THE DARE (G!P Freenbecky)

Chapter 9

Becky deliberately stayed far away from Freen, talking with one of Lookkaew's aunts. Aunt Rachel was telling her all about how she'd used homeopathic medicine to cure her cat of a digestive disorder, and Becky was actually quite interested. Her grandfather was fascinated with alternative medicine, and one of his Pekingese dogs sometimes had trouble with his food.

'Anything to keep my mind off Freen.'

She hadn't been able to stay away from her during the photographs. Anda and Lookkaew had hired an extremely competent photographer, and another man was in charge of a video camera. He'd been taping the vows, but directly after the ceremony, the other photographer had insisted that they pose for a number of formal portraits.

Lookkaew had also hired a makeup artist, so that everyone would look great in the pictures years later. Becky has stood patiently while the young woman powdered her nose, then tried not to flinch when someone suggested, "We really should get a picture of the best man and the maid of honor together! Wouldn't that be cute?"

Becky had smiled and smiled and smiled through countless pictures until she'd thought her face was going to fall off, and then finally escaped and moved as far away from Freen Chankimha as possible. Unobtrusively, of course.

But she couldn't stop looking at her. Then again, neither could most of the single women at this wedding. She knew from what Lookkaew had told her a long time ago that Anda's best friend had made a ton of money with some kind of company she'd started up.

Now, of course, she wished she'd been paying more attention back then when Lookkaew had told her all this. Brains, bucks, and great looks: a lethal combination.

She furtively glanced over in her direction and noticed that two of Lookkaew's bridesmaids hovered around her. And Freen seemed gracious and charming with both of them. Becky felt her self-confidence drop several notches. It was true; she had this effect on all females, not just with her. They'd fit together so well, had such vibrant chemistry together, because Freen would have had intense chemistry with a tree stump.

She'd been nothing special to her, after all.

Feeling shaky, determined not to cry, she turned her attention to Aunt Rachel.

Now she knew she had it bad, because none of these women could hold a candle to Mon. It wasn't that they were boring, it wasn't that there was anything wrong with them.

They just weren't Mon.

She glanced over toward Becky. It was the damnedest thing; one minute, as she'd been walking down the aisle, she'd seemed to light up like a Christmas tree.  Yet here she was, after the ceremony, flickering out like Tinkerbell in peter pan. She'd seemed so vibrant before, and now it seemed as if some inner light had gone out.

And why was she even concerned when she had Mon coming to her place tonight?

Well, she'd have to be a real cad not to notice Becky whats-her-name's change of emotion. Women were completely a mystery to Freen, and she liked them that way. But she tried to pay attention, tried to keep up with the program. She tried to notice the little details, and the details surrounding Becky were that the woman seemed exhausted.

She'd flown in the night before, after the rehearsal dinner. Lookkaew had mentioned something about a performance she had to do, and as she lived somewhere in California, Freen wondered if she were some sort of actress. And, of course, flying during the holidays was the absolute worst. On top of that, she'd lost time flying east, and changing time zones could be exhausting.

But it seemed like more than that.

Maybe she was upset that her best friend had married and she was still single. Now, that sounded like the way a woman might be feeling at a wedding. Maybe it had all hit her during the final moments of the wedding ceremony. Freen studied her, the light brown hair, the slender body. She didn't have to worry. She was sparkly enough and pretty enough that she wouldn't be single for long. Or if she was, it would be her choice.