One Wild Night

"Did I hear you say someone is interested in my brother?" Bryan asked Sonia after she hung up the call with Lucy and dropped the phone on the table. 

"It's mere speculation. But then again, a lot of ladies are interested in your brother so it shouldn't be a big deal, should it?" Sonia asked as she stood up from the dining to head into the kitchen.

"Is the lady bothering your friend?" Bryan asked curiously as he followed behind her in his wheelchair which he was quickly beginning to get used to. 

"Not exactly," Sonia said, not wanting to discuss Lucy's private business with Bryan. As far as she was concerned, Lucy's relationship with Tom and Anita was none of his business.

"So, how did the meeting with the production team go?" She asked, changing the subject to a more comfortable subject. 

Bryan could tell that she was trying to avoid his question by changing the subject so he decided not to push it. At least not yet.

.

"Although, the producer wasn't pleased about your absence, Jeff was quick to remind him that I was the one working with them, and not you, and as such, there was no need for them to meet with you," Bryan explained, and Sonia nodded her head. 

"True. Anything else that I need to know about the meeting?" She asked as she opened the refrigerator and looked into it, trying to find something to fix for dinner. 

"We have to wear matching outfits for our interview tomorrow... Jeff and Mia will get the clothes on their way here in the morning," he said, answering the question he knew she was likely to ask next, which was how they were going to get matching clothes. 

"Cool," Sonia said as she continued rummaging through the refrigerator. After searching for some time, she sighed, " I know I asked before, but you didn't answer my question then. Aren't you supposed to have a cook or something?" Sonia asked wearily.

"I have a male home keeper, recommended by my mom. He makes sure the home is okay in my absence, and he takes care of my feeding and laundry," Bryan said, mako Sonia nod.

"So why don't I see him anywhere around?" 

"That is because I asked him not to resume yet," Bryan explained.

"You did? Why would you do that?" Sonia asked with a confused frown etched on her brow. Was he deliberately trying to wear her out with taking care of his home so that she would leave quickly?

"He reports everything to my mom. If he resumes and has to live here with us, he will eventually find out that we are not truly engaged as we claim, and the news would get to my mom. That would break her heart and I don't want it. Besides, I don't know who else he might reveal the truth to," Bryan pointed out. 

"Hm. I see. But I think if your mom recommended him, then he should be someone you can trust. She won't recommend someone with questionable traits to you," Sonia said thoughtfully.

"Although I understand where you are coming from, I don't fully agree with you. I adore my mom, but I also know that she is human and can easily misjudge people's character, so I can't fully trust a person because they come highly recommended by her," Bryan said, thinking of how his mother had said Sonia was a nice girl. Talk about being a terrible judge of character. 

"Hm," Sonia murmured with a nod as she took out the remnant of the salad they ate the previous evening and a pack of sausage since she couldn't find anything else of interest, "I guess this will have to do until we get groceries," Sonia said as she dropped the items on the kitchen counter and turned to look at him.

"May I ask why you don't want to tell your family the truth? I don't think it is a big deal for you to tell them that you proposed to a random stranger," Sonia said, looking at him curiously. She had been wondering why he was keeping the truth away from his family. 

Bryan considered her question for a moment, "Let's just say I am kind of tired of being the family black sheep. It is almost like they are always expecting me to do something crazy. So when both To... My brother and mom called to congratulate me after hearing of the engagement, and I heard the pride in their voice, I did not want to disappoint them by telling them the truth," Bryan said with a sigh.

Sonia pursed her lips as she looked at him quizzically. Contrary to what most people thought about him, she was coming to learn that he cared a lot about what people thought of him, especially his family. That left her to wonder why he got involved in all sorts of scandals in the first place. 

"You don't think you will disappoint them even more when they find out that you have been lying to them this whole time?" Sonia asked as she got busy with dicing the sausage.

That question was one he has been avoiding himself. He knew his mom would be disappointed if she finds out he had deceived her along with the world. He didn't want to think of it yet.

"What can I do?" Bryan asked as he moved closer, wanting to help her out with dinner while also changing the subject. 

"I don't know. You will have to figure it out yourself..."

"I mean, what can I help you to do?" Bryan corrected. 

"Oh! You don't have to do anything other than answer my questions and keep me company," Sonia said, flashing him a quick smile before returning her attention to the sausage she was dicing. 

"Alright. Do you think she might like my brother?" Bryan asked, making Sonia blink at him rapidly. 

Who was he talking about? His mother? Was he asking if she thought his mother might like his brother? Sonia wondered with a frown.

"Who?" She asked, turning to look at him in confusion, wondering where the question was coming from. 

"I mean your best friend, Lucy. Do you think she might like my brother?" Bryan asked since he really wanted to find out what Sonia and Lucy were up to, especially now that he had spoken with Lucy. He felt closer to her now. She was no longer like a distant stranger to him. 

Why was he suddenly asking about Lucy and his brother? "Nah, she doesn't. Why do you ask? You want to matchmake them?" Sonia asked with a teasing smile as she moved to the air fryer and poured the sausage into it. 

Was that really what they wanted? For him to matchmake her to Tom? Bryan wondered, "Would she like it if I did?" Bryan asked, dodging her question, so he could get his own answer.

Sonia turned her attention to him, "I told you already that she isn't interested in guys. Besides, she is in a relationship with someone else at the moment," Sonia said before she could stop herself.

"She isn't interested in guys, yet she is in a relationship?" Bryan asked dryly, not wanting to let go of this opportunity.

"It's just a temporary arrangement she has with the guy. She really isn't interested in guys," Sonia said defensively. 

"Hold on, is it the same guy you were advising her to make her haaandy man?" Bryan asked in a suggestive tone, referring to her phone conversation with Lucy the first night they had met.

Sonia's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the realization that he still remembered everything she had said to Lucy over the phone that night, "Why are you so interested in my friend?" Sonia asked, trying to change the subject, while also trying to remember all that she and Lucy had discussed that night. 

"Is it such a bad thing to want to know more about your best friend? Besides, I feel like I could give her better advice than you do, considering the kind of advice I heard you give her that night," Bryan said with a shrug. 

Sonia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Perhaps he was right. Maybe he could help them see things from a guy's perspective? She would need Lucy's permission to do that since she couldn't confide in Bryan about Lucy's personal business without her say so.

"Don't forget that I let you stop me when you insisted I don't tell Matt about his girlfriend being a stripper," Bryan reminded her. 

"That is a different issue," Sonia said with a roll of her eyes. 

"Is it now?"

"I don't remember asking you to tell me about Matt's private business," Sonia pointed out. 

Why did she have to be so stubborn and smart? Bryan wondered with an inward sigh, "Fine then, you can keep it all to yourself. I'm not curious about anything concerning you anymore. Just make sure you don't ask me about my family or friends either," Bryan said as he turned to leave, expecting Sonia to call him back and apologize.

"Hold on," Sonia called out before he could cross the kitchen door, making his lips curve in a smirk, but he turned to look at her with a questioning expression on his face.

"Drop this on the dining," Sonia said, handing him the bowl of salad, and earning herself a glare from him.