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He heard Alex grumble. “Fine. Give me ten. It takes that long just to walk to the front.”
Rick believed it. He gave the attendant a nod in his driver side-view mirror, to which the kid acknowledged, albeit irritably. Car after car drove in as Rick watched the wedding guests arrived, dressed for the occasion. He counted two Jaguars, two Porsche, three Ferraris, and one Rolls Royce so far. It was a huge venue and if he could guess, at least two hundred guests were attending.
Busying himself with his phone, he pulled up a browser, ready to research his lodging for his next excursion. He had a job in six months accompanying a researcher in South India. For locations that were rural or, in this case, deep inside the forest, there was a lot of planning needed.
Before he got to type in his search keys, the page displayed a profile of a social media account. Rick didn’t have social media, so Alex must have used his phone recently and signed into his account. The profile was of Charlotte Ha.
He remembered meeting her years ago when Alex brought her and Sarah home from college. All were four years younger than Rick. Sarah came from a similar background. Academically inclined, smart, and responsible. Charlotte couldn’t be more different.
Tall and slender, she was a princess who walked on gold. He didn’t understand how his brother became friends with her. They had nothing in common. He rarely ever spent time with all of them together, but watching them from afar was enough. There was always an ornament in her hair, a pin or some kind of flowerclipped to it, and he could count with one hand how many times he’d seen her wear pants.
She was the definition of a girly girl, giving Barbie a run for her money. The amount of pink that covered the picture grid of her profile said it all.
But he couldn’t deny that she was indisputably attractive. From what he’d noticed, she went from a young pixie to someone more mature.
Maybe he could go in and congratulate her. It was the least he could do now that he was here. But the thought of strolling in, not dressed for the part, and being surrounded by snobby rich folks made him take the thought back.
As he switched his attention away to take care of his affairs, he vaguely heard the door of his car open and the subtle dip of someone getting in the backseat.
“Please, drive,” someone whispered, a someone who didn’t sound like Alex.
As he was still typing away on his phone, Rick was confused. “Sorry ma’am, this isn’t a taxi.”
“Richard, please. Justdrive.” The voice sounded so frantic but familiar. Looking over his shoulder, his mind nearly exploded when none other than Charlotte Ha stared back at him, her eyes red and puffy.
“Charlotte! What the hell?”
To the corner ahead, a two-way radio pinged as an announcement beeped in.
“We have a bride missing from the premises. Last seen in the bridal suite of the west wing, Amara Court, around 13:02. Please search the grounds.”
Rick sat paralyzed. Missing bride. Charlotte in a full wedding dress, veil included, pleading at him with a pair of beseeching eyes.
“Ah, fuck me,” he groaned under his breath, eyes clamping shut.
“Listen, I know this is highly unusual,” Charlotte started, sitting up from her seat. “But I need you to take me away.”
“Away?! Away where?” His outburst was loud. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?”
“It’s a long story and I don’t have the time!” she exclaimed. “I need to get out of here before they find me!”
Exhaling an exasperated breath, Rick carded his hand through his hair. “This isn’t a good idea. Whatever troubles you have can be talked out. Don’t do anything irrational like…” He waved his palms at her. “…running away.”
“I can’t talk right now! Not with four hundred pairs of eyes on me,” she cried, now moving to grip his seat. She was so close he inched back. “Please, just drive. Anywhere. Far from here!”
“Look, I really don’t want to get involved with whatever?—”
“For God’s sake, justDRIVE!” she screamed, the pitch so loud his ears ached. She’d gone from pleading to hysterical fast. The moisture in her eyes flooded as they poured like a running sink.
Shit!Rick started his car quickly, put it on drive and revved the engine, jolting the vehicle off to the exit. On the way, a few attendants spotted him, then Charlotte. They caught the situation and began running after them.
Aw, fuck.He looked like a goddamn bride snatcher!
He wanted to turn back, but the way Charlotte was crying didn’t sound like she was in the right state of mind. She was desperate. Her hands covered her face as she wept, and he pressed hard on the gas pedal.
Not knowing what to do with himself, Rick kept driving, passing the flower-covered, column-lined driveway until they reached the gates.
He wassofucked.
