Written and Edited by Mahima Rathod

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Joel got a call from Armaan, which Brenna had to pick up since Joel was still hung over from last night and what ever he didn't get last night.

Armaan quickly explained that he was in Canada with his newly wedded wife and he wanted to throw everyone a party. Brenna enthusiastically confirmed that they would attend.

Now there was one problem in front of her. Her husband was the worst hungover. From beginning, Joel could never handle any liquor out of his limits, but that never stopped him from drinking. Not that Joel was a drunkard, he only drank when he was with his friends. But he always pushes his own limits and then faces the consequences himself.

Just like now. Entertaining a one-year old while being hungover isn't an easy task. In fact, Brenna knew it was a humungous task. While she sat beside Joel and Bryan, folding their dried clothes, she almost felt pity for Joel as he tried not to get angry with their son. Bryan wasn't making it easy for Joel as well. Well, sitting on his father's back while clutching his hairs and tugging and rotating his drunk hungover head could not certainly be called easy. While it was making Bryan laugh like a tune on recorder, Joel was whining for him to stop and for Brenna to help.

But Brenna did not help him until her last piece of cloth was folded and put neatly into a pile on the other side of the bed. He deserved it, after having so many hangovers in past he should have learnt his lesson till now, but no, he just had to drink his guts off.

"Come one Bry, it's time for your mid-day snacks-", she said and pulled Bryan into her arms and away from the big baby, "-your dada needs to rest, otherwise he will look like a big panda in the party. You wanna go to party, right baby? Bryan will go to party and meet his friends Amber and Pearl and uncle Landon, yeah? Yeah...", she said cooing him and tickling his tummy.

When Brenna had Bryan fed and tucked in bed, she returned to her bedroom with a tray of food and orange juice. The aroma of sizzling buttery meat made her feel hungry too, but first she had to feed the big baby so he could get sober by the time they would reach Landon's house.

Joel was snoring in the same position she had left him. Putting the tray on the bedside table, she sat beside him and let her hands wander over his muscled back. Joel did not even stir, so she let her hand travel upwards towards his neck and rubbed the back of it. Joel grunted and pushed her hand away. Brenna knew he was ticklish on his neck, but still it wasn't enough to wake him up.

Brenna sighed and resorted to less gentle method. She sensually let her hand wander over his toned back, gently massaging the pressure points. A mischievous smirk made way to her face as she heard Joel sigh in pleasure. Brenna let her palm wander down a bit more, pressing his skin to loosen his rigid muscle, and finally let her hand rest on his behind.

She bent over a little, her hand completely still, to look at Joel's face and she saw his eyebrows creasing. Her smirk widened as she leaned back and put a little distance between their bodies. She pulled her hand, which was resting on his behind, away from him at an acceptably nice distance, and then she let it loose-

SMACK!!

"ow...oww..!!! what the- owwhhh jesus!!", Joel shouted on the top of his voice as he rolled over on the bed clutching his behind.

Brenna fell down laughing on the floor hysterically, her fist banging on the floor occasionally.

"What the heck Brenna? Why would you do that?!", Joel whined sitting up on the bed, careful not to put weight on his burning butt-cheek.

Brenna sat up on the floor in front of him, still panting from the lack of the air and clutching her cramped lung from wheezing so much.

"Oh god that was so funny. I should have filmed it...", she managed to say and started laughing again.

Joel fell back into the bed, annoyed thoroughly, "good, if you're done, lemme sleep".

"Okay okay, stop. Don't go to sleep again. You have to eat first", Brenna pulled him up by his arm, ignoring his protests.

As Joel ate the mouth-watering food, Brenna sat to his side scrolled through her phone.

"Oh and Manny called. He's here with his wife on his honeymoon and he's throwing a post wedding party", Brenna told him, glancing at him before opening up her chatting app and asking Olivia and Marissa what they were going to wear at the party.

Joel remembered suddenly that Armaan had called last night, then he also remembered how he had to go to sleep without getting any action since his wife got on time of month, shuddering mentally, he said, "Yea, I think that's why he called last night. It's good, another party for us."

The idea of bearing Joel's tantrums through another hangover immediately after one did not sit well with Brenna. She put her phone on her lap and glared at happy looking Joel. She wasn't going to deal with him again this night.

"Joel", she called out calmly, the dangerous kind of calmly and Joel looked at her chewing his food, "You are not going to drink tonight."

Joel stopped mid chewing for a moment then resumed chewing and asked, "Why? And it's a party, of course I am going to drink".

"No, you are not. Joel I can't handle you getting drunk two times in a row", Brenna argued.

"Brenna, you don't have to handle me. I'll handle myself. And besides, you know you can't actually stop me from drinking and enjoying", Joel replied half-attentively. Once he realised that Brenna was going to relapse into the same argument, he returned his attention to his food.

Brenna though was ticked off. She knew there was actually no use of arguing with Joel at home. Even if he agreed here, he wouldn't hesitate to drink his brains out at the party.

"Okay, I will not stop you from drinking", Brenna said making Joel look at her with suspicion, so, Brenna added, "But, when I say you have had enough, you will stop. No arguments."

Joel thought about it for a moment, smirked internally and said, "Deal", like he was going to actually stop on her command. He loved her, no questions, but...no one come between him and his drinks.

Brenna's eyes suspiciously narrowed when Joel agreed. She knew there was something cooking in his head, she just wished that he wouldn't embarrass her in front of her friends.

"Joel, I am serious", Brenna sighed and shook her head, going back to her phone, "Please, just don't embarrass me there."

Joel's face scrunched up while swallowing his food, "Why would you be embarrassed? If anyone is going to be embarrassed for my actions then it's going to be me...", he shrugged.

"Okay, let's see then", Brenna said and stood up, she needed to get ready for the party and get Bryan ready too.

______________

Afternoon-

"Brandon, you have to free your schedule, okay? I don't know how but just do it. It would be so rude to Manny and his wife", Olivia told him over the phone while she opened the door for receiving the mail that had arrived in the middle of their phone call.

"Babe, I know this seems rude but I really don't think I can actually get out of here. The b*stard producer is going to be here to inspect our stats, he specially insisted that I stay there-"

"I don't care! Sorry..", she apologized to the mail man since she startled him with her shouting, putting her phone in her armpit, she took the parcel and thanked him before closing the door and replying again, "Look Brandon, I know it's a little hard for you to deal with that man, but I am sure you can reach here by the time party starts."

Olivia put the phone in between her ear and shoulder and began to tear off the packet as Brandon continued speaking, "I am not sure, Olie, I think I'll talk to Manny. He will understand, I am sure- YES ONE MINUTE!! Olie, I need to go...I'll talk to you later..."

"OH MY GOD! Oh my god, Oh My God!! OH MY GOD Brandon!!!!", Olivia shrieked looking at the contents of the packet.

Brandon's panicked voice came from the other side of the phone, "BABE!! Are you alright?! Hey, answer me....OLIVIA what happened, god*mnit?!!"

Olivia couldn't speak, she only hung up her call and stared at the name on front page of papers in front of her. With a shaking hand, she reached forward and grabbed the paper delicately. As she read the papers thoroughly, she ignored the calls from Brandon. Tears formed in her eyes as she read the entire content still not believing what was going to happen to her.

What seemed like a few minutes to Olivia, seemed like hours to Brandon, as he abruptly pulled his car into the garage after thirty minutes. His heart was racing 100 miles per hour, which was way more than he had sped his car here. After Olivia's freak out conversation few minutes earlier, Brandon had tried to call Olivia's phone as he was rushing towards his own car. She never picked up his call and as he was trying to call Landon or anyone else, he missed the speed breaker in front of him. So the car jumped high and Brandon jumped higher since he had forgotten his seatbelt, and, his mobile phone jumped the highest and got thrown out of the car window. The phone screen cracked, he couldn't call anyone anymore, not even police or ambulance in case of emergency. Frustrated, he managed to cover the hour long drive within half time.

As soon as he parked the car, he jumped out of it and ran into their house.

Dishevelled, he stood there, and looked at Olivia sitting there with her head in her hands. He felt nervous, although relieved that Olivia was physically alright. Nervous because, he had thought something worst could have happened. His first thought was that she was attacked, since the time they were talking, a mail man had arrived. With so many different scenario's in his mind he had a hard time controlling himself from bursting out in panic attacks.

He slowly walked towards her and knelt in front of her beside the couch.

"Olie...", he breathed out, he was still out of breath.

Olivia looked up at him, actually whiplashed her head up.

Brandon's heart broke at the sight of her tear-stricken face, her mascara running down her cheeks, her eyes red, her lips quivering.

He brought his hands up to her face, held her face gently and wiped the mascara off her cheeks while asking, "Olie, what happened? Are you alright?"

Olivia just blinked at him through teary eyes for a moment, then threw herself around his neck and held him tight as she sniffed dryly. Brandon soothed her stiff back, rubbing her muscles and holding her close as he stood up on his knees. He didn't know what had happened but right now he just wanted to make sure he held his love close to him. He couldn't care less about the producer or the show at this moment. When the director of the show had yelled behind him asking where he was going and that the producer was going to arrive in few minutes, he had told him to tell the producer to go to hell.

Olivia had now stopped quivering so she pulled away from him. He still didn't let go of her. He sat down beside her on the couch and asked again, "Now, tell me babe, what happened?"

Olivia shook her head and pointed to the paper's sitting on the coffee table. Beside it there was a nice notebook size box.

He let go of Olivia and grabbed the papers to read its contents.

There, in bold letters, was written, 'Victoria's Secret'.

Brandon blinked twice. He glanced at Olivia, then back at the papers.

It was a modelling contract. 'Victoria's Secret Angels' Modelling contract. The contract that said Olivia has been selected for her debut in Victoria's secret fashion show and she had gotten one-year contract on their terms she had agreed to.

But...

Brandon looked at Olivia in disbelief. This, was not what he had expected.

"Olie...", Brandon started slowly, "You got into Victoria's Secret?"

"Yes!!", Olivia chimed tearfully.

"And...You were screaming on the phone...because, you got into Victoria's Secret?"

"Oh My God, Brandon!!! Yes, I can't believe it!!! I am so happy....", She managed to say before she started to cry again.

Brandon inhaled deeply to control his suddenly escalated anger. He had a meeting with the producer of his show, he was an hour drive away from their house, he cracked his iphone, he basically flew to their house in half time, his heart almost stopped when he saw her crying. And, it was all because the lady over here was basically over-reacting at this achievement. Where most of the girls wait to surprise someone with this kind of news or at least call their boyfriends and tell them happily about what happened, his girlfriend annoyingly just screamed and scared Brandon to death.

"Olie...", he called out for her attention with chipped teeth.

Olivia sniffed and wiped her face before looking up at him with a charming smile.

How could he even continue to be mad at her, when she was acting so cute. She had no idea that there was mascara stuck in between her lips as she smiled widely.

"Olie...Darling...I ..You..couldn't you...Okay. I am going to go to work. I will talk to you later about this, when I return...", and I am calm.

Brandon stood up and without looking back he walked out of the door, hearing Olivia scream his name from inside. But he didn't stop, he just kept walking until he reached his car. Leaning against his car face first, he breathed deeply, doing his breathing exercise.

As much as he loved her, he wondered whether Olivia will ever become an adult.

Evening, before the party-

Brandon was annoyed. So annoyed. He couldn't get anything right today. Not Olivia, Not the producer, Not even Dan – his driver slash bodyguard.

After reaching back to the Main office of the production house for Beauty & Gossips, he came to know that the producer had cancelled his visit last minute and rescheduled it for some other day. His phone was broken so no one could contact him. So, after a wasted trip of two hour, he returned home. When he had run out of the office and drove the car back to his house earlier, he had totally forgotten that Dan was that drove them there. So, when he returned, he came to know from a crew member that Dan had left in case of Family emergency. While he was driving back for the second time, he was tired and hungry, and upon that, he spotted a gossip channel's van following him. So, he had to take alternate zig-zag road, which took him thirty more minutes to reach home.

By the time he came home, he was ready to face plant on his bed. But just his luck, as he had showered and had just laid down on the snugly bed, he heard the front door open. When he had returned earlier, he had found a sticky note from Olivia saying, 'Your phone was switched off, couldn't call. I am off to my salon. Be ready for the party before I come back'.

Now, she was back, Brandon still wasn't ready. And now, she was going to bite his ears off.

But it was still early to get ready, there still an hour left to leave, he thought, closing his eyes and going back to sleep. The door to their bedroom opened a couple of minutes later. Brandon barely registered the click of the door, he was almost asleep.

Thud.

With a jump, Brandon looked at the source of the sound.

"Sorry, my mistake", Olivia said glancing at him. Brandon couldn't see her; the room was dark since he hadn't bothered to switch on the lights.

Brandon groaned and went back to his position.

Click.

Suddenly, the bright light fell on his eye lids. He shielded his eyes as they forcefully opened to glare at the culprit.

"Sorry, I have to get ready for the party. I need the lights", Olivia said.

As he looked at her now, he forgot for a moment that there had been any kind of disrupt in their life and just appreciated her beauty. She truly was a goddess, a Greek goddess. Her hair was curled, her eyes looked smoky and seductive, her cheek bones were perfectly contoured, her lips looked plumper. Also, the smirk on her lips made her look very sexy. But, then as Brandon snapped back at the real time situation, the smirk felt annoying.

She was doing this purposely. He knew why.

He had walked out earlier without any reaction on her achievement. But it was the only thing he could do at that time. Although later he realised that this letter for Olivia was the greatest achievement for her career. She had basically unlocked the treasures in her fate. This is what she was intending to achieve and when she finally achieved it, she over-reacted, the usual Olivia-way.

But Brandon knew it was an overwhelming moment for her, so his annoyance had dissipated. He had wanted to talk to her the moment he had arrived home, but she wasn't here. Now, when Olivia was actually trying to annoy him, he was getting annoyed again, which he didn't want to.

"Olie", he called out making her look at him from the mirror of the dresser where she was holding her outfit against herself, he sat up, "Come here please."

Olivia rolled her eyes discreetly but went to him and stood beside him. Brandon looked at her, expecting her to sit down but she just kept admiring her nails.

She is in her sassy mode, Brandon told himself and sighed.

He pulled her wrist to sit beside him on the bed.

"Olie, babe, will you let me explain without giving me those nasty looks?", he asked, but he knew the next moment that he said something wrong when Olivia snapped her 'nasty' look at him.

"Oh, so now I even look nasty to you...Alright no need to look at my nasty face", she snapped and stood up snatching her hand away from him and walking inside the bathroom.

"Olie...Olivia...OLIVIA, LISTEN TO ME BABE!!", He yelled behind her to get her to listen to him, but he knew he had actually screwed up his chance.

Now the least he could do to make her not feel 'nasty' was to get ready before she came out of the bathroom.

___________

Landon's house, 8 pm-

"Can I help?", Shruti asked Landon, who was hastily pulling out the wine glasses from the lower cabinets.

"Oh no babe, I am all done. Just this last thing...AH, there they are...", Landon said and stood up pulling shot glasses with him.

"Do you want to start early with the drinks, Ellie? you look like you need it and I can give you some company", Landon offered while pouring two shots of pure vodka, despite of Shruti shaking her head continuously.

"I don't drink alcohol, Landon. But you can go ahead if you want...", Shruti said glancing at the shot glass.

She hadn't drunk before, her limit was uptil soft drinks in the previous parties she had attended. She wasn't sure how she would act if she had alcohol. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of anyone. She had read and seen many times in movies how people act after drinking, and she didn't want to do that.

But then again, she thought as Landon just shrugged and downed the shots one after the other, that what if she couldn't blend in with Armaan and his friends. She couldn't even wear the dress Landon had picked out for her from his personal collection. It felt too short and too uncomfortable. So they had decided to let her wear skin tight blue jeans, off-shoulder off-white blouse that had ruffles, and Landon forced her to wear Black pumps.

One thing she was extremely grateful for was that Landon was going beyond his way to make her feel comfortable and make things fun for her. Like, she had never before got lavender oil body massage and a honey and green tea facial, but Landon had taken her to a parlour which was his friend's, and gotten it done for a discounted rate. She still had her henna and her bangles from her wedding ceremony, which she had politely declined and explained why she couldn't remove them. Landon was awed as she told him that the red bangles she was wearing was a symbol of her marriage and her love for her husband, same as the sindoor(red vermillion) she was wearing on her forehead partition.

Armaan was busy calling the Caterers, who hadn't arrived yet. Even he had denied of her help, so she was feeling bored to not do any work.

"Here", Landon called out to her as she was staring nowhere in general, "try these, I made these specially for you. And, I think you are hungry..."

He slid a plate full of chicken nuggets with a bowl of spicy ketchup.

Shruti frowned, picking up the nugget, "You made this? Like, from scratch?"

Landon gasped, intending it to be fake audibly, "You don't think I can make that? You think I can't cook? Ellie...you broke my heart", he pouted a little and looked down.

Shruti felt like he was acting, but still it made her feel bad, "No, No, I am sorry, actually, I didn't think you could – or anyone could – make these at home so perfectly. Because, I have tried making nuggets at home, and they just half got burned and half remained raw. So, I just have to buy a ready-to-fry thing every time...so..", she explained and then bit into the nugget to stop herself from further embarrassment.

Landon just laughed, wrinkling his eyes and said, "Oh gosh, darling, it's so easy to get you flustered. Dear, this is from McDonalds, the extra packet left after we picked the takeaway. Although, I can make some nice Indian dishes...if you want me to."

"Indian Dishes? Where did you learn to make them?", She asked devouring the nuggets.

"Well, I have known Manny from our college times. He already knew how to make Indian food. So all the time when he stayed here, he taught me how to make some mean chicken curry and rice."

Shruti's eyebrows raised a bit on Landon's words. She hadn't known that Armaan could actually cook. They had only known each other for three months before their marriage. During that time, they had gone out some times to spend time with each other. But Armaan never made it obvious that he could cook. Just this morning, Armaan had cooked Pancakes for her and brought it to their room. When Armaan told her that he had made it himself for her, she hadn't taken it seriously. But now she knew.

Then again, there were many little things they didn't know about each other. Shruti had been to a party with Armaan before in India but at that time she hadn't known that he liked going to parties. Neither did Armaan knew that she also liked going to parties.

"I didn't believe him in the morning when he told me that he cooked the pancakes himself", she told Landon. She was now suddenly curious to know her husband's life from a different point of view. She wanted to know what his life was in Canada.

Landon looked at her in disbelief, "Babe, you are married to one of the most delicious cook in the world, metaphorically too. I wish I could get a guy who would make me food all the time...", he sighed dramatically.

Shruti shook her head and patted Landon's shoulder, "Don't worry brother, you will get your dream guy soon."

Landon smiled at her and patted her hand over his shoulder, "I am hoping that too sister."

"SHRUTI...COME HERE...", Armaan's voice resounded from the Living room.

"COMING...", Shruti shouted back and took one more nugget in her hand before going to him.

"What is it?", Shruti asked her husband from the corridor, biting into the nugget, then abruptly stopped when the living room came into view.

Armaan was standing in the middle of the empty living room (Which he and landon had cleared out earlier) with a bouquet of red roses. The light in the Living room was dimmed, which gave an utterly romantic vibe. Shruti walked forward, taking in Armaan's handsome form. He was wearing dark jeans matching his dark blazer and a fitted t-shirt inside.

Armaan held his other hand out for her to take but frowned playfully in confusion, "Shru...Why do you have a chicken nugget in your hand?", he asked.

Shruti blinked out of her ogling moment and looked at her outstretched hand with a nugget in it, half chewed. Out of confusion and thoughtlessness, she put the whole nugget in her mouth and started chewing it faster, which made Armaan laugh.

This was also what they hadn't explored yet. They both still got embarrassed at their weird ways and habits in front of each other. Armaan hadn't known before their wedding that Shruti liked to eat not-homemade food. And by eat, he meant that EAT.

"What!! I like nuggets...", Shruti told him with a light scowl, she was trying not to embarrass herself further since Armaan had laughed at her.

"Sorry darling...here...This is for you", he gave her the bouquet, "Beautiful roses for a beautiful woman."

It made shruti smile. She smelt the roses out of instincts to hide her goofy smile.

"Come here-", Armaan said then snatched her face and kissed her deeply.

Oh, and it seemed like her husband was also one of the delicious kissers in the world, metaphorically too.