Wedding's Smuggler

"I'm not going to be there."

Bryant's cell phone, sitting on the table, made that bored sound. "I meant what I said," he continued, ending the call with a one-sided disconnect.

"Did Miss Selena mean what she said before?"

Bryant fiddled with the pen between his fingers, "Of course not, Tony." Calm words fell from his lips.

The man named Tony, who worked as Bryant's secretary, grabbed Bryant's cell phone, then was busy checking incoming messages he might have missed, perhaps important messages from Selena. "You're not worried?" Tony asked without looking up from Bryant's cell phone screen, his finger still moving freely across the screen.

"Selena wouldn't dare," Bryant said, looking confidently at Tony. Actually, he was trying to convince himself.

Tony put Bryant's phone back on the table, which Bryant immediately picked up. He read several emails that he thought were important out of the many congratulations on his marriage.

"Miss Selena is always unpredictable," Tony pointed out.

That was why Bryant had his doubts. Bryant looked at Tony as they both had the same thought. He leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest and waited for Tony to continue.

"I mean, Miss Selena always lived for herself. She didn't care about other people, so she always did what she wanted," Tony explained.

Exactly right.

"Besides, your marriage will not go unnoticed by the mass media. It will not be to your advantage for the news of Miss Selena's absence to get out," Tony continued.

"No reporters," Bryant said, "our family does not allow reporters to cover us without permission, in case you forgot."

Tony voiced his opinion again, "What about the guests from Miss Selena's side? I delivered the invitation for Miss Selena's party two weeks ago."

Bryant sighed. "Looks like you haven't updated your database this time, all the invitees are from my side, nobody was invited by Selena, she rejected your post. And the invitation card is over there," Bryant pointed to the corner of the room where two large stacks of boxes stood.

Tony followed Bryant's gaze in silence.

"It's time to go to the hotel," Tony said, glancing at the watch on his right wrist, "you can't be late."

"So soon? It doesn't feel like I'm going to lose my single status in the next three hours." Bryant walked over to a large glass wall that revealed a bright, clear blue sky.

Bryant heard Tony faintly ask the driver to get ready on his cell phone, then turned to face himself in front of a full-length mirror as he straightened his messy hair.

"There's a tailor and a barber waiting at the front desk. Let's go now," said Tony, who was already standing at the open door of the room.

"All right. Let's go now and confirm Selena's presence ourselves."

***

The car was neatly parked in front of the hotel lobby when Tony opened the door for Bryant. He got out of the car while pulling on the jacket he was wearing to make him look neat after sitting in the car for about an hour because he was stuck in heavy traffic.

Bryant entered the hotel building and stood at the elevator door. He had Tony press the button that called for the elevator to pick them up immediately and take them to their destination floor. Arriving at the destination floor, Bryant stepped out of the elevator with confidence and headed for the room where his bride was being made up.

The door opened and Bryant was immediately confronted with the sight of Selena being made up. Her makeup looked unfinished. Selena also hadn't put on her wedding dress yet, but was wearing a sheer nightgown and furry sandals.

"Come to check my presence?" she scoffed. "I thought you had pretty good faith that I would be there."

Selena waved her hand, signaling the makeup artist and other staff to leave the room.

"You too, Tony," Bryant said to Tony, leaving only him and Selena in the room.

"Where did your confidence go?" she asked. She brought her face closer to the vanity mirror to gently comb her thick, curly eyelashes.

"I thought you wouldn't be here," Bryant said, ignoring Selena's accusations. "Actually, you are."

"Don't worry, I'll leave a second before the party starts," Selena said as she looked down at her fingernails, which were covered in clear nail polish with a few tiny gems glittering on them, and finally touched a pink diamond ring that fit her ring finger perfectly.

"No need to waste your time." Bryant looked Selena up and down.

"You spend too much time preparing for what you're not going to do."

"Your panic," Selena looked at Bryant as she grabbed the red lipstick and smeared it on the spot, "is what I want to accomplish. It's an honor for me to make you panic."

"Not at all."

Selena got up from the chair she was occupying, then walked over to her wedding dress, which was neatly displayed on the mannequin, "We don't know for sure, maybe this effect will be felt on another occasion instead of now."

Bryant chuckled slightly. "Get ready, the reception will start soon."

"I told you, I won't be there," Selena said again, still with the same calm, "present or not, it's all the same, we won't be recorded as husband and wife. Nothing is different."

Just as Bryant put his hand on the doorknob, Selena spoke again. And this time Selena managed to stop Her for a moment.

"I hope there will be a woman who can make you realize that you are still a human being who will sooner or later feel lost.

"I hope so."

"Love always comes with fear, remember that."

Bryant closed the door behind him, leaving Selena alone. Bryant looked around as she spoke to the staff who had been waiting outside the room all along, "Come in immediately and continue your work."

"Calm down, won't you?"

Bryant asked Tony,"Selena's here."

"Yes. You're right," Tony nodded his head,"Let me take you to your room."

"Then please go first," Bryant snapped, inviting Tony to stand in front of him.

Tony walked ahead of Bryant and showed him the room where Bryant had been resting while waiting for the party to begin. "You were irritated by Miss Selena?" he asked without looking back and kept walking.

"No, do I look upset?"

"Yes, you look upset," Tony replied after stopping in his tracks and turning to look at Bryant with a blank expression. He opened the door to the hotel room and led Bryant inside.

"I'll wait outside and call you fifteen minutes before the party starts."

"I don't know why you always piss me off without knowing it," Bryant grumbled a second after the door closed.

***

The ringing of the bell snapped Bryant out of his reverie, but didn't rush him to open the door. He was still sitting quietly on the couch overlooking the balcony. His hair was neatly styled, as were his clothes, which had been changed into a wedding suit. He only has to wear a white coat, which was hanging next to the dressing table.

"It's time for you to get downstairs, the party starts in fifteen minutes," Tony said from behind the sofa.

Bryant got up from the sofa and walked over to where his coat was neatly hung. Tony grabbed the suit to help Bryant put it on. Bryant braced himself in the mirror for a moment before leaving the hotel room.

"Would you like to check on Miss Selena's whereabouts first?" he asked. There were only a few doors between Selena's room and their current location.

"No need," Bryant said.

"That's risky," Tony said as he followed Bryant through the tightly closed door of Selena's room.

The two of them arrived at the hotel ballroom, which was already crowded with guests. That's because most guests choose to arrive early rather than get stuck in traffic and arrive late. Bryant made his way through the crowd, or more accurately, the line of guests taking the fifteen available entrees. Bryant waited by the stairs, as he had at the dress rehearsal last night.

After five minutes of waiting, Selena didn't show up as planned. Truth be told, Bryant hated things that didn't go according to plan. He didn't like forcing himself to think of a way out when the time was so close. "Where is he?" asked Bryant without looking at Tony who was standing behind him. He was busy looking around for Selena's presence.

Tony immediately contacted the wedding planner on duty. Shortly thereafter, Tony was seen busily exchanging information with the person on the phone, occasionally nodding his head. Then Tony put the cell phone back in his coat pocket. Tony's look turned serious. "No response from Miss Selena's room."

"See for yourself,"Tony immediately left Bryant quickly.

I don't know where Selena's courage came from this time. It wasn't once or twice that Selena tried to bully him, which always ended in bluffing without doing anything, but this time was different.

Bryant stopped when his cell phone rang, it was Tony's call. Bryant stepped aside to a large pillar so as not to attract the attention of the guests who occasionally approached him to congratulate him.

"The news of your annulment has spread through the electronic media and the source is Miss Selena herself," Tony said quickly but clearly.

"Miss Selena gave the information that she was the one who annulled the marriage," Tony continued. There was a faint sound of the door opening and then Tony's voice came back, "I just came out of Miss Selena's room. There's a white envelope on the dresser."

"Open the envelope, Tony," Bryant ordered. Unconsciously, he sat up.

"Miss Selena's handwriting," Tony said, "I'll take that envelope for you." Tony's voice is very clear and regular. Tony is not a rash person, which is the main reason for Bryant's patience in keeping Tony by his side. Tony, who is very rigid and annoying because he is too honest, is an exception.

"No need," Bryant interrupted quickly, "just read it, now!"

"Good."

Tony's eyeballs moved quickly as he read the entire series of words etched in black ink on the hotel paper. "From what I can tell, Miss Selena

"No, do I look annoyed?"

"Yes, you look annoyed," Tony replied after stopping in his tracks and turning to look at Bryant with a blank expression. He opened the door to the hotel room and led Bryant inside.

"I'll wait outside and call you fifteen minutes before the party starts."

"I don't know why you always piss me off without knowing it,"Bryant grumbled a second after the door closed.