Chapter 57: The Plan

Emerald’s POV

By the time the photographs were over, I was more than ready to sit down.

My feet were beginning to ache from standing for so long, and the constant movement from one group of photographs to another had left me feeling more tired than I expected.

Claire and Laura were already back at our table when I returned, so I settled into my seat and reached for my fork. There was still plenty of food in front of us, and I decided to eat properly instead of picking at the food as I had been doing earlier.

A few minutes later, some of the wedding favours were brought around for the guests. Each person received a beautifully packaged gift from Vera and her husband.

Laura was about to say something when she suddenly stopped and looked towards the other side of the hall. I followed her gaze and saw Adrian Blake standing a short distance away.

Her gaze stayed with him for a few seconds before turning back to us. "I think I’m going to do it."

Claire looked at her curiously. "Do what?"

"Go and introduce myself," she replied.

Immediately, I knew who she was talking about. "To Mr. Blake?"

Laura nodded. "I’ve seen him around before, but I’ve never actually spoken to him."

Claire smiled. "Then go. What are you waiting for?"

Laura looked at me. I nodded. "Go ahead. You have nothing to lose."

She took a small breath, straightened her shoulders and stood up. "Wish me luck."

Claire laughed. "You don’t need luck."

Laura gave us one last confident smile before walking towards him.

I watched as she approached Mr. Blake. He noticed her almost immediately and turned towards her. Laura said something to him, and he smiled before extending his hand.

They shook hands, and from where I sat, their conversation appeared relaxed. Mr. Blake didn’t seem bothered by the interruption, and Laura looked comfortable enough speaking with him.

Claire leaned slightly towards me. "Mr. Blake looks friendly."

I nodded. "He does."

"It might be because he is in the entertainment industry," she added.

I glanced at her. "That could be it, or perhaps that is simply his nature."

A few moments later, I saw Mr. Blake reach into his pocket and hand Laura a complimentary card. Laura looked at it before saying something to him, and he responded with a smile.

They shook hands again before she finally returned to our table. She was smiling so widely that I already knew the conversation had gone well.

Claire wasted no time. "Well?"

Laura sat down and placed the card carefully beside her purse. "Let me breathe first."

I laughed. "Nothing bad happened."

"Nothing bad? Emerald, I think this might be the best thing that has happened to me today."

Claire leaned closer. "Tell us."

Laura picked up the card and looked at it again. "He was very nice. I introduced myself and told him that I’m an actress, and we spoke for a little while. He asked about my current agency and my contract."

Claire’s eyebrows rose. "And?"

Laura grinned. "He said I should give him a call."

I looked at the card in her hand. "When do you plan to call him?"

"Tomorrow at noon," she answered as she carefully slipped the card into her purse.

I nodded. "Okay."

The reception continued for a while longer, but eventually the music grew softer and guests began preparing to leave. I checked my purse to make sure I had everything before standing up with Claire and Laura.

As we prepared to leave the reception hall, I glanced across the room and saw Professor King.

I hesitated for a moment before deciding that it would only be courteous to say goodbye. After all, I had already spoken with him earlier, and I didn’t want to simply walk away without acknowledging him.

"I’ll be right back," I told my friends.

Laura looked at me. "Where are you going?"

"I want to say goodbye to Mr. King."

Claire nodded. "Okay."

I walked towards him. Michael was speaking with Mr. Blake when I approached, and Mr. Blake noticed me first. He shifted slightly to the side, giving me room to speak with Michael.

"Mr. King."

Michael turned towards me. "Miss Hugo."

"I just came to say goodbye. I’m leaving now."

He gave a small nod. "All right."

I smiled politely. "Thank you for earlier."

His eyes remained on mine for a moment before he replied, "You’re welcome."

"I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening."

"You too."

I gave him a small nod before turning away and returning to my friends.

We finally stepped outside the reception hall, and the moment we reached the driveway, Laura suddenly stopped.

"What happened here?"

I looked ahead and saw a small crowd gathered near the driveway. Then I saw the reason for their attention.

Maya and Kelvin were standing among the guests, and their clothes were completely soaked. Water was still dripping from Maya’s hair and clothes, while Kelvin stood beside her with an expression that made it obvious he was furious.

Maya looked deeply embarrassed and kept her head lowered, as though she wished she could disappear.

Laura burst into laughter. "What happened to those clowns?"

Claire covered her mouth, but she was laughing too. "This is so funny. Did they fall into the water fountain or what?"

I stared at them for a moment. I was genuinely curious how they had ended up soaked, especially as there was no fountain nearby to explain it. However, I had no desire to find out what had happened.

Maya suddenly lifted her head, and our eyes met. I looked away almost immediately. "Come on," I told Claire and Laura. "My parents will be waiting."

Laura was still laughing as she followed me. "Karma has started visiting those two."

I shook my head. "Laura."

"What?" She spread her arms out. "Tell me I’m wrong."

I couldn’t help smiling.

We reached the car where our chauffeur was waiting for us. He opened the door, and the three of us climbed inside before settling into the back seats. Once the door closed, the car pulled away from the venue.

We had barely driven for a few minutes when Claire looked at me. "So, where are we meeting for karaoke?"

I looked between her and Laura, and an idea suddenly came to mind. "I’m actually exhausted. I think I just want to sleep tonight."

Their expressions changed almost immediately. Laura stared at me. "What?"

"I’ve had a very long day, and I don’t think I have the strength for karaoke anymore," I explained.

Claire narrowed her eyes. "Emerald."

I tried to maintain a straight face. "I just want to go home and rest."

"And what about our plans?" Laura asked.

Laura emphasized. "You agreed to this."

"I know." I nodded.

Claire looked at Laura, then back at me. "I think she’s serious."

I nodded solemnly. "I also have to travel back to Boston tomorrow morning."

Laura’s eyes widened. "Tomorrow morning?"

I nodded again, struggling to keep my expression serious. She stared at me for several seconds before I finally broke into laughter. "I’m joking."

There was a brief silence, then Laura’s expression changed completely. "You..."

I laughed harder. "I was only teasing you."

Laura immediately reached towards me. "I’m going to strangle you!"

I quickly moved away from her while laughing. "Stop!"

"You are so annoying!" she heaved.

Claire was already laughing beside us as Laura continued trying to grab me. After a few seconds, Laura finally settled back into her seat and folded her arms.

"You better not pull something like that again."

I wiped the corner of my eye. "After we drop you two off, I’ll go home, change my clothes, and meet you at the karaoke bar."

Laura pointed a warning finger at me. "You better."

"I will," I promised.

Claire smiled. "Good. Then we have a plan."