"Are you suggesting that they're silencing negative comments? And I thought the beauty community had problems."
"I can't say that definitively, but everything I found was glowing like a red hot poker."
Em nodded in rhythm with our footfall. "Well, what else have you found out? Is it as fishy as it seems, do you think?"
"For a second I entertained the thought of Mark being a paid actor, and that we were all being scammed," I joked. Em didn't laugh.
"That boy is far too genuine for that to be true."
"I was joking. I of course came to the same conclusion. Their legal team struck me as strange."
"How so?"
"There are twenty lawyers on their team, with five being in-house counsel on any given day. Isn't that overkill?"
"That's more lawyers than the company Finn works for, and they're multinational, not a four-acre one-town laboratory."
"Do you know how much money Angela paid them, by any chance?"
"No, I have no idea, and I've never asked. I've been curious though."
"Has she ever talked to you about what kind of contract she signed?"
"No. I'm sure she signed it without so much as a second thought," laughed Em, "She might not know what is in it."
We rounded the loop at the end of the lane and were walking back toward our houses. Em was quiet as we passed several houses.
"Do you think she will hurt him? You know, when he tells her," Em asked.
"What makes you think she would?"
Em was silent.
"Em?"
"She suspected Henry of having an affair once, with a girl half his age from his office. It led to a lot of fighting."
"Why do you know all of this?"
"Well, she confided in me a lot when you and I first met her. She's not the first person to tell me her life story, and she won't be the last. I just have the face that compels people to spill their guts in the checkout line at a supermarket," Em snickered.
"I never knew that about them. Was she violent or something?"
"Not that she mentioned, but why would she mention it? She'd never want to own up to it. I was just pondering the thought, because I know what I would do if I was convinced Finn was cheating."
"I'm not even going to ask, because I can already imagine it," I took in a deep breath, pondering Em's qualm myself. "I imagine she's going to get explosively angry."
"Do you think she will send him back?"
"Can she do that? And after 'everything she's done,' would she want to? Or do you think she'll take him for some more altering and try to force the situation?"
"I have no idea what she'll do. People do insane things when they're this desperate."
"I'm glad you called her that, because if I did, it would be the pot calling the kettle black."
"What makes you the pot to her kettle?"
"Despite the crap storm it is going to cause, I am starting to get more and more eager to have him to myself."
"Yeah. I can only orchestrate so many meetings per week."
"You could do better," I jeered.
We passed Angela's house from the opposite side of the street. I stared at the front windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mark. My heart sunk when I didn't spot him. We marched on, our houses getting closer and closer. Finn's SUV rolled into their driveway.
"Oh, they just got back! Walk faster," Em commanded.
We parted ways in front of my house, and she jogged up her driveway to greet her future brother-in-law. I let myself in to my silent house, laid out my white sun dress for tomorrow, and watched movies until I fell asleep on the sofa.
With a deep breath, I strolled into the park, the white lacy frills of my dress dusting my knees. I'd fidgeted all day, taking ages to finish simple editing work that should have only taken an hour. I got dressed and painstakingly did my makeup. I arranged every last detail of my look from my lipstick to making sure the metals on everything I wore matched. I came with nothing, like Em said, and was greeted with a yellow gingham picnic blanket and a sumptuous packed dinner.
"You outdid my expectations," I remarked, opening my portions of caprese pasta salad and smoked salmon tartines. Em handed me a packet of homemade cheese straws.
"What were you expecting?" Finn asked.
"A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, of course."
He laughed as we tucked into our meal. I'd only had a few bites when Angela and 'Henry' showed up. He placed their quilt on the grass next to Em and Finn while she unpacked the club sandwiches and potato salad they brought. He was wearing jeans with a forest green and yellow stripe t-shirt tucked in all the way round. Angela had missed the white sundress memo, but hadn't noticed yet. I glanced over at Em, lovely in her white linen button-front midi dress.
"What a picture you two look!" Angela exclaimed when she took a good look at Em and Finn. Em slid me a mini bottle of wine. I wish I knew where she found all this picnic-perfect stuff. It was rose. I cracked it open and started sipping.
"Drinking already? How unbecoming," Angela commented as she locked eyes with me.
"Em packed us these absolutely picnic-perfect little bottles of wine," I gushed, "not only is it cute and little, its delicious."
Angela finally spotted the four-pack of baby bottles to Em's left and pursed her lips. I ate and drank contentedly as Em entertained her with idle conversation. I looked at the sun, getting low in the distance. The hum of the insects was beginning its slow crescendo. A gentle breeze rustled the trees. I let my head loll back, bottle of wine in my lap, taking in the beautiful scene of the park as much as possible. I kicked off my flats, flexing and pointing my toes.
"Oh darling, I'd kill to be that relaxed," said Kirsten. She'd already flattened her blanket on the grass by the time I opened my eyes to look at her. She was in a lovely cotton shift dress, larded with beads at the hem. I smiled at her.
"Where's Jin-young?"
"He will be along in a second, he's bringing our basket and cooler from the car," she looked rapidly from me to 'Henry' and back, "how is... everything?"
"It's all perfectly fine."
"I'm glad to hear it," she kicked off her block-heeled mules, and looked hard at 'Henry' and Angela. She locked eyes with the latter.
"I didn't realize this evening had a dress code," Angela scanned all three of us, clad in white. She'd worn a red paisley shirt and skirt set.
"No one said anything to you?" Kirsten asked in disbelief, "There was a group text."
"You girls know I don't text," she gave Henry a light swat, startling him, "Why didn't you tell me about this when they invited us?"
"I didn't know about it."
He looked at me. I clenched my jaw and had some more wine. I looked just past him. A tall, slim man had appeared behind Angela, carrying a cooler and basket over to Kirsten. His hair was jet black, and his face beyond handsome. He looked so chic, in off white chinos and a sky blue shirt. When he turned to greet us, he was smiling, but when he locked eyes with 'Henry,' his expression changed to one of shock.
'Henry' slowly stood up. They stepped toward each other slowly.
"Is it really you, M?" Jin-young asked.
"Oh my god. It's you, J. I don't believe it!"
Their faces gave in to joy and they embraced each other. Kirsten, Angela, and I exchanged confused glances.
"You know him?" Kirsten asked.
"Yes!" Jin-young held 'Henry' by the shoulders, looking at him excitedly, "He's my best friend. I never thought I would see him again."
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