Raven Rival

the Beauty in the Family

Rachel or 'Lana', as they fondly call her at home, was just about two months older than Mari. She was born on April while the latter's birthday was on June 30. She arrived in style the next evening. Their brother Samuel was very much in awe of their sister, more so, of her new sportscar.

Mari felt her heart swell at the sight of Lana's beauty. She was so vivid and alive, like a watercolor painting. She glanced at the girl's mother and felt a little tug inside for losing her own at a very young age.

"Darling," Rowan Miller cooed tearfully at her daughter.

"I missed you, too, Mom," Lana greeted back. She ruffled Samuel's hair.

Only Polly, Lita, and Tina were able to attend. Amy was, as usual, busy in the hospital. Lana greeted the lot.

"Amy promised she'd drop by and see you tomorrow," Tina chirped.

"That one really knows her dreams, doesn't she?" Lana commented.

"You certainly achieved yours," retorted Polly, a little puzzled by the statement.

"Maybe," was the confusing reply. "How are you, Tina? A good thing you chose the UK to launch your career," the actress continued.

They were having a drink in the living room while Lita's staff took care of the food that Mari ordered specially for Lana's homecoming, aside from those she prepared herself.

"Why?" Tina dared impishly. "Wouldn't you have let me rise to stardom if it were in the States?" There was an indefinable tone in her question.

"Hollywood's a big place. But competition is competition. I'm just glad we're still friends," Lana answered diplomatically.

"Well, ditto!" Tina dismissed, laughing cheerfully, raising her Martini glass in a toast to Lana's wine.

"Actors," Lita scoffed.

Polly gave an unsure laugh. "Tina, I thought you're more set on ensnaring my boss into marriage," she joked.

"Oh, this is news," Lana started.

"Isn't it just," Mari mumbled, remembering Damien's proposal. Should she mention it to Tina?

"Don't you both work for the same man?" Lana asked Polly, pointing a hand to the woman and then to Mari.

"And after seeing the great Damien, Tina now wants to work for him as well," Polly teased.

"Oh, please. Enough already. You already made a mess of this conversation in my restaurant," Lita advised, shaking her pretty chestnut curls.

"Old Damien," Lana mumbled.

"He's not really that old," Mari corrected.

"Actually, I thought maybe you should meet him," Tina stated, poker-faced.

"How nice of you to think of me, Tina," Lana said. You never knew it with this two. They could be bantering with an unseen tension and still appear friendly on the surface.

Mari may be naïve, but she hoped, not to the extent that she could not recognize how her friends felt about her family. Was there a 'friendly, verbal' war between her stepsister and one of her best friends?

"You could try breaking his cold exterior a little. You know, before I take over?"

"Tina, you're incorrigible," Polly declared as if disgusted. Everybody knew the girl was only joking.

It seemed that Lana didn't. "I see. So you think only I could handle him?"

Tina nodded several times. Lita shook her head. Mari was bored with her sherry.

Right. Lana could always marry Damien. She just had to say goodbye to her career. At least, while they were married. Damien needed a wife. Lana wanted an aristocratic background. They were both very beautiful people. Yes. They would suit each other perfectly.

"And twist him around your slender fingers," Tina continued.

"Just you try," Polly said, laughing outright. Mari had to laugh too.

"He's very rich, dear," she told Lana in particular. "I wonder why you haven't met him yet. I know he stays out of the social circle, pays a lot to keep his face off the papers, but still."

"There's rich and there's rich," was Lana's bored reply.

"Well, he belongs in the second, if you meant that to be the more affluent."

"I'll see to dinner." Mari rose to her feet and excused herself. Before she could turn in the direction of the kitchen, the bell rang.

"Amy?" Lita questioned.

"Jed, probably," Mari replied, her face suddenly glowing.

"Jed?" Lana asked when Mari went to get the door.

"Her fiancé," Lita answered for everybody. "You didn't know?"

"Nobody told me," Lana answered, pouting.

"Maybe Mari wanted to tell you now. She's just waiting for him," Polly said, feeling uneasy already for some unknown reason. She grasped the reason when Jed entered the living room and saw the way Lana looked at the handsome man. And she feared for her friend because of the way Jed was returning those surreptitious glances.

Mari introduced the two.

"Congratulations," Lana said, extending her right hand.

Polly kept silent, though her heart was painfully beating. She saw Tina looking at her and wondered if the girl could guess what she was thinking. Some female intuition told her that Lana would covet Jed as she did with Mari's toys in the past. They were young enough to have pajama parties before. Then Lana would lose interest in her acquired possessions and disregard them, leaving them broken for the owner.

She felt sure this was what would happen this time. Like when Lana demanded she wore the dress that Mari's father bought especially for his daughter during prom. And Lana was always excused. Forgiven. Because she was sweet and beautiful.

Jed was for Mari, right? He was okay and dependable. Thoughtful and attractive. He may not be good enough, but Mari loved him, didn't she? She chose him after all.

Oh, please. Not Jed, Polly whispered silently. Not him too.

It might finally break Mari to have the man she loved taken away from her.