A Wifey for the Bad Boy(160)

“Good evening ma’am. May I have the permission to tell you that you look enchanting?”

Mikaela had blushed like a little schoolgirl, melting Tony’s heart. Ronda does not remember Tony being more than a foot away from the Russian seductress during the entire course of the evening. She had become the object of resentment for quite a number of women who had desired at least one dance with Tony that evening. They dominated the dance floor, whispering sweet nothings to each other and breaking into such intimate laughter that even Ronda had felt jealous. Matthew had never seen his brother so smitten by a single woman.

Mikaela had stayed back in New York even after her father’s return. Tony was so fascinated by her that they met every day. Before long, the tabloids had been publishing stories about their passionate romance along with intimate photographs. Matthew had informed Ronda that Tony had almost moved in with Mikaela. The whirlwind romance had gotten both Ronda and Matthew a little worried. Tony was quite sensitive and they feared that such a romance might end with Tony being heartbroken. They had both decided to stage an intervention for Tony and advise him to take it a little slow. After all, three weeks was not time enough to completely comprehend a person’s feelings for the other.

The intervention was not as smooth as they had planned. Mikaela walked in on the intervention and overheard snippets of their conversation. She had found Tony increasingly inclining towards his brother and best friend. That was when the siren revealed her true colors. She seduced Tony further and had trapped him in her seeming need for constant emotional support. She manipulated him to think that she was insecure and that she was not only in love with Tony, but grateful to him for rescuing her from her painful loneliness.

“Tony, I’m so glad to have met you. You take such good care of me, love. Back home I’m just a princess with no friends.” The seductress had sobbed in front of the unsuspecting brother.

Before long, she had started to pressure Tony to marry her. Ronda and Matthew had made their displeasure clear regarding the decision. They instinctively felt that something was not right at all. Mikaela had tried every trick under her sleeve to destroy the bond between the three. The matter had reached such a stage that Tony had put forward a desire to divide the company between the two brothers. It was Ronda’s timely interference that had prevented the disaster. She proved Tony how dividing the company would go against their interests. That was one long night. The next day, Tony broke up with Mikaela and bid her goodbye forever. The three friends had then organized a sleepover and drank till they had passed out. They had woken up the following morning with terrible headaches and promises of not touching alcohol again. The promises were, of course, short-lived.

Quite a few months had passed by following the departure of Mikaela. Ronda had to thank Mikaela for bringing the three of them closer. Tony had completely immersed himself into work. After breaking up with her, he had realized how stupid he had been to be so vulnerable to the charms of another woman. He felt immensely guilty for causing pain to Matthew and Ronda unnecessarily. It was a time of self-realization for Tony. He realized how emotionally vulnerable he could be at times and that he should get a grip on himself as soon as possible. Matthew only breathed a sigh of relief that everything was ultimately all right. He had always been Tony’s protector, so when he found his little brother being ensnared by the seductress, he had felt utterly helpless. Matthew was more introverted than Tony. He had only confided in Ronda how lonely he had felt without his brother during his courtship with Mikaela. He had feared that he would lose Tony. Therefore, he gladly welcomed the break up in the relationship. Besides, he did not really care much about Mikaela when she had made a move on him, despite telling her repeatedly that she was mistaking him for Tony. Matthew had never disclosed the information to his brother. He had no intention of hurting him any further whatsoever.

Along with a very dedicated and creative team, Tony was too busy developing software that would assist children of the third world countries to innovate things of their choice using the simplest of things available. There was a lot of positive speculation about the new project and Tony and Matthew were leaving no stone unturned in making the software a grand success. Funding was pouring in from all over the world and a number of talented programmers were brought on board to make sure that the product was flawless. Tony and Matthew had always been nitpicky about products that were designed for the exclusive use and benefit of children. The twins had lost their father very early. Their mother had brought them up single-handedly and she was unable to provide the best of the opportunities to her talented sons due to financial constraints. Their mother had often been disappointed with herself for her inability to provide the best for her children, though the brothers had never complained. The software was a tribute to their mother on her sixtieth birthday. They remembered feeling disheartened at their mother’s self-imposed disappointment. They had felt quite helpless and they had always wanted to do something to show her their admiration. Mrs. Dillingham was over the moon when Tony and Matthew had told her about the idea. She had blushed like a new bride and jokingly told her sons, ”That idea ain’t gonna fetch you two pence wortha bread, sons”. Mrs. Dillingham was indeed the proudest woman on Mulberry Street in Boston the day the brothers informed her of their decision, though she tried hard in vain to hide it. They had decided to name the software Edna, after their mother.