I rise from the table and weave through the guests toward Herman and my father.
“I’m going to pop into the room for a bit,” I say as I reach them. “Just need to touch up my makeup.”
Herman gives a lazy nod, but my father… he rubs salt into my wounds, and he’s not sparing any:
“Margarita, you make a beautiful bride.”
He shouldn’t have said that. I wish he’d kept quiet. He knows full well this wedding is like a fishbone stuck in my throat—pressing and pricking. If he had any decency, he wouldn’t say such things…
But decency isn’t in his vocabulary. All he cares about is lining his pockets with more cash!
“I suppose,” I mutter before walking away. I hurry toward the exit, glancing back just before I leave. Herman is still chatting with my father. I hope nothing goes wrong in the next five minutes.
I push open the door and immediately bump into Caroline, who’s swaying nervously with a bag in her hands.
“I barely found it. I ran through several stores before I tracked down a game in the right size,” she rattles off, sounding like a diligent student answering a teacher’s question.
“Was it expensive?” I ask, taking the bag and peeking inside. There’s an envelope just like the other one.
“Not too bad. How are things on your end? No disasters?”
“He really thinks it’s a game in there, but I’m keeping a close eye on him. The only problem now is figuring out how to make the switch.”
“And you haven’t come up with anything yet?” Caroline asks, just as someone steps out of the hall. We both jump.
But it’s a false alarm. A woman I don’t know, with powdered cheeks and dark curly hair, pokes her head out and heads toward the restroom.
Once she’s out of sight, I turn back to Caroline:
“I’ve got one idea, but it’s downright unpleasant…”
“As long as it works,” she cuts in. “I don’t care how unpleasant it is. What matters is getting the result you need, and time is slipping away fast.”
“It should work,” I assure her. “I’ll take the envelope to a safe spot for now. You go keep an eye on Herman.”
“Got it,” she agrees and heads into the hall. I, on the other hand, make my way to the lounge room on the third floor of the restaurant.
I step inside. The room is small, but it has a large red sofa, a little table, and a TV.
I look around. My plan is risky, but it might be the only way to get Herman’s jacket off him without raising suspicion.
I approach the sofa and bend down. This bulky red piece of furniture sits on very short legs, leaving just enough space to slide my fingers underneath. It’s the perfect hiding spot for the envelope. I shove it under there and step back a couple of meters. It looks completely hidden. No one will find it.
Now comes the hardest part.
I dart out of the room and rush back to the hall. As I enter, I slow down and glide in calmly. My eyes search for Herman, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Instead, I cross paths once again with that unpleasant man in the burgundy suit.
A flicker of panic creeps in, fueled by Caroline as she approaches and whispers in my ear:
“I came in, and he wasn’t here…”
“What do you mean he wasn’t here?” I gape at her. “He was talking to my father!”
“I don’t know…”
“Damn it! What the hell!” I hiss, spotting my father in the crowd of guests. I march over to him, feeling a wave of heat wash over me. In my mind, I can already see Herman opening the envelope, pulling out the documents with his long fingers, and losing his temper.
“Dad,” I say as I reach him. “Do you know where Herman went? I can’t find him.”
“He got a call and stepped out through the back exit to talk. He’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”
The back exit!
“Thanks,” I say, stepping away. I head toward the head table, praying he really did just step out for a call. I stand by the table and grab a glass of champagne, downing it in one go to calm my jittery nerves.
I glance at the floral arch behind the chairs. Only now do I notice how beautiful it is. When I picked it out, I didn’t pay much attention to it.
I set the empty glass back on the table and turn to face the hall. I can’t just stand here! I’m shaking!
I head for the back exit, which leads outside behind the restaurant. It’s not a pleasant spot—trash bins everywhere, and it feels a bit eerie. I don’t like being here. But more importantly, Herman isn’t here either.
Where did he disappear to? It’s like he’s vanished into thin air! What is going on?
I race back to the hall, but he’s still not there. So I bolt out again. What now?
I look up. The clock on the wall shows I’ve only got an hour and a half left. I need to get those documents and the ticket as soon as possible! If I don’t, then…
“Looking for me?” Herman’s voice suddenly sounds behind me. Finally! For the first time today, I’m actually glad to hear him.
I turn to face him and say with confidence:
“Yes, I was looking for you. Where have you been?”
A look of genuine surprise crosses Herman’s face. He slips his smartphone into his pants pocket before asking:
“Were you worried? We saw each other just ten minutes ago.”
“Don’t dodge the question,” I press stubbornly. “Where were you? What were you doing?”
“Handling some work matters,” he answers immediately. “Why are you asking?”
“On our wedding day?” I narrow my eyes. “There’s no other day for that? Don’t they know where you are? Did they really have to call you today of all days?”
My questions catch him off guard. I probably look like the stereotypical angry wife right now. All I’m missing is something heavy to wield—a frying pan or a rolling pin.
“It only took me five minutes…”
“I was told you went out the back exit, but when I got there, you weren’t around,” I interrupt. “And now here you are. How do you explain that?”
“I walked around the restaurant. Margarita, what’s going on with you?”
He steps closer to me. Too close. I can smell his cologne.
“Why are you so quiet?” he continues.
“I’m waiting for you to come clean on your own,” I blurt out, lifting my chin. “I’m all ears.”
“Come clean about what?” he blinks. “Margo, what’s gotten into you? Or have you had too much champagne?”
“I haven’t had too much of anything. Just confess… Who is she?”
“What are you talking about?” Herman asks, clearly confused.
“It was your mistress who called, wasn’t it? Right? Everyone at work knows it’s your wedding day, so they’d have no reason to bother you.”
What am I even saying? A mistress… But it’s part of the plan I’ve concocted. I have to stick to it.
“Margarita, I’m shocked by what you’re saying,” he says calmly, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it to me. “Go ahead, check who called me. Though there’s no point—I don’t have a mistress. Why would you imagine something like that?”
“Some kind soul tipped me off,” I say, taking the phone and scrolling through the recent calls without really looking at them.
“Who?”
“A lovely person,” I reply, handing the phone back to him.
“And what did they whisper in your ear? Care to share?”
“They said you’ve got a mistress and that you slipped away to have some fun with her,” I say, trying to sound emotional and sprinkle in a dash of jealousy. “And it looks like you did!”
“Point me to the person who told you that,” Herman says seriously.
“Answer my question first!” I repeat, matching my earlier tone.
“I’m not going to comment on nonsense, let alone defend myself. If someone’s imagining I have a mistress, that’s their problem. They should head to church—maybe holy water will help. Or better yet, check into a facility that treats delusions like that.”
“So I’m imagining things?” I cross my arms. “You decided to marry me while sneaking around with someone else? Fantastic!”
“Margarita, what kind of circus are you putting on?” he says, irritation creeping into his voice. “What’s happened to you in just a few minutes? Did some rabid dog bite you on the hand or something?”
“Prove you weren’t with a mistress,” I say, grabbing his wrist. “If you were fooling around with that floozy five minutes ago, there’s no way things will work out between us!”
I tug at his arm. And Herman… he starts laughing, so hard that tears well up in his eyes.
“Are you actually jealous?” he asks, wiping them away.
“Yes, I’m jealous!” I say with conviction. “Don’t I have the right to be?”
Herman smirks, looking into my eyes. I try to glare at him with anger.
“That’s an unexpected confession,” he remarks. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear that from you.”
“Life’s full of surprises,” I grumble.
“Absolutely,” he nods, adding, “As for your jealousy—it’s unfounded. So calm down, get those silly ideas out of your head, and let’s go back to the hall.”
“I’ll only calm down once you prove you weren’t with her,” I say, stepping right up to him.
I hope I’m not playing my part poorly, but this is the only way to throw him off and keep him from figuring things out.
“And how am I supposed to do that?” he asks seriously.
“I’ve already told you. If you’re lying, nothing will work between us…”
“It won’t work if you’ve got issues with it, but I don’t. So this is a pretty ridiculous test.”
“Don’t try to sweet-talk me or throw sand in my eyes. Just take the chance and prove it!”
I feel my cheeks burning and my heart pounding. I’m outright suggesting something I absolutely don’t want to do with him.
“Did it really take a mythical mistress for you to admit what you want?” Herman says, wrapping his arms around me. His hands slowly slide down my back. “If that’s the case, it’s incredibly strange and illogical. No wonder they say women are impossible to figure out. You never know what they’ll say next.”
His hands move to my waist and then back up again. He pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pressing me against him.
“I admitted it,” I manage to say, feeling an invisible lump in my throat. “And now you’re going to refuse?”
“Everything after the celebration,” he says with a smile, loosening his embrace. “Now’s not the time.”
“No!” I cling to his jacket and boldly press my lips to his warm, soft ones with a kiss.