presenting my friend to Dae. “This is Elle, Dae. She did my hair and makeup,andhelped me fit this dress better with her talented stitching.”
“Elle.” He greets her with a charismatic smile like a seasoned politician, reaching out to shake her hand while keeping his other hand firmly on my waist. Hm, I quite like that. Then he tells her, “I’ll be sure to leave you a generous tip. My wife looks more gorgeous than ever, thanks to you.”
Elle blushes. Girl, I would, too, if I met this charismatic side of Dae, but I got the dominant brute side of him first.How lucky of me!
Elle hides her pink cheeks with her hair that looks golden in the sunset. So pretty! “It was my pleasure, Mr. Song-Smith.” She smiles at me. “Kaye’s a natural beauty, so there really wasn’t much work to do.”
“We’re best friends now, do you realize that?” I grab her hands, making her smile turn sheepish and her brows raise in surprise.
Dae chuckles at the exchange. It almost sounds like he’s enjoying himself, but there’s no cruelty to it. Odd, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. “Elle, would you mind if I stole my wife away for a moment?”
I turn to him, lips parted in a quiet gasp as I stare at that gorgeousface of his.God, that got me wet. Stop calling me your wife in front of people, you handsome demon!
“Oh, goodness, of course! I didn’t mean to be rude. Excuse me.” Elle turns around a bit stiffly, like she doesn’t know where to go. I don’t blame her, this vineyard is as much of a maze as the halls of the mansion. But with steadfast feet, she walks toward a direction.
Now that we’re alone, I turn to Dae. “You just had to have me all to yourself, didn’t you?”
