Douglas was still young, playful; going to a party would be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. But he forgot the fact that he sneaked back without the knowledge of his family. There would be interrogation waiting for him when he met his uncle. He became fidgety. There was an urge to pull his hair with his hands. But realizing that he just got his new hairstyle, he had no choice but to put down his hands.
Just then Summer came to Douglas’s rescue. “Douglas has been back for a while. His family knows that he is staying with us.”
Liam was a smart employee, knowing what to say and when to say it. He would not ask more than what he was supposed to know. With him leading the way, he brought Summer and Douglas to see Michael in the lounge.
…
Just like the last time when Summer met him, Michael looked composed and gentle. Leonardo looked very much like him but depressive as if there was a gloom in his eyes.
When Michael saw Summer, he was slightly startled. “Summer?”
“Dad,” Summer walked up to him and greeted him.
Michael had not seen Summer after she restored to her original look. No wonder he was surprised. But he was not any Tom, Dick and Harry; he quickly regained his composure.
“Where is Leonardo?” he asked.
“He… is unwell. So he couldn’t come.”
What a barefaced liar. She was even surprised by how guiltless she felt. Fortunately, Michael did not seem to care if Leonardo came. He just nodded his head, then glanced at Douglas, who stood behind her.
“Adams is here, too. Youngsters, you all should get together and have a chat.”
Michael had gotten a heads-up from Liam, so he did not start his interrogation session with Douglas.
“Uncle, we will leave you to it.” Douglas got an obedient smile on his face. Once out of the lounge, he raised his big thumb at Summer.
“Wow, how dare you lie in front of my uncle!”
“It was not called a lie. It was an excuse.” Summer shook her head. “Do you really think he didn’t know? He knew Leonardo wasn’t coming. And I was just making up an excuse so that no one lost his face. That’s all.”
“I see. Adults are really complicated.” While speaking, he gave special emphasis on the word ‘really.’
Summer shot him a look. Just then, the gentle voice of Adams came from behind.
“Douglas, Summer.”
Michael had mentioned earlier that Adams was here, but Summer did not give it a second thought. Now bumping into him was really awkward.
Summer looked back, her smile a little plasticky as she said hi back, followed by Douglas.
“You all just arrived?” Without waiting for them to answer, Adams glanced past Summer.
“Is Leonardo not coming?”
“He is… unwell…”
The smooth liar in her suddenly lost its poise. Adams let out a knowing smile and steered the conversation away.
“Let me bring you around.” He turned around and led the way.
Douglas apparently had a big brother complex. Nudging Summer with his arm, he asked, “Is my brother handsome?”
“Mm.” She nodded. “His acting skill is superb, too.”
Adams was an actor having the best of both worlds: looks and skills. Just that for the past two years, he made few movies.
Not satisfied with her reply, Douglas asked again, “You sounded so cursory. Between him and my brother, who is more handsome?”
Summer gave it a serious thought, then answered, “Leonardo.” Adams was really good-looking, but it was his gentleness that caught the eyes. On the contrary, Leonardo was a different breed; he had a gloom lingering in him, but it was his face that first made the first striking impression.
“You’ve got a weird taste.” Douglas looked at her sideways. “Have you gotten your eyes checked?”
“Your eyes are the ones with a problem!” She shot him a glare. After she said that, she suddenly felt that arguing with a kid like Douglas over this petty thing would only make her look bad. She hissed and walked ahead.
Douglas caught up level with her and said in a whisper, “My eyes might really have some problem; I always think Leonardo is more handsome than my elder brother, but my elder brother is better.”
Forcing a smile, Summer could not help but sigh. Adams had entered the entertainment industry very early on, so he had spent very little time with Douglas. And Douglas had lived with Leonardo when he was small. That was why he was closer to Leonardo than to Adams. Sometimes, bloodline was not the only yardstick in measuring relationships.
…
Many people attended the party. Most of them were business tycoons and those walking in the corridors of power. Tagging along Michael to meet those big boys, Summer started to find her face numb from smiling for too long, and her leg was cramping up from too much walking.
Fortunately, Michael had to leave the hall halfway to meet someone. So Summer need not follow him again. She tried to look for Douglas, but he was nowhere to be found. At last, Summer found a spot to sit in a quiet corner. Not long after, two women came over with wine glasses in hands and sat down within earshot of her. As soon as they sat down, they started talking.
“Did they not say the third daughter of the Jarrett family was ugly and dumb? I doubt it!”
“Everyone knows that today’s party is for showing the face of their daughter-in-law. The Emersons need to take care of their face, and they have surely found a double just for today…”
“I have the same thinking, too. Just look at her clothes and makeup, she looks more like a KTV girl…”
Summer looked down at her V-neck evening gown. Aside from her lower arms, every inch of her body, including chest and shoulders, was covered. Her dress was knee-length, fully covering her knees. Which part of her looked like a KTV girl? Then again, were there still KTV girls now?
They were not done yet. Summer heard them starting again.
“I think her boobs are fake!”
“For sure it is. Have you ever seen a woman with such a small waist and such large boobs?”
“Aren’t those celebrities like that?”
“They’ve got face jobs and all, mind you! If we see her later, we could pretend to collide into her boobs accidentally. From her reaction, we will know whether they are real…”
Water sputtering from Summer’s mouth. The two women must be sick. Even if she had gotten a face job, had she ever cut their flesh or used their money?
Summer slammed her glass of water down on the small glass-top table in front with a loud clunk. The sharp noise caught the attention of the two women. As they looked in her direction, Summer got up and walked toward them.