One Wild Night

Chapter 282 Official Informal Introductions

Sonia and Lucy followed behind both brothers as they hurried over to where Harry was parking the car to welcome them.

”You sneaky bastard! Why didn’t you inform me that you were both coming over?” Tom asked Harry excitedly as Bryan opened the door on Jade’s side of the car.

She was already grinning from ear to ear as she got out of the car and embraced Bryan, “It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages,” she said, and laughed out loud when Bryan lifted her off the ground and twirled her around in circles, “Stop it, Bryan! We are not kids anymore!” She yelled at him even though she continued to laugh, showing that she was actually enjoying it.

”You’re still my kid sister,” Bryan reminded her without stopping.

”We wanted to surprise you,” Harry told Tom with a grin as he got out of the car, and embraced Tom as they both slapped each other’s back.

”It worked then. I’m very surprised. Thanks for making sure that she is okay,” Tom said, as he turned to look at his siblings.

”Jady!” Tom called to Jade as Bryan set her down, and she turned to face Tom only to be swept off her feet once again as he twirled her around.

”Tommy! What is wrong with the both of you? What am I, six?” She asked, laughing happily, while Lucy and Sonia watched the scene before them with a wide smile on their faces. While Lucy was smiling because she thought the bond between the siblings was a sweet sight to behold, Sonia was smiling because she noticed that Jade and Harry were wearing matching outfits, and she wondered if it was by choice or chance. 

”Sup, Bryan?” Harry asked as he extended his hand for a handshake, and Bryan narrowed his eyes at him as he shook his hand.

”I’m cool. Why are you wearing matching outfits with Jade? Is it some sort of couple goal? Nothing happened between you two, right?” He asked suspiciously.

”As if I would tell you about something that isn’t your business,” Harry said with a snort as he walked past Bryan, but he turned to look at Jade and noticed for the first time that they were actually both putting on denim and white outfits. 

How come he didn’t notice that earlier? He wondered before turning to Lucy with a grin. Seeing the look on Harry’s face after Bryan’s question, Sonia could tell that they were dressing in matching outfits by chance as he seemed not to have noticed that they were wearing matching outfits. How cute!

”Hello, Miss Perry!” Harry greeted with a grin.

It was only now that Lucy was standing face to face with Harry that all the lies she had told him from the moment they met at the headquarters came back to her, and she found herself fighting back her embarrassment despite the fact that she was aware that he had also been toying with her the whole time.

”Hello, Mr. Jonas!”

”I hope that your fiance is feeling alright now?” Harry asked with a teasing smile, making both Sonia and Tom chuckle as he set Jade down, while Jade and Bryan looked questioningly at Lucy who was blushing.

”What fiance are you talking about?” Bryan and Jade asked curiously, sensing that they were missing a joke. 

”Don’t do that to my girlfriend, Harry!” Tom scolded as he went to stand beside Lucy and placed an arm around her shoulder possessively.

”Don’t do what? I only asked a question. The first time Lucy resumed here at the headquarters she was late because she had spent the night drinking with Tom, but didn’t know that I was aware of it. So when I asked why she was late, she claimed that her fiance was involved in an accident,” Harry explained to Bryan and Jade who laughed out loud.

”I was so startled by her lie and the sincerity with which she told it that I almost believed her. Hence I’m enquiring about the welfare of her fiance,” Harry said, looking at Lucy as he waited for an answer. 

This time she raised her chin as she summoned the courage to meet his gaze. He knew she had lied, yet he was still asking, so she had to give him a befitting answer, “Unfortunately, he didn’t make it,” Lucy said, flashing him a stiff smile, and everyone laughed.

”Aha! You have a good sense of humor. That is very good. Tom would definitely be needing some of that as he lacks it,” Harry said in amusement.

”I think you might be needing it more than my brother. Who knew you had it in you to tease anyone?” Jade asked, and giggled when Tom offered her his fist for a fist bump, while Harry glared at her. 

”Although you both know each other formally, I should make the official informal introductions now,” Tom said with a grin, “Harry, meet the lady that makes my heart beat, Lucy. My priceless jewel, meet my right-hand man and best friend, Harry,” Tom introduced, and Harry grinned as he stepped forward and extended a hand to Lucy for a handshake. The moment she placed her hand in his, he drew her in for an embrace.

”Sorry, Tom’s girlfriend is mine too. We share everything. Work, money, family, annoying sister…”

”Sister falls under family too,” Jade pointed out with a roll of her eyes, while Sonia watched them both with interest. 

”Yeah, look who needs the sense of humor now,” Harry said dryly, “As I was saying, Lucy, I and Tom share everything…”

”Not this one, pal. We ain’t sharing my girlfriend. Get yourself a girlfriend, this one is solely mine,” Tom refuted as he slapped Harry’s arm away from Lucy and pulled her back to himself. 

”You are really hurting my feelings right now, Tom,” Harry said, touching his chest dramatically and they all laughed.

”Didn’t Jade get you a girlfriend anyway?” Tom asked, and Harry scowled.

”You got him a girlfriend?” Bryan asked Jade with disbelief.

”That’s only if he doesn’t chase her away with his boring and old-fashioned style,” Jade said with a roll of her eyes.

”So which of you is going to officially introduce the beautiful ladies to me? Or do I have to do it myself?” Jade said impatiently as she looked at both Lucy and Sonia.

”Oh, yeah. You’ve spoken with Sonia over the phone already. Baby, Lucy, meet Jade, the Hank princess, and the apple of our father’s eyes…”

”I thought I used to be the apple of every member of the Hank’s family eyes?” Jade cut in.

”I don’t know about Tom, but you’re no longer that for me, princess,” Bryan said, and Jade pouted her lips as she blinked at Tom.

”What about you, Tommy? Have I been replaced?”

”Sorry, Jady, I’m sure you’re still the apple of mom’s and dad’s eyes, and you will also be the apple of the eyes of the man you decide to give your heart to, but not mine,” Tom said, making Jade roll her eyes. 

”That was an awfully long explanation for such a simple question,” she tut-tutted, and they all laughed. 

”If you’re done interrupting me, Jade, meet the apple of my eyes, Sonia, and this is Tom’s beautiful girlfriend, Lucy,” Bryan said, and Jade grinned as she embraced Sonia, and then Lucy.

”I followed the interview yesterday. It was so touching. You both were beautiful…”

”She almost bawled her eyes out,” Harry cut in.

”I didn’t bawl,” Jade hissed at him. 

”You did. You bawled so much I had no choice but to go get you a box of tissues,” Harry said making both Lucy and Sonia smile. 

”I never imagined you could be such a talkative,” Jade said with a scoff as she turned to Lucy, “As I was saying before the rude interruption, I want to let you know that I admire your strength, your courage, and of course, your friendship,” Jade said, looking from Lucy to Sonia and then back again.

”Aww, thanks. I’m glad to finally meet you. You are so beautiful, and your hair is so chic,” Sonia said with a wide smile, and Jade giggled.

”Sonia has said it all, I don’t know what else to say. You’re welcome,” Lucy said with a small smile, wishing she was half the extrovert Sonia was.

”By the way, you did great. I’m glad it all turned out okay,” Harry told Lucy as he reached out and patted her shoulder lightly.

”Thank you, Mr. Jonas,” Lucy said with a polite smile.

”Just call me Harry. Don’t you think it’s awkward referring to your man’s best friend so formally?” Harry asked before turning his attention to Sonia, “Although I know you, but since neither of them saw it fit to introduce us officially, I figured I do the honors myself. I’m Harry, the only reason Tom can afford to have a social life,” he said, and Sonia grinned as she shook his hand. 

”I’m Sonia, and it’s good to finally meet the very weird Mr. Harry that Lucy talked about…” The rest of her words trailed off when Lucy stepped on her foot.

Harry turned to Lucy with slightly narrowed eyes, “I never said you were weird. She is mistaken,” Lucy said with an awkward smile. 

Tom chuckled, “Why are you scared of Harry? Did you forget that you told me he was weird? Remember that day in the car while he was driving us to Ocean Airlines? You even said he was sulking,” Tom reminded her, and Lucy pressed her lips together, while the others laughed at Harry who had a scowl on his face. 

”He is very weird. I completely agree with Lucy on that. So now that the introductions are over, can we go in? I’m so famished. Why were you all outside by the way? And where is Candace?” Jade asked curiously as she turned to head inside.

”I see you are still fond of asking so many questions at the same time. Good luck with getting your answers,” Bryan said with a shake of his head. 

”By the way, you both are aware that dad’s birthday is tomorrow, right?” Tom asked not wanting to disclose to them that he had just found out about it. 

”Oh! You remembered?” Bryan asked, surprised.

”Thanks to Harry’s reminder, I found out only a moment ago,” Jade said, giving Tom a pointed look which he ignored.

”Maybe all three of us should facetime with him tomorrow,” Jade suggested, and her brothers exchanged a look.

”Why facetime with him when he is here with us?” Tom asked, and both Jade and Harry exchanged a look.

”Mom and dad are here? When did they get here? And why did nobody mention it to me?” Jade asked, wanting to run for the house.

”I have an idea,” Sonia quickly spoke before Jade could run off.

”How about we surprise him with your presence tomorrow? You could go back home with Harry right now, and come over tomorrow evening. You can bring a birthday cake and gifts along with you. I’m sure he would appreciate that,” Sonia suggested. 

”Today, tomorrow, what difference would it make?” Jade asked, looking at her brothers, while Harry inwardly groaned at the prospect of having her under his roof for another night. 

”Well, I’m sure he would be more excited if he sees you tomorrow after thinking we all forgot his birthday than if he sees you now. It would be a very pleasant surprise for him I think,” Bryan said thoughtfully.

Tom shrugged, “It’s your call. We need to pick out birthday gifts too. How long will you be here for?” Tom asked Jade curiously.

”Maybe a day or two. I will make up my mind after I talk with Candace,” she explained. 

”Okay then. Let’s do that. You can go back with Harry and we will all try to come up with a good plan for his birthday later this night. I and Lucy will leave for work early in the morning as usual, and Bryan and Sonia can leave the house and go hang out at the other apartment. Let’s make them feel like we completely forgot about it, and then in the evening we can all go home together,” Tom suggested, and the others nodded in agreement.

”Sounds good to me. I’m game,” Jade said as she turned to Harry, “You are stuck with my smart mouth for another twenty-four hours,” she promised with a wink as she went to where he was and linked their arms together, and Sonia hid a smile. This was going to be fun!

”Unfortunately so,” Harry muttered with a shake of his head as he tried to unlink their arms. “If that’s your decision, we should get going before either of your parents see her. We will stop by a restaurant on our way so that you can get something to eat,” He said the later part to Jade as he separated their arms.

”See you tomorrow,” Tom called to Harry, as they watched them get into the car. 

”Inform Candace that I will be seeing her tomorrow,” Jade called to her brothers as she got into the car, and they all waved at her as the car left.

”Let’s go talk about the games,” Lucy whispered to Sonia.

”We will see you two later,” Sonia told the brothers as she pecked Bryan, and Lucy did the same to Tom before walking away. 

”I’m surprised that you remembered dad’s birthday despite all this madness. If not for Sonia, I wouldn’t have remembered,” Bryan said as they both headed for the house, and Tom narrowed his eyes.

How come Sonia had so conveniently reminded Bryan at the same time Lucy reminded him? “Sonia reminded you of it? How did she know dad’s birthday? What did she say?” Tom asked curiously, and Bryan relayed their conversation to him. By the time Bryan finished, Tom was laughing.

”It’s funny that Lucy was the one who also made me remember dad’s birthday,” Tom confessed to Bryan and went on to tell Bryan how Lucy had gone about it too.

Bryan laughed out loud, “Do you think either mom or dad told them to remind us?” 

”I don’t think dad would do that, and I doubt that mom would need to ask them to remind us of it when she can do so herself,” Tom said thoughtfully.

”Then do you think maybe that is what Lucy’s dad discussed with them after breakfast?” Bryan asked, and Tom gave him a nod. 

”I think so.”

”I hope not. How can I stop Sonia from crushing on him if I begin to like him?” Bryan asked, and Tom chuckled. 

”Give it up, bro. You don’t hate the man. You just hate the fact that he has a hold on your girlfriend,” Tom said with a chuckle, slapping Bryan’s back as they entered the house.