Connexion

Part 56

Again, Amanda warned again. "How you brother finds or identifies his potential girlfriends are his choices. Not his sister's choices." But she could see that her daughter was ignoring the warning.

Sophie pouted. "Mum, you know he wasn't interested in them for the long term. And he has dated some, well, some were really awful! Even if they were beautiful and clever. They were awful. And they were only holding on to him because he was an ex-racer."

Amanda shook her head, "Darling, you are being unfair to his previous girlfriends." She remonstrated. "And Sophie, you are only looking at the surface. In many cases, you did not know them. And his girlfriends were lovely and..."

"Yes, mum! Most were lovely. But mum!" Sophie huffed. "Mum, you know,  they all bored him! You know that! Just look at his relationship timelines. Averagely, he kept them for about three months. And the awful ones only lasted about a week, at the most. Caleb, obviously knew how to pick girlfriends, but he did not have them in mind for the long-term. Yes, they were happy.  Kind of!  And Caleb was explicit, he told them from the start, no promises. When was the last time he had a girlfriend who lasted more than 4 months?" She paused, and waited for her mother to speak. Amanda just shrugged. Sophie continued, " I think when he was at school!" Amanda reviewed her memory. Yes, Sophie was correct: Caleb only kept his girlfriends for a few months. But his relationships were happy. Even when they split, they parted on good terms.

Sophie saw her message was now lodged in her mother's eyes. Finally! "Mum, what Caleb needs is someone like Ms Silva.  I am sure, she intrigued him!  Well, actually more than that. I saw the way they looked at each other, even during the times when he was been obnoxious and she was pretending to be uninterested!  But I think she understands him. Really understood him. I told Isaac, I thought Caleb was flirting with her. And Isaac agreed. He thought Caleb was deliberately baiting Ms Silva. The way she handled his comments, was interesting, calm with prickles! They were flirting!"

Amanda nodded. That was true. Caleb was enjoying the quibbles and his eyes had never left Ms Silva when he addressed her. But Amanda wished she had paid more attention to Ms Silva at that meeting, to see if she could see what Sophie was describing. Flirting? Amanda was not sure.

"Sophie, only toddlers resort to teasing to get attention, most adults have a more sophistication approach to flirting." 

Sophie rolled her eyes, "Fine, if you do not want to accept this flirt technique, at least look at the way she handled his status!"

"His status?"

"Yes, Mum, his status doesn't matter to her. She sees him. Like we see him. In my case: maddening, vexing, brother!"

Amanda again corrected, "Sorry, Sophie, his status made a difference. After all, he railroad Ms Silva into this. He wielded his influence to get her to take your cake on!"

Sophie shook her head and corrected her mother. "No. She turned him down. She wasn't going to do this, remember. When we got there, she all but told us that he had misled us and that she wasn't able to take on the job." Sophie hoped her statements would revive those accounts in her mother's brain. "What was a surprise, his influence was useless! Ms Silva didn't worry about taking him to task! It didn't worry her at all. The fact that she was misled by him, she did not cut him any slack. With most of his girlfriends they would accept his words, and would let him get away with things, probably including this. Ms Silva didn't. I was so impressed by her. She stood up to him. And she told us that he lied! Can you imagine his previous girlfriends doing that to him or telling us that? His usually laconic personality is enough to stop anyone! And here she was, ignoring his terse statements, ignoring his scathing responses and just stood up for her statements and actions."

"That is because she is a professional, not like my daughter!" Amanda said pointed.

Sophie scowled. "I am professional!"

Amanda's eyebrow rose. "Darling, a professional would not be a diva, and today you were really a diva!"

Sophie shook her head, "Fine!" She huffed and sighed. "Anyway, as I was trying to tell you, mum, Ms Silva only agreed to this, after she saw how important it was to me. It wasn't Caleb's influence. Her decision was influenced by the fact I was in love, and that I wanted a perfect cake to celebrate it. She's a softy! A died-in-the-wool romantic! It was the fact that I wanted a cake made By Design because they invest in their creations not just the artistry or the creativity about the cake, it reflects the spirit of the couple. A couple in love. Her company celebrates romance. She is not persuaded by someone who throws money or is bullied! She is persuaded if she saw love and romance, she would find away to cater for it." Sophie beamed, utterly pleased with herself. "I like her. And I think that Caleb likes her. He just hasn't realized that! "

"Sophie, honey, just because you've got stars in your eyes, and love in your heart, does not mean you can dictate those things for your brother or for Ms Silva." Amanda knew that it was way too late to try to change her daughter's mind, when Sophie set her mind to something that was it.

"Nope, but I can give it a damn good try!"

"Honey, do you think being bridezilla is going to endear you to your prospective future sister-in-law?" Amanda chuckled recognized her daughter's performance, "When Sally tells Ms Silva about your behaviour today, I imagine Ms Silva will start looking for an opt out clause. Sophie, you aren't doing yourself any favours. And Ms Silva is unlikely to want to be part of this family with a sister-in-law from hell!"

Sophie giggled. "Mum!" Sophie chuckled. "If she is to be my sister-in-law, she needs to spend time with him! I bet Sally goes straight back and tells Ms Silva I'm being difficult." Sophie flounced into a chair, and sat, smiling happily as she thought about her plans.

"Difficult? I would think of more appropriate words for your behaviour! And can I tell you, as your mother, I am not happy with your antics." Sophie shrugged. Amanda pursed her lips.  "So what is your plan now? Because from my position, you have just torn the cake contract?"

"I think Ms Silva will gets in touch with Caleb and tells him I'm being difficult." Sophie said as if she had a crystal ball.

"What makes you think she would not contact Isaac, your fiancé?" Amanda said with a sigh.

"Because Caleb was the person who handled the matter at the meeting. He arranged the meeting. So I am sure, she will contact Caleb. Bet, she would instruct Caleb to tell me to pull my head in! And you know Caleb. He collects information before he starts anything. So Caleb will want a meeting with Ms Silva to talk about her complaint about me, get details, before he even starts that conversation with me about pulling in my head! Voila!"

"Then what?" Her mother took a seat and shook her head. This was going to get very difficult. Caleb would have a fit, for a start.

"Then I become a proper bridezilla! Or arrange a regular dinner where they meet up. We could arrange a dinner, every month, or even better, every week, to confirm progress, and just leave them alone!" Sophie grinned at her mother and ignored her mother's scowl. "I'm going to make sure they interact on a daily basis."

"Caleb and Jena might have something to say about that." Amanda told her daughter, "And you might well find that Caleb's rose tinted glasses where you are concerned, will finally fall off!"

"We'll see." Sophie said in a sing-song voice. So far her plan was working. Sally had been sent back, no doubt in just the right frame of mind to go straight to Jena and complain about Sophie's behaviour.