Luna

On Friday morning, I got to the office half an hour before everyone else. I wrote all the things I need to do and planned out the tasks for my staff. Just like Colton suggested.

I was feeling on edge at half past ten. I called Sally into my office.

"Did you see Mr. Treble this morning?"

"No, ma'am. He didn't show up today."

"Oh." My heart sank in disappointment.

"Anything else, ma'am?" She asked when I just stared at her.

"Nope. Thanks Sally," I said, then dismissed her.

I did not know what happened to me. I was really looking forward to seeing Colton after we had a blast with Sebastian, Sweet, and their kids last night. Maybe I wanted to check if we still have that good energy between us.

Our talk last night was so cool. Chill and enjoyable. I totally liked it.

Can you believe it? We actually talked after eight years! No bickering and bantering, just having a conversation like normal adults. The more we chatted, the more I was seriously intrigued by him. I didn't even want the conversation to end. Colton is not only super good-looking but also really smart, a great listener, and can hold a conversation.

Barry stormed into my office like a hurricane.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I called Lydia this morning, told her to report. Shit, I'm not one to beg employees, but I came close with her. She won't show up to work anymore because there's no one to look after her new grandson."

"What happened to your temporary secretary?" I remember this tall girl from yesterday. She had a conservative vibe with a tight ponytail.

"She's so dumb. She can't keep up simple dictation, and her spelling is awful."

I let out a big sigh. "Don't worry, I'll speak to the HR Manager and make your secretary a priority. I'm pretty sure there's a bunch of skilled applicants there."

"Yes, please do that."

He let out a big exhale and dropped onto the chair across from me. "So, you had dinner with Sebastian and his family last night?"

"Yup, I did. We had a great time with the kids. We solved a bunch of puzzles." Just the thought of the kids made me smile.

"Oh right, the little ones. They're way too spoiled, especially that boy... the younger one. Ridiculous. I'll never forget when he chucked a toy car at my head. That hurt like crazy. I almost fainted."

"You mean, Joshua? He didn't mean it. You know how kids are, they just want to play. Besides, he said sorry to you."

His mouth did a weird thing. "I still think that Sebastian and Sweet should discipline them. When I have kids, they better know how to behave, especially with visitors around."

I stayed quiet. It disappointed me that Barry wasn't into my brother's kids, cause I love them to bits. He didn't connect with them, either. Whenever he saw them, he acted like they weren't even there.

I didn't know what got into me. I couldn't resist comparing him to Colton.

Colton loves kids. You could just feel it. The three kids really loved him because he was loads of fun to spend time with. Totally spontaneous and flexible.

Barry was like, totally serious, strict, and vain. Yeah, he laughed, but only about certain things. He didn't want to get his clothes or hands dirty. He couldn't be bothered with holding a dripping ice cream or cleaning the kids' pants. He definitely wouldn't carry Josh on his shoulders and all.

I exhaled heavily. Who knows, maybe he'll change once we're married and have our own kids. He'd see things differently. He'd adapt for the sake of our children.

"I'm heading out." He got up all lazy-like. "I need a caffeine boost to keep me energized. I'm going to that coffee shop across the street. Do you want to come?"

Ugh, that coffee shop again, with coffee that tastes like burnt ashes. He was totally obsessed with it.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm meeting Mom for lunch. We're going to discuss our engagement party tomorrow night."

"I'm not getting involved, it's your mom." He gave me a lingering kiss, then said. "See you later."

***

I met Mom at the Sweet Dreamer's café. Our go-to coffee shop and hangout spot in the city.

Mom used to work at this café on weekends with her friend Jade Petrakis, washing dishes. Besides coffee and tea, they had a variety of food options, like sandwiches, pasta, soups, salads, pastries, desserts, and specialty dishes, which made it a great lunch spot.

"So, how's everything coming along for tomorrow night?" Mom asked when we were already settled in the cushy chairs.

"Everything's all good. No worries, it's all handled well."

"They definitely are. You're the expert when it comes to the food, decorations, and the event. You enjoy doing that, don't you?" She smiled lightly and sipped her hot, foamy matcha latte.

Does she seriously need to remind me again? I knew she would've said, "You should've opened a restaurant where your passion is, not a clothing business with that opportunistic guy."

But she held back from saying it. Today, she wouldn't want to start another argument. We had this huge fight two years ago that totally crushed me. I felt so insulted by my very own mother, so I ended up leaving our house and got myself an apartment.

She really, really hated Barry and wanted me to break it off with him. She believed he was only interested in my money. He'd use me, my wealth, and status to climb the socialite world. But now, I proved her dead wrong. Turns out, he wasn't the man she imagined.

I shook off my thoughts and turned to her.

"Of course." I said and took a sip of my caramel macchiato.

"I heard you invited three hundred guests. I thought you wanted a low-key engagement party." Her eyebrows rose.

She knew it was Barry's idea, but didn't dare say it to my face. Bringing up Barry's name would only create tension between us.

"We need to invite important people in fashion and the media. We think it'll be a significant promotion for our brand, especially since it's not doing well right now."

"Well..." she let out a sigh and gave a nod. "Fair enough. Your dad and I are worried about it being too extravagant, and the media attention. Sure, it could help your clothing business, but ours would be in jeopardy."

My forehead furrowed. I was in a defensive mode again.

"How?"

"Given our current efforts to attract more investors for our Mars project, having a grand engagement party might not look good. One can expect their reaction to be like, 'Goodness, they are going to spend even more on a wedding,' right?"

"We're going to spend our money, not yours." I reminded her.

"Of course. But other people don't know that." She paused and then let out a sigh. "We're family. We're all in the same boat, you know. What each one of us does reflects on the whole Stavrakos family. People would definitely have something to say, especially those who invested in our projects. They'd think we're using their money...wasting for our own gain. We are apprehensive that our investors might withdraw their investments."

Oh, God. She was absolutely right. Why the heck didn't I think of that?

The world's most pioneering robotics company was under the ownership of the Stavrakos family. The Mars project, which had already been in progress for several years, was among the longstanding initiatives. A massive amount of funds were invested in it. The government, world leaders, the United Nations, and the world's wealthiest individuals all lent their support to this cause. Robotic entities were dispatched to Mars for conducting experiments. Satellites and hi tech facilities were implemented with the purpose of rendering Mars suitable for human settlement.

"I'm really sorry, Mom." I held her hand, feeling so bad. "Barry already sent out the invites last Wednesday. We couldn't take it back."

She was all worried-looking with slumped shoulders. I felt like I let her down again.

That's just how things were when I was growing up. I had this thing where I constantly disappointed my parents, especially my mom.

I always felt like I wasn't the daughter she wanted. I couldn't match her strength -- emotionally and mentally. I wasn't as pretty as her either. Her hair was blazing red, while mine was brunette.

When I was younger, she would always try to get me to wear those ruffled dresses and I couldn't stand it. She wanted me to mix and mingle, meet her friends' kids, and just hang, but I declined. I'd rather be alone in my room than hang out with those snobby, rich kids.

Yeah, I'm a total introvert. It was a relief that my family finally understood me in the end.

Luckily, I found Barry, who also understands me. Despite being an extrovert, he knew how to handle me. He never forced me to go out with him to parties, bars, or crowded places. He totally honored my wishes.

I guess opposites really attract. Or that's just how true love is. You can tolerate the personality and weirdness of someone you care about.