The Best Man's Speech

11: Missing Out

✵ LYRA ✵

I froze at the sight of James stalking behind Nathan as he romantically embraced my sister in his arms. No one else seemed to be curious as to what James was doing here, instead he slyly walked over to my side and bent over to whisper into my ears, "You can only be doing two things with that dress, and they both require for you to strip." I felt my cheeks heat up as my face was flushed with embarrassment from the words he had just uttered.

"Hush!" I warned him before my sister looked at me, after finishing her lovely meal that consisted of Nate's face. I watched my sister smirk as she narrowed her eyes, dashing darts at the sight of James standing so close to me. I rolled my eyes in response before being startled by the words that Nathan spoke aloud, "So are you ladies done here?"

"Why is James standing like that behind Lyra?" My mother asked, ignoring Nathan and glaring at the sight of my boss standing behind me intimately and possessively.

"That's because she is his PA and we originally came here since he has to tend to a few business deals and needs his assistant there with him." Nathan explained, "He was most likely giving her the basic information."

"Yeah I was." James' voice carried a strict and mature tone, one that he usually uses when making business deals with someone. But it changed when he looked at me briefly and then at my mother, "So I will have to steal her once you guys are done here."

"She just has to try on her maid of honour dress, then you can steal her from me." Meia elaborated for me.

"But she'll be missing the rest of the shopping." My mother exclaimed, almost whining as she said it. I could feel James chuckling behind me, since his chest was vibrating against my back. The laughter was inaudible to everyone but me, and it was by far one of the sexiest and cutest things I have ever heard.

"It's fine, mom. She has work to go to. Plus I can bring her back another day." Meia politely responded, excusing me.

"You better be grateful your sister is this nice to let you run off and back away from her wedding plans." My mother muttered to me under her breath, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. I rolled my hand into a fist and I clenched to my dress tightly, but James' reassuring hand that landed on my back and started to rub it, managed to calm me down a bit. It was clear to everyone then that my mother preferred my sister more than me. I had known for a very long time, just as everyone but Meia had - the girl was oblivious to it, or she'd act that way to make me feel better. But never had she once publicly announced her admiration as she did just know.

"Mom. It's fine." Meia sternly called out to her before ushering me to the dressing room and helping me switch from my casual clothing to the dress she picked out for me. "I am so sorry." She whispered, fidgeting with the skirt of the dress, to make sure it dangled off my body as it should.

"It's fine. I am used to it." I replied.

"Where do you usually stay?" Meia asked, knowing that I would hate to live with mom.

"I have my own condo." I replied. "I only head over to Mike's when I want comfort or company... mostly because he understands me better than anyone."

She nodded in understanding, before talking lowly, "Does dad still prefer Derin over Mike?"

I turned around and smiled sadly, while shaking my head, "He never had anything against Mike, it's just that he was too busy raising Michael to be like Derin and you know Mike when it comes to that. He hates being like anyone around him. But they both got over the differences when you two left, they managed to work it out. It's kind of why dad is planning on retiring after supervising the last deal he has wanted to complete for ages."

"The one regarding that stupid Snow Enterprises?" Meia harshly questioned. I nodded, letting out a little chuckle at her frustration. "Turn around. We need to fix the cascading flow of your skirt." She instructed me. Obediently, I did as she said.

"What will I be missing out on?" I asked her.

"The cake." She replied, with a smirk on her face, knowing that I'd hate to miss out on that.

"Fuck." I cursed.

"It's best if you missed it... especially after what mom pulled off just now. Plus you and I both know that she'll find a way to wreck it even before she publicly told the world she doesn't like you." Meia replied sarcastically. I nodded in response. Plus more than half of the wedding decisions were made by Mike and I... while she was away to Paris with Nathan. All that we left out was the dresses and the cake... which would be ready in no time since we were loaded with money... definitely a perk of being my father's child. But we had left it out less than a week before the wedding, precisely four days... only because we knew she should have the right to pick these out, plus she'd kill us if we didn't give her this much.

"You better keep your word on taking me with you later." I smirked.

"Of course. Just ask James to let you off for one day." She smiled warmly before leading me out of the changing room. I watched her stand at the back of the runway while I catwalked myself down the aisle, smiling before letting my eyes settle on the sight of James smirking away at me.

I wasn't surprised that James was smirking at the sight of me walking in with a white dress hanging on my body. The top was laced with floral patterns before merging with a white skirt that had a slit to grant me room to move freely. I smirked back at him, avoiding any eye contact with my mom, before turning my back at him, exposing my bare back to him. I was suddenly so grateful that my sister decided to tie my hair up, to plainly show the design of the dress.

I walked back into the dressing room, to find my sister smiling smugly as she awaited my presence. "What?" I accusatively exclaimed.

"He has a thing for you, as you do for him." She smirked.

"No." I sternly and lowly replied, trying not to reveal too much.

"Don't worry, I won't tell mom." She replied before helping me out of my dress. I nodded before watching her jump a little to the sound of someone knocking on the door, before talking, "Lyra, hurry up. I can't miss this deal because you decided to take hours to put your clothes back on." Meia and I both let out a chuckle while I managed to finish dressing.

My sister opened the door to find James narrowing his eyebrows at us, as if he's judging how long we took to get me dressed. "Whatever. Get dressed playboy. You don't want to be late to your meeting, now do you?" I smirked, following my sister out the door before handing my boss his suit.

"Don't turn this around me or I'll have to punish you." He wore a smug smile as he slid his jacket on, I let out a little gasp as I accidentally imagined the many things he could do to me... to punish me.

Just before James and I were about to walk out of the room, being the first ones to leave, Meia called out to me. I spun a little on my heels as James turned to, to face her, "I hope you did leave a seat for the sixth bridesmaid, Julie is in japan now and will fly down a day before the wedding. Mom, dad, Derin and I agreed to let her miss the wedding rehearsal, but her dress will be sent to mom's address and you are responsible of keeping it in good condition to give to her." My stomach sunk as my sister said that, but before I could decline the cruel offer, James pulled me out of the room, since we were already running late for the meeting.