Part 37

"Are you crazy if you really went to a spa all the way in Thailand? Are you a sultan's child?" Bella commented right after the phone call ended.

Claire just laughed. The truth was, they weren't at a spa or getting any treatments at all; they were on their way out of Kansas to attend Chand's wedding, which would take place the next day.

"I just wanted to throw her off," Claire replied flatly.

"Are you really fighting with your younger twin?" Bella asked, curious.

Once again, Claire shrugged, making Bella shake her head. Bella couldn't force Claire to share if the girl didn't want to. So, she chose to change the subject.

"Must be nice to be Chan. He chose to get married on a pretty date," she commented while flipping over the invitation card in her hand.

Claire, still focused on driving, raised an eyebrow at her coworker.

"Are you short on vitamin O? What's pretty about that date? It's not even unique," she commented flatly. She turned on the turn signal and took a right. They were already at the intersection leading to the city where Chand lived.

"Well, it's a pretty date in my opinion because he's getting married right at the end of the month, right after we get paid, and just before the internal audit on Monday that will keep us busy while he's free," Bella replied, annoyed, which only made Claire laugh.

"If that's the case, why don't you marry him first? If you marry him, you'll gain a lot of things. Besides his good wedding date strategy, I heard the wedding gifts he's preparing are big. Plus, he's the youngest of many siblings, so he must be the favorite child, and his siblings' gifts must be plenty," Claire's response made Bella pout.

"Are you trying to reopen old wounds?" Bella replied sarcastically, making Claire laugh again.

"It's your fault for cheating on a good and sincere guy like Chand. Besides, you cheated with a younger guy who isn't ready for marriage. In the end, you're the one who loses," Claire said.

Bella hit Claire's arm, causing her to grunt in response. "I didn't cheat! Everything that happened between me, Chand, and that guy was just a misunderstanding," she defended herself.

Claire scoffed. "A misunderstanding that continued with a heated relationship..." she replied again. Claire turned on her turn signal, took a right, and parked her car in the lot of a restaurant.

"Why did we stop here?" Bella asked, puzzled.

"Just to take a nap," Claire answered shortly. She locked the car before grabbing her bag and getting out.

"Napping is done in a motel or a hotel, Claire. Not in a restaurant," Bella grumbled as she got out of the car and followed her friend into the restaurant.

From the outside, the restaurant looked simple and ordinary, but once inside, it turned out to be quite busy. Claire poured herself a cup of packaged coffee from the front area of the restaurant. They had provided cups, coffee, and a thermos of hot water. She offered Bella some, but the girl shook her head and chose to sit on the other side of the dining room door.

After finishing her coffee, Claire joined Bella at the table. "The journey is still quite far, and I'm hungry," Claire said. "And Chand said the food here is good." She glanced at Bella with a meaningful smile. "Didn't he ever bring you here while you were dating?"

Claire sipped her coffee little by little, groaning with pleasure as the warm sweetness went down her throat.

"Stop bringing up our past, Claire. Are you intentionally trying to make me sad by seeing my ex get married tomorrow?" Bella grumbled, annoyed, which Claire answered with a nod and a casual chuckle.

"Are you mocking me? Just wait until you go through the same thing I did; I'll get my revenge," Bella retorted.

Claire turned to Bella, her eyes filled with a condescending look. "Sorry, but I'm not you, and I certainly won't do anything as stupid as what you did," she replied, bursting into laughter.

Claire placed her half-full coffee cup down and walked inside to eat. They devoured their meals eagerly, as the restaurant's food was indeed delicious, just like Chand had said. After finishing, they decided to relax for a bit and enjoy the cool air.

"If we stay here too long, we might end up falling asleep," Bella murmured, and Claire nodded in agreement.

"Your turn to drive," Claire said, handing her the car keys.

"I don't know the way," Bella replied, pushing the keys back toward Claire.

"There's a GPS that will guide us."

"Me and the GPS don't get along. Trusting it is a big mistake," she said. Claire furrowed her brow.

"We're talking about directions, not trust issues," she mumbled.

"Yeah, I know. But trusting a GPS isn't my thing. I've followed its instructions countless times and ended up lost. It always sends me to the middle of nowhere."

"One time, I asked the GPS for directions, and it stopped me a whole three hundred meters before my destination. Since then, I've stopped believing in it."

Claire simply shot her a sharp look in response to her long story. After Bella finished, she threw a piece of her food at her friend.

"Too much drama. Just say you're lazy," Claire replied, making Bella laugh.

Eventually, Claire took the wheel again. After leaving the restaurant area, she just followed the road until she began reading the street signs, which made her confused. She turned on her left turn signal again and parked the car on the wide shoulder of the road.

"Where are we going to stay, and where is the wedding taking place?" Claire asked, feeling puzzled.

"It says here that the party is being held at Hall H. Do you think there are still any rooms available for us?" Bella shot back, both of them studying a map filled with unfamiliar names since this was their first visit to Chand's hometown.

Unsure whom to ask since the streets were deserted, Claire eventually decided to call the groom.

"Chand, where are you?" Claire asked bluntly.

"..."

"We're confused about where to go; give us directions to a hotel," she instructed curtly.

Chand kindly kept the call going, guiding her until they arrived at a hotel where he and his family were staying. He was waiting for them outside the parking area. Claire and Bella got out, carrying their luggage, and approached the groom.

"You guys came from the opposite direction of the venue for the reception tomorrow," Chand said, taking Claire's and Bella's bags and leading them into the reception area.

"It's my first time attending a wedding and being personally attended by the groom," Claire teased as they followed Chand to the front desk. "Is your future wife staying here too?" Chand shook his head.

"She's coming to the venue early tomorrow morning and will get her makeup done there. Her house is about an hour's drive from here," he replied. They then requested a room from the receptionist, and after Claire paid for their stay, a bellboy escorted them to their room.

"Get some rest. The others will come here this evening for the bachelor party," Chand said, his face glowing with excitement.

"I thought your bachelor party wasn't happening, but it turns out it is," Claire reminded her friend, recalling their earlier conversation.

"They insisted, and they're the ones paying for it," Chand replied happily.

"What's the point of having a bachelor party as if you're still a virgin?" Claire teased, earning a laugh from Chand in response.

After Chand left, Claire closed the door, ensuring Bella had entered their room. "Are you feeling awkward?" she asked, placing her bag on the nearest table. "You haven't said much this whole time," she mocked, receiving a glare from Bella.

"Keep insulting me; just wait for my revenge later," Bella retorted sharply. Claire merely shrugged with a teasing smile.

In the afternoon, Claire received a message from Chand saying they would have dinner together at the hotel restaurant. He mentioned he would be waiting for Claire and Bella's arrival. Claire simply replied with "Ok" before grabbing her bag and slipping on her favorite flat sandals.

"Get ready quickly; the others are waiting for us," she urged.

Bella nodded, quickly running a brush through her hair and applying some moisturizer to her face and lips before they both left the room.

They followed the directions of a hotel staff member toward the restaurant. Claire was astonished by the number of people inside the restaurant, but her shock grew even more when she spotted two teenage girls waving at her with excited expressions.

"Aunty!" The two girls, different parents but the same lively enthusiasm, made Claire want to sink into the ground at that very moment.