"Goodbye Tomas! Have a wonderful time!" Aila shouted as she turned and walked away from him.

"I will!", he yelled back.

"Don't forget to memorize your speech! The toast is for your brother's sake, remember that!", she reminded him as she faded out of sight.

"How could I forget?", he muttered under his breath.

His stamina being greatly depleted, Tomas slumped to the floor and took off his shoes.

It had been a long day with Aila after she dragged him from store to store to find gifts for the soon-to be married couple, his brother and...the woman who apparently Alexander fell in love with. It was exhausting to do that much shopping in one day for someone who owned only a few suits and a few outfits. Aila made him try on a bunch of tuxedos, shoes, shirts, pants and suits. She even encouraged him to expand his wardrobe.

Like that was going to happen, he liked having a tight budget and a wallet that actually contained money in it. College students did not have that money to buy things like that, especially for him who just started an internship. Saving money for gas, food and rent was what he planned to use the money he gained for, not frivolous men's jackets.

Standing up slowly, Tomas spotted the object of his fury walking by the student activity center.

He remembered he forgot to give that girl a piece of his mind. Someone had to tell her not to break Alexander's heart or else. Never mind he was all bark and no bite. Alexander was his brother and he felt it was his duty to protect him from those who would break his heart.

Author's Note: So not like Aila is doing right now to you?

When she turned around the corner, he saw he was wearing a designer brand purse, high heels, dark sunglasses and walking her dog around the campus.

How dare she? Dogs were not allowed on campus unless they were service dogs due to people having fur allergies! Did she think that she could do whatever she wanted because she was wearing a dress that cost 1000 dollars? He only knew that because Aila marveled in a store window and then guffawed when she saw the price tag. At the time, he laughed because he thought no one would ever buy that thing.

It was his firm belief that 1000 dollars could have been better spent. Donating to a charity, taxes, food for a hundred-hungry people...anything would have been a better spending choice than clothing!

He viewed himself as judge, jury and executioner so when he came up to her, he glared at her intensely. Throwing out his rule book and any manners he had learned over the years, a scowl appeared on his face. That woman would get a piece of his mind!

"Good afternoon, you must be Lauren.", why was he so courteous all of a sudden? If only he was like his brother, Alexander probably would have no problem telling her off.

"Hello?", Lauren said, almost like it was a question. He noticed a thick Southern accent coming from her, ahh...she must be a Southern Belle.

"You", he squeaked. Why must my mouth run dry at this crucial moment? he thought.

"Yes", she responded.

"I am warning you beforehand. If you mess with my brother or break his heart, i'll...", he said before she started cackling and doubling over in laughter.

"Why are you laughing?", he asked, quite curious to know the answer.

"If...if...you...were..alright. I'll stop my fit now.", she clicked her heels together and stared him down 'til he started to feel uncomfortable. Had this been a bad idea all along?

"As I was saying, if your brother was a girl and you were the brother, this...conversation would be cliché and expected to happen."

Tomas's eyebrows furrowed and his fists slowly formed. Currently, logic failed him and rational decision-making flew out the window. This had just become personal.

"You don't think I'm serious, do you?", he questioned with an accusatory tone in his voice. I his mind, he was wondering whatever propelled his brother to choose her from all the other women. Not her sense of grace, her appearance could have something to do with it thought.

He definitely let himself be distracted by pretty faces. The only party that his brother had dragged him to, Tomas had witnessed his brother disgustingly become entwined with a blonde he had just met that told him he was, "good-looking". In this moment, he could still taste the bile that rose to his throat in that moment.

"I see you're trying to protect your brother and all...but Alex and I keep no secrets from each other and I love him."

"You're just with him to tear into his finances."

"How dare you? You don't know me! and yet you're judging me! My parents come from wealthy French people in Louisiana and only married because my grandmother permitted it! I, on the other hand, had to fight to be able to marry Alex! She said no and I said that I'd rather be disinherited! He fought for me and negotiated with my grandmother for five years without help."

Tomas was speechless.

"What about you? You have a date for the wedding I hear, right?"

"Girlfriend", he corrected.

"What do you really know about her? Tell me. Is she trustworthy?"

She stormed off with her dog and did not look back at him as she continued on to her original destination.

What had he just done? Now, his soon-to-be sister-in-law probably hated him and for what, to tell her to be faithful?

No, now he had more pressing matters on his hand. Could he really trust Aila? He just met her a few months ago. Was Lauren right about her?

Suddenly, his phone rang, it was Aila's number.

He ignored the ring and set off on his way.

Aila could wait.