¶𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 [H.S]

1.18

𝙼𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚎

Throwing celebrations was the best business strategy to exist. On the surface, it was only a cocktail to celebrate my beloved brother's twenty-third birthday, but under all the martinis and balloons, it was just a business meeting outside the meeting room. Even though he was supposed to invite close friends and family, the guest list contained more CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and almost everyone from the upper crust. And since Liam would take the family business one day, he took the role of a host all too seriously. It was only ten in the morning, and he was already walking on thorns by the way his voice echoed through the house.

"Put the tables away from the Baccarat!" his yell reached me as I walked into the backyard.

Liam was dressed casually in black shorts with a dark blue polo shirt and matching loafers. A folder was in one hand while a black pen was in another. Even though the staff, moving the bar tables around, appeared to have a hard time with Liam's perfectionism, my brother seemed even more stressed than them. A light coat of sweat covered his forehead, and his face was a light shade of red. Seeing how important this was to him made me question inviting a certain someone. Even though Blake already knew all about the gathering, Liam was still clueless about the invitation I sent through a text.

"How's it going?" I asked, walking to Liam.

"It's not," he said back almost immediately. His frown was giving a much more vulgar answer than what was leaving his mouth. "I'm not sure if we'd be ready by seven," he confessed as if he was challenging himself rather than being a pessimist. Or, well, he was doing both.

"There's enough time. You're being too cautious about it," I tried to calm his nerves as my eyes slipped to the small stage the staff was putting together.

Biting his lower lip, he admitted, "I know." Then he turned to face me, "I want everything to be perfect."

He has been like this since he was a kid. He would run after our mother with a piece of paper, pretending to plan whatever event she was throwing. After she left, Liam started planning all family gatherings and business events for our father. Maybe this is why he became so serious about it because he knew what they were actually for. And since Liam would graduate soon, he also needed to make a few connections for his future. Find a mentor or where to specialize, or leave medicine behind and focus on the family restaurant chains.

"Relax, it's just a party! It's going to be all messed up by the end of the night," I tried to make him loosen a little bit with some humor in my voice. I even slightly bumped my shoulder into his, trying to make him laugh.

Pathetic attempt to make him laugh.

"Melanie, that's not one of your stupid parties that you go to get wrecked. There would be some important people.''

And, of course, it backfired on me. His tone was ice cold. When I tried to lighten up the atmosphere to ask him for permission to invite someone, and the answer would be positive, it only turned worse. Nothing about his stiff body and clenched eyes was giving me the green light to pop the question and lose some of the weight on my shoulders. Yet, I was determined to get it done early rather than late. Even if he turned me down now, I would have time to soften him, make him feel bad for me, and change his answer.

"Yeah, um, I wanted to ask you something concerning the invite list," hesitantly, I began speaking, keeping my eyes off Liam's. "So you know how there won't be anyone that I know at the party--"

"I don't want Aiden at my party," he interrupted me, knowing all too well the direction I was going. Though, this time, he had the wrong person in mind.