Is this destiny?

~ Chicago, Ellie\'s villa ~

Saturday

11:02 AM

Ellie got all of her bridesmaids to gather at her villa that morning.

Her assistants and designers as well as hair and makeup stylists are present to help with final fitting and any alterations needed so that all dresses fit perfectly. Ellie\'s wedding gown and bridesmaids dresses are her creation, and everything needs to be just right.

Wedding ceremony is scheduled to start at 2 PM and they plan to get ready and head to the Kiani family villa all dolled up with an extra-long limousine by 1:30 PM.

Ellie\'s villa is buzzing from excited chatter.

JoAnna is huffing and puffing because her belly is showing. When Ellie designed dresses, she didn\'t expect pregnant women. Anyway, it\'s just a small bulge and Ellie is not sure why JoAnna is raising a fuss about it.

"Sorry, Anna but if I put any ruffles or coverup it will change the style of the dress...", Ellie explained to JoAnna.

Sarah is there as maid-of-honor, and other bridesmaids are: JoAnna, Sophia, Paulette (Ellie\'s main assistant), Emma, Ashley (Vincent\'s girlfriend), and Ellie\'s friends Anita, Luna and Ava.

The main topic of discussion is the pre-wedding party that Sarah and Aiden organized. Everyone had fun and Sarah is happy to hear that her major task as a maid-of-honor was done well.

"Anita, what is going on between you and Russel?", Ellie asked her friend. She noticed yesterday that the two of them were chatting and dancing, and it seemed that they are hitting if off well.

"Nothing. Yet.", Anita responded with a smile.

"Yet? Oho!", Ellie teased.

"He is good looking.", Luna chimed in.

Ava added: "And he can make you smile. Go for it."

"Russel is a good guy.", JoAnna shared her input.

"You know him?", Anita could not hide her curiosity. Based on JoAnna\'s tone, she can tell that JoAnna has more information.

JoAnna confirmed. "Russel is Jeff\'s friend. We attended number of parties together and he is not the one to approach a girl just so that he can have a date."

"True.", Ellie agreed. "How much I\'ve seen, Russel is proudly single. An unspoiled soul."

Anita grimaced. "Don\'t tell me he is a virgin!"

All the women in the room burst into laugh.

"I would not go that far. He is a good looking man in his late twenties.", Ellie clarified.

"However, it is true that we never saw him with a girl before.", Sarah added.

JoAnna got her phone and texted Jeff.

~ Chicago, Kiani family villa ~

While girls are chatting lively and getting ready, Jasper is with his groomsmen, getting ready as well for a grand event which will happen in just few minutes shy of three hours from now.

Jasper is super excited.

They got stylists for hair, and whoever wants facial hair trimming or shaving, that can happen as well because they have a barber available. Tailors are there to make sure that Jasper and his groomsmen have well fitted suites without a thread out of place.

Aiden is the best man, and other than him, present are: Jeff, Felix, Charlie, Vincent, Russel, Brian and Jasper\'s friends: Curt and Henry.

The atmosphere between Charlie and Brian is not good. Charlie knows that Brian is interested in Emma, and if he can remove the restriction created by his consideration toward Emma, Charlie would punch every thought about Emma out of Brian\'s mind. Luckily, they are both keeping away from each other.

Brian on the other side is feeling out of place. Why did he accept to be the groomsman? When he spoke with Ellie, everything sounded fine. After all, the two of them are very good friends and he can\'t be the bridesmaid. But this… all the guys around him are some businessmen and from wealthy families and compared to them he is not much. If his confidence ever took a hit, it\'s right now. Ah, only if Tom is here, Brian would not feel this alone.

Brian looked around and stole few glances at Charlie who is standing tall, chatting with others as an equal. Brian was defeated at the thought that Charlie is rich and powerful, mingling with his own kind, and Brian will never be able to give Emma such a life even if his career takes off and he becomes a supermodel.

Jeff was checking how his suit jacket fits in the large mirror when his phone buzzed with a message which made Jeff raise his eyebrows…

[JoAnna]: "Is Russel a virgin?"

After few seconds of confusion, Jeff concluded that JoAnna is probably asking for Anita. There is absolutely no other reason why his wife would ask if his friend slept with a woman before. Right? RIGHT?!

Jeff wanted to text JoAnna back and ask who is interested in this information, but he stopped when he remembered that JoAnna is pregnant and her emotions are not stable. The least he wants is for her to think that he is jealous and to go into rage. It must be for Anita, Jeff told himself.

"Hey, Russel!", Jeff called. "Are you a virgin?"

Total silence enveloped the large room.

Russel cleared his throat awkwardly before answering: "Of course, I am not."

Russel saw that Jeff is about to text and he cried: "Wait! Stop! Who is asking?"

There is no way that Jeff will say it\'s JoAnna. "What do you think, who is asking?"

"Is it the girl he danced with? Anita?", Vincent asked in a singing voice.

Jeff didn\'t deny or confirm, but that is his guess also. They all took Jeff\'s silence as a \'yes\'.

"Oh, man… that is not good.", Jasper told Russel.

"Why?", Russel asked with panic apparent in his voice.

Felix responded: "If a woman is asking about your experience, she sees you as a piece of meat."

Russel inhaled a choppy breath. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe the lady is just curious.", Charlie shared his opinion. "You know… if he had too much experience, then he might not be reliable as a boyfriend material."

"So… what should I say?", Russel asked while his eyes moved through the room.

"I recommend you ask Aiden.", Jeff said.

"Why me?!", Aiden was outraged.

"Because you were in more trouble than all of us combined and Sarah is still by your side. I crown you as a king of getting out of a sticky situation.", Jeff half-teased.

Aiden saw that Russel is looking at him. Actually, everyone was looking at Aiden, stylists included.

Aiden sighed helplessly. He needs to say something. "Russel, this depends on a girl. The best is to tell her what she wants to hear."

"I just met her yesterday. I don\'t know what she wants.", Russel responded to Aiden.

Aiden nodded in understanding and explained: "If you tell her that you had no experience, it\'s no good because she will wonder what is wrong with you that no woman allowed you to touch her so far. If you sound that you had too much, it\'s no good because you end up like a playboy who changes women often. For some women one ex is too much, and others won\'t mind if you had a hundred. Sorry, but there is no universal solution for this."

Jeff was amused seeing Russel\'s pained expression. He looked like he is in agony. "So? What should I respond?"

Russel turned to Jeff and shrugged. "I don\'t know."

Jeff stifled a laugh and responded to JoAnna\'s text.

…

In Ellie\'s villa, JoAnna is looking at her phone and waiting for Jeff\'s response. Why is it taking so long? It\'s more than five minutes already!

Her phone beeped and two seconds later, she dissolved into giggles.

"What happened?", Sophia asked JoAnna. She is sitting right to her and wants to know what is funny.

JoAnna gave her the phone because she could not talk how much she was laughing.

Sophia read the messages on the screen and her eyebrows shoot up. "Anita, this is for you I assume…"

Anita was confused, but she took JoAnna\'s phone and read:

[JoAnna]: "Is Russel a virgin?"

[Jeff]: "He does not know."

Anita frowned. Why did JoAnna ask this to her husband? Anita remembered that they spoke about Russel and his dating and Anita asked something on those lines but…"How can he not know if he is a virgin or not?"

Anita\'s question made all the girls gather around the phone to see what is going on.

They all started laughing and coming up with different theories how is it possible for Russel not to be aware if he slept with a woman (or a man).

Anita listened to the chatter around her and she was confident that it will be awkward to talk to Russel when they meet later that day.

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