304 The Hunt Brothers!

The Hunt family had booked the entire place so the minute the double doors were pushed open, everyone's gaze went there.

"Hi guys, sorry we got late," Eric's jolly voice reverberated in the hall.

Eric Hunt, Ethan's first cousin, walked in with Melissa, his newly wedded wife.

"Were you given a different time for dinner than the rest of us? Or are you still operating on London time, Eric?" Ethan chided.

"Apologies. My boss and his date are also here for my wedding reception. So I wanted Melissa to meet them once before the event. Since we will be busy with your function tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to catch up with them. It just took us longer to leave from there and reach this place," he explained.

"Oh! You mean your famous genius boss?" Ethan asked in enthusiasm.

At Eric's nod, he said, "so why don't you invite them to come for the wedding tomorrow as well? More the merrier."

Eric told him that he will extend the invite but his boss was the recluse kind who would rather sit and chat with bats than mingle with humans.

Ethan steadily started making the introductions.

"The one in the white dress shirt is Chu's brother. He has been unwell recently and can't talk. Just letting you know before I introduce you," Ethan told his cousin about Tang whose back was towards Eric.

The Hunt brothers started to walk towards where Tang was sitting but were intercepted by Melissa.

"I just got a call from home. Dad is feeling unwell. I need to go back. I am sorry, Ethan," she said apologetically.

Eric turned to look at her pale face and said, "don't worry. I am sure it is nothing. Here, give the car tag to the valet and wait for me."

He sent her out and waved out to his parents who were looking at him with a question in their eyes.

"Ethan, please make my apologies to everyone gathered and explain the situation to mum and dad. I am going to see you tomorrow morning sharp at 9," with that, Eric left.

Later that night

"Eric has sent a message asking us to join in tomorrow for his cousin's wedding. He is the best man in the wedding and wants us to come for the function as well. Would you like to go?" Hui was sitting with Jia Li at a café at Madison Square.

Jia Li looked at him in surprise and smilingly asked, "what? All men in his family have decided to get shackled at the same time?"

At Hui's shrug, she said, "I don't mind as long as you are willing to tolerate a mob of people around you for two days in a row."

Hui gave her a look of suffering and replied, "I came prepared for it this time around. Ok, I shall send him a confirmation."

Next morning, Jia Li came down the lift and went to meet Hui at the hotel's lobby. She was wearing a long red dress which stuck lovingly to her curves. The outfit had a spaghetti strap on one side of the shoulder, leaving the other side completely bare. She had gathered and twisted her auburn hair into a messy casual side bun which lay atop her gleaming bare shoulder. Leaving her face nearly nude, except for a coat of lip gloss, Jia Li wore a tinkling gold charm bracelet on one wrist. Her feet lay encased in a pair of strappy muted gold heels.

Hui had never been the kind to be swayed by anyone's looks but when he saw Jia Li walk towards him in this avatar, he was simply stunned. Much to his own consternation, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Are you alright? You look like you have seen a ghost," Jia Li commented upon his expressions.

Mentally slapping himself out of the stupor, he mumbled an incoherent reply and gestured that they should proceed towards the waiting taxi.

"Oh, do we know the names of the groom and the bride? I wanted to write it on the gift which we are taking for them," she said as soon as they settled in the cab.

Jia Li had got no time to prepare a gift so she had picked a gift voucher from the hotel's shopping arcade this morning.

"No idea. It didn't strike me last evening and Eric also didn't volunteer the information. Never mind, just write your and my name along with best wishes. The important thing is that they should know who has given it. There is bound to be no confusion about who it is meant for, right?" he said with his usual logic.

Jia Li shook her head in agreement and tried to hold the smile in at his words.

They reached the destination and Jia Li squealed in delight the minute she got off the cab.