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Staph’s eyes widen, her smile unmoving, and she tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Big smile, Meddy. Don’t want to make people wonder,” she says in a low voice.
Yep, definitely did not imagine last night. I snap out of my daze and shy away from her touch before brushing past her.
A loud pop slices through the noise and my heart jumps to my throat. Gunshot! For a second, I’m frozen, all sorts of things flying through my mind. Did she shoot me? Where’s the pain? Am I about to feel it? Shit, shit—
Cheers and applause come from inside the bedroom.
“I think that was a bottle of champagne,” Staph says drily as she walks past me and into the bedroom.
Champagne. Of course. I straighten up, trying to catch my breath, and make my way back into the bedroom. Just as Staph predicted, a bottle of champagne had been opened and Seb is pouring it into several glasses. Selena rushes over to me with two flutes. She places one in my hand and waits until everybody is holding one.
“To my best friend, Meddelin Chan,” she says. “May you have the best wedding there ever was in the history of weddings. You deserve it.”
Everyone cheers and I smile weakly. The best wedding. Right. I’m about to down my glass but change my mind and take a small sip instead. If I’m supposed to foil the mafia’s plan and keep some poor sod alive, I’m going to need all of my wits about me. You wouldn’t know that from my family, though—all of them, Big Aunt included, down their glasses quickly. I guess they’re nervous too, even though they’re hiding it so well.
“Wow, Auntie, your fascinator is... fascinating,” Seb says to Ma.
“You like?” Ma grins and blushes. “Is latest design, you know. Very what-you-call-it, advance guard.”
“Avant-garde. Yes, it certainly is.” He looks sideways at me and I shrug. Can’t believe I was so worried about the stupid Komodo dragon hats. Now, I couldn’t care less about them. At least the whole mafia plot has put things into perspective for me.
“Ah, that very nice,” Second Aunt says, plonking her champagne flute on the table. “Now, excuse, excuse.” She steers people out of the way. “Meddy, you come sit here. Time for makeup.”
I nod and sit in the chair she’s pointing at. Selena frowns. “Why are you doing her makeup, Auntie? Isn’t Staph’s uncle supposed to be doing it?”
Oh, shit. Why indeed. With the exception of Seb and Selena, everyone in the room pauses, looking startled and lost.
“Um, yeah, why are you doing her makeup?” Staph says, and there’s the tiniest edge in her voice that I wouldn’t catch if I weren’t looking out for it. “I thought everything was going according to plan.” She throws Second Uncle an accusatory look and he shrugs in reply before making his way toward me.
The thought of having this man who’s just threatened me in front of my family touch me is unbearable. As he reaches out toward my face, I jump up with a shout. “NO!”
Okay, now everyone is definitely staring, and Seb and Selena are wearing what-the-hell faces.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I just—I changed my mind. I—Second Aunt, I really want you to do my makeup. I’ve always loved and admired your handiwork and I’m so sorry, I know I asked you to be here as my guest, but please do my hair and makeup?”
“Aww!” Selena says. “That’s so sweet.”
Second Aunt rushes over, barging into Second Uncle.
“Yes, of course, sayang. Okay, you just sit, ya, I get makeup bag.”
Second Uncle shrugs again and turns to Fourth Aunt. “I can do your hair now.”
Fourth Aunt looks up from her compact mirror with such a venomous look that my skin crawls. I swear she’s about to pounce on him and tear out his throat with those ridiculous fingernails of hers. “I can do my own hair, thank you very much.”
Clearly exasperated, Second Uncle looks around the room. Both Ma and Big Aunt are done with their hair and makeup and are pointedly ignoring him. Ma is puttering about, makingmore tea for Seb and Selena, and Big Aunt is sitting primly, her back straight, studying the room with quiet judgment.
“Um, if the family’s done with their makeup, maybe you can do mine now?” Selena says, inching forward with a hesitant look.
She doesn’t know he’s a fake makeup artist. The thought of him touching her face is equally unbearable. “I’m sure Second Aunt would love to do your makeup,” I say.
Second Aunt comes back into the bedroom, frowning into her makeup bag. “Aiya, I missing so many things. I got no proper tool kit, you know, no complete color palette. I didn’t bring because—”
“Second Aunt, you’ll do Selena’s hair and makeup too, right?” I say.
“Hah?” She looks up and waves us off. “Yes, of course, can.”
“Uh, no,” Staph says with finality. When we all look at her, she forces a smile and says, “Sorry, guys, I hate to point this out to you, but we don’t have all day to do hair and makeup, and if we have to wait for Second Aunt to do everyone’s makeup and then do her own makeup, we’ll be running late.”