The Return of Amanda (sequel to For the Last Time)

Chapter 16

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Third Person POV

Amanda's father gave instructions to his people to organize Amanda's birthday party. They were to reserve the executive banquet hall on the top floor of Thailand's most prestigious hotel. It had to be Amanda's most memorable birthday celebration. After all, she was turning twenty one in a few days. Turning twenty one was certainly an important milestone. She could now legally do stuff as an adult that in the previous years she could not do. Amanda's father hoped that she would not abuse her new freedom. Amanda's father knew too well how wild Amanda could get when not under his close supervision.

=   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =

Amanda's parents and Amanda herself stood at the entrance of the banquet hall to welcome their guests. A staff stood nearby to accept the birthday presents that the guests brought with them and to place them on the long large table that was on one side of the hall. Another staff then ushered them to their individual seats at table.

"Is Perth coming? Has he been invited?" Amanda asked her father.

"Of course," Amanda's father replied. "He should be here any time soon."

Amanda wondered how Perth would manage to come to her party knowing that he was still physically challenged. Well, she would leave it to her father to find a way. Her father always found ways and means to achieve the seemingly impossible.

"Eeeeeekkk Neen ohmygahd you made it!!! You're here!!!" Amanda shrieked with delight as she rushed forward to embrace Neen who had just walked in through the doorway of the side entrance of the banquet hall.

Amanda's father frowned as he recognized the face of the girl whom he had seen Amanda kissing inside the girl's car.

"Who invited her to the party?" Amanda's father asked his wife.

"Not me," Amanda's mother replied. "I'm sure it was Amanda herself who invited her. They seem to be very good friends."

"More than just very good friends, believe me," Amanda's father scoffed.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," Neen greeted Amanda after they broke apart from Amanda's tight embrace.

"What is this? You didn't have to," Amanda said as Neen handed her a small gold colored box tied with a red silk ribbon.

"I hope you will like it," Neen said with a loving smile to Amanda. "And better, I hope you will allow me put it on you later in the privacy of my or your room."

Amanda giggled.

"You're spoiling the surprise for me," she said. "Now I have an idea of what's inside this box."

Amanda did not hand over Neen's birthday present to her father's staff. Instead she placed the box inside her purse.

"Let's go over to my table," Amanda said, grabbing Neen's wrist.

"Not so fast,  Amanda," Amanda's father said. "I just finished talking to our driver. He is now in the lobby with Perth. They are making their way up here as we speak."

Amanda gave her father a childish pout.

"I'm the birthday celebrant here, Father," she complained. "Don't I get to do whatever I want to do at my own birthday celebration?"

"No," her father said adamantly. "I get to decide what you ought to do. I organized this party and financed it. As the birthday celebrant, it is your duty to stand here at the entrance to greet your guests as they come in. It is the proper thing to do. Let the staff guide your guest to her table."

Amanda gave Neen an apologetic look.

"I will come and join you as soon as I can," she whispered to Neen, squeezing her hand. Then she went to stand between her mother and father just as the family driver arrived wheeling Perth through the side entrance of the banquet hall.

Perth clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to greet Amanda's parents. Then he gave a weak smile to Amanda as he handed her a big box with a giant red bow taped to the top.

"Happy birthday, Amanda," Perth said.

Amanda put on a fake bright smile. She accepted the present and handed it to the staff who was hovering nearby, ready to take the present to the table already laden with gifts from the other guests.

"Thank you, Perth," she said. "I'm glad that you could make it to my party."

"Thank you for making the effort to help Amanda celebrate her birthday," Amanda's father beamed at Perth. "Your father called me to say that he would be here soon himself."

Perth did not respond to that. He just nodded slightly to let Amanda's father know that he heard what he said.

"Wheel him inside, Kao," Amanda's father instructed the family driver. "Be his personal assistant for the evening. Bring him anything he wants."

"Yes, sir," the driver said, pushing Perth carefully into the banquet hall.

When the last guest was ushered in, Amanda and her parents made their way inside the banquet hall. Amanda tried to break away from her parents' side to join Neen at her table.

"No, Amanda," her father grabbed her wrist. "You are to sit in the honoree's table with your mother and me to face all the guests in the hall."

Amanda tugged at her father's hold on her wrist.

"Let me just have a quick word with my special guest," she begged her father.

"You have five seconds to join your mother and me at our table," her father said grimly.

"Baby girl," she whispered to Neen. "I'm really sorry but my father is insisting that I sit with him and my mom at the honoree's table. But I will join you as soon as the weird rituals that my father has organized are over. I promise."

"Go," Neen urged Amanda. "Your father is sending me dagger looks."

Amanda bent and kissed Neen on her forehead before leaving her to join her parents.

Soon the speeches and greetings were over and the lavish dinner and drinks were served to all the guests.

Amanda's father was not able to stop Amanda from joining Neen at her table because he was busy talking business with Perth's father.

Kao the driver had just finished bringing Perth a second serving of the tiramisu that Perth asked for when Amanda's father stood up from the table and tapped on the microphone he was holding, making it give out a grating high pitched sound.

"Attention, everyone!" his voice boomed into the microphone. "I have an important announcement to make!"

All the guests stopped with their chatting and paid full attention to Amanda's father, curious as to what important event he was going to announce.

"I would like everyone to join me in congratulating Amanda and Perth on their engagement! The wedding date will be announced in the newspapers and you will be sent invitations to the auspicious event of course!"