Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(33)
Author: K.A. Linde

"Thank you doll."

"Agreed," Ramsey said pinching her arm. "I’m going to get us a seat."

"Okay," Lexi said nodding at him as he walked into the ballroom.

"He’s adorable," Chyna said watching his ass as he departed. "He’s way in deep with you."

Lexi shrugged noncommittally. "I hope so."

"Psh, whatevs. At least you don’t have to deal with this bitch," Chyna told her motioning to the back rooms.

"I can’t believe you actually agreed to this," Lexi told her.

"Me either. Who would have thought I would have to go through hell and back though? Right? I never thought it would be this much hassle."

Lexi smirked at her. "The first time you met the woman she told you that you shouldn’t drink red wine anymore because you have bags under your eyes. How could you misinterpret her purpose in life?"

Chyna giggled at the memory. "True. Well at least I won’t have to spend any more time with her after this goddamn wedding is over."

"Speaking of wedding don’t you have a bride to finish getting dressed?" Lexi asked dodging out of the way as Chyna motioned to punch her.

"Don’t f**king remind me," Chyna grumbled. "I’ll meet you inside. I clash too much with her twit friends so I’m not going to walk in. She’d rather me just sit and then stand once everyone has come inside."

"Are you serious?" Lexi asked in disbelief. The dumb woman that Chyna’s father was marrying was really crossing a line with that one. She had asked her to be a part of the wedding more to keep an eye on Chyna than anything as had become quite apparent. She had thus far put her in the ugliest dresses and forced her hair up in unflattering positions. Still Chyna had managed to look gorgeous. Lexi was pretty sure that had pissed the woman off even more. Then after all her efforts to keep her soon-to-be stepchild from being prettier than her, she was now forcing her not to even walk down the aisle. She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone drawing away the spotlight.

"Don’t even get me started," Chyna said wiggling her fingers at Lexi as she reluctantly retreated.

Lexi wandered into the massive ballroom which was crowded with people most of which Lexi had never seen in her life. She did recognize some from the engagement party that she had been forced to attend. Finally, she found Ramsey near the front of the room on the groom’s side. As Lexi drew closer, she realized that she recognized the other man who would be seated next to her.

"Adam!" Lexi exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," he said smiling sweetly and accepting a small hug in greetings.

"It’s so good to see you," she gushed, a genuine smile appearing on her face.

"Good to see you too. I’m here for Chyna. She asked me to come so I thought it would be fun," he told her.

"Wow. I didn’t know you two still talked," Lexi told him. Chyna rarely continued to talk with guys after having a fling with them. There were scant few men that she relied upon for dates at these types of events or for more than a one night stand. The fact that Adam had managed to make a lasting impression on Chyna was something that Lexi was really happy about. Lexi had instantly gotten along with him, and much preferred him to some of Chyna’s other choices for dates.

"Yeah we do," he said smiling politely back at her. Their eyes locked for a brief second before he added, "And I see you’re still with Ramsey."

"Uh, yeah," she muttered breaking eye contact and looking back at Ramsey, "we are."

Before they could speak any more, music filled the air and silence fell on the waiting audience. Lexi hadn’t notice Chyna sneak in so she assumed that had happened while she had been talking with Adam. Her friend was sitting demurely in the front row a lavender t-length dress hugging her features perfectly with a plum and black sash cinching in her miniscule waist. Her long black hair had been swept up into an intricate design and pearls had been knotted into the strands.

As the procession began, Lexi realized that if anything Victoria, the bitch fiancé, had actually been right. Chyna did not fit into this mold. Though, Chyna didn’t fit into any mold. She was completely her own being. Each girl that walked down the aisle in the same lavender dress that adorned her friend’s body looked insignificant in comparison. All were pale with honey blonde hair which truly did make Chyna stand out as she stood up next to the final woman. If the goal of a bride was to make sure the bridesmaids don’t distract from their big day, then Victoria really had her work cut out for her.

All eyes flocked to Chyna’s graceful stature. She stood tall, her exotic features highlighted by the pale beauties standing next to her. Those that knew her connection to the family were quickly murmuring the latest gossip to anyone seated near them. The rest just marveled at her and wondered idly to themselves.

Richard took his stance in preparation for his bride just as the Catholic priest asked everyone to rise. Lexi stood to her feet and turned with the crowd to face the back entrance of the ballroom. In a flowing mass of white lace, Victoria appeared in the entranceway. A gasp echoed throughout the room at her sheer beauty. The strapless, princess cut gown fell to her feet and a long train trailed behind her. Her father escorted her down the aisle to the traditional Canon in D played by a string quartet.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and within the hour Chyna had a new step mother. This time Chyna was allowed to follow the processional out since all glory was already bestowed upon Victoria. Ramsey laced his fingers with Lexi’s as she followed behind Adam to the reception hall. Since they had been near the front of the room and several hundred people had been in attendance, they were some of the last people to enter.

As they did, Lexi could tell that something was going on. The wedding had been a success despite Chyna having to deal with Victoria’s behavior. Yet, as Lexi stepped foot into the reception area, she instinctively knew that something was amiss. Searching around for Chyna, Lexi let her eyes roam the large room with individuals milling around conversing about the wedding.

Then she spotted the group of lavender dresses standing at a side entrance. Without a second thought, Lexi made a beeline for the group. She didn’t bother turning around to find out if Ramsey and Adam were in tow, but she assumed that they would be. As she approached, her feeling of apprehension only grew. She had no idea why she felt that something was wrong about the whole scenario, but looking at her friend standing amidst that group of women, Lexi just knew.

"Chyna," Lexi called as she approached.

Chyna turned in place, her face showing all the anxiety of her situation along with a wave of appreciation at Lexi’s presence. "Alexa, thank god!"

"Aren’t you glad that’s over?" Lexi asked hoping to lessen the tension.

"I would be," she said turning her back on the blonde bimbos standing around her. Lexi raised an eyebrow in question.

Before Chyna was able to answer, a woman came storming out of the entrance they were standing in front of. Lexi had never seen Chyna’s mother before, but at first glance there was no denying their relation. Except for the twenty year age difference, the two were nearly identical. Her mother was taller, but it was unclear if that was due to the seven inch heels on her feet or not. Her skin was a deeper bronzed color and her eyes even more vibrantly green than her daughters. She was utterly beautiful, and was wearing a look that Lexi had seen a number of times on Chyna.

"Richard, there is no use in speaking with you further," she muttered, her foreign Italian accent still thick on her tongue after all these years.

Chyna’s father appeared from the doorway looking furious at the distraction. As he entered the crowded room, his temper only continued to flare as more eyes turned his direction. "Andrea, honestly," he crowed latching onto her thin upper arm and yanking her backwards.

Lexi’s eyes opened wide in surprise as he pulled her out of the busy room. "Let go of me," she said smacking his hand. "If I bruise, they’ll cancel the Brazil shoot next week."

"They’ll cover it up," he growled.

"You’d know," she spat back viciously.

"Welcome to my childhood," Chyna mumbled, sidling up to Lexi for the show.

"What’s your mom doing here?" Lexi asked averting her eyes from the couple.

"That’s the million dollar question isn’t it?" Chyna grumbled.

"I thought she wasn’t in the country. Isn’t that what you said?" Lexi waited for her to nod then continued, "When was the last you saw her C?"

"I don’t know," she shrugged. "When was my birthday?"

"June," Lexi whispered afraid of the forthcoming answer.

"Yeah June…three years ago," Chyna answered staring forward unblinking at her mother.

Lexi tried to cover her surprise. She knew that Chyna’s mom wasn’t in the picture. Well up until recently her father hadn’t been around much either. But she hadn’t known that it had been quite that long since she had even seen her mom. Lexi couldn’t imagine going that long without seeing her own parents. Not that their relationship was even comparable to what Lexi was currently witnessing.

"Mom," Chyna said her voice carefully controlled. She took a confident step forward and into the conversation that was going on in swift Italian between the couple so as not to draw more attention to them.

Her mother stopped abruptly at Chyna’s interruption and looked at her own daughter as if she were nothing more than fly she wanted to swat. "Oh…Chyna, you’re here."

"Yeah," she stated awkwardly.

"Well isn’t this nice," Andrea commented sarcastically.

"Having all three of us in one place was never considered nice," Chyna replied sincerely.

Andrea huffed at the statement her green eyes calculating. "Perhaps."

"So what are you doing here?" she couldn’t keep from asking. "Don’t you have a flight your always late to catch or a shoot you’ve been invited to…or something?"

"Precisely my point," Richard exclaimed.

"Still daddy’s little girl aren’t we?" Andrea said directing the comment more as an insult that anything.

"I was hardly agreeing with him," Chyna muttered.

"Are you still running around like your father too?" she asked looking her up and down in disgust.

"I don’t even feel as if I should justify that with an answer."

"Oh come on honey. You and I both know that he’s only going to hold onto this one for as long as the next young thing waltzes into his office," Andrea cried in frustration.

"You say these things as if you aren’t with every cabana boy who appears on set," her father cried incredulously. "You are the most hypocritical person in the world. You show up on my wedding day just spout old, petty bullshit about a life that no longer matters to me. About a time that might as well not have existed for me. That’s how insignificant and unimportant those years were with you. Now my personal welfare might mean shit to you, and that’s fine, but don’t come in here and expect me to allow you to insult me. My new, yes young, and beautiful wife is waiting for me. Find your own way out."

Andrea wild green eyes stormed over. The look she shot him was of pure hatred. "Well congratulations to your new whore. May you two have a wonderful life of fidelity and eternal devotion to one another. If you are even capable of being devoted to anyone but yourself," she spat, turning on her heel and rushed away from the group. If she hadn’t acted like a complete bitch to her best friend, Lexi would have felt bad for the woman. But under the circumstances, she was just glad to see her go.