Reagan Disillusions Harlow
(Chapter of unnamed WIP. Read Order: 4)
Harlow smiled sweetly at Owen and the depth to which she seemed attached to the man was not lost on Reagan. A quick glance to her sister showed her exactly what she expected to see. Rin was uncomfortable with Harlow's familiarity with Owen. Reagan couldn't blame her. That was one sticky situation to say the least. But Rin was marrying Hayes and it wasn't Harlow's fault she'd been brought into the middle of it by Owen. It was kind of crass, she supposed, but what was the man supposed to do? Go stag to his best friend's wedding? At least Harlow seemed to be gracious enough to handle the discomfort.
"Ah," Owen said and glanced at the smart watch on his wrist.
Something appeared to be blinking but Reagan couldn't tell what it was. Her mind had momentarily decided to provide her the information on how much she could probably get on the street for such a piece of technology. The craving to snuggle into the warm blanket of familiar oblivion was an itch that was beginning to grow the longer she was in the middle of this uncomfortable grouping of people.
"I have to go check on something. Be back soon," Owen said and gave Harlow and apologetic look. What Harlow didn't see was how Owen's brows furrowed deeper as he shot Rin a glance before disappearing down the hall toward the command center.
Reagan looked at Rin whose expression was unreadable but stormy.
"I should check on the caterer," Rin said with a slight edge to her tone. She stood and seemed to shake off whatever had settled over her, replacing her stoic expression with a bright smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. Reagan wasn't fooled.
Harlow turned her sweet smile to Rin and made a pout with her full lips that Reagan was sure was a hit with most men. It made Reagan inwardly roll her eyes and begin anticipating the inevitable baby talk that some women seem to think makes them absolutely adorable. Ruby was guilty of it from time to time and it made Reagan cringe deeply every single time.
"Oh, don't go. I wanted to ask you all the silly questions that, oh what are we called? 'Normies'? Yes, the normie questions," Harlow said in a syrupy tone that was bordering finely on wining.
Reagan saw Rin's lips press into a firm line briefly before she smiled again, sunny as ever. "I'll be back and I'll answer everything but I do NOT want to end up without your vegan option for dinner!" Rin hurried off after that, in the opposite direction from where Owen had disappeared.
Harlow turned her gaze to Reagan then and there was a strange chill that emanated between them briefly. Reagan couldn't tell what it was but perhaps Harlow could detect that Reagan was struggling to fight the urge to down a glass of wine or find the medicine cabinet and raid it for pills. Some women can intuit your nefarious thoughts, she was sure of it. Reagan braced herself for confrontation but it didn't come. The chill was gone as quickly as she thought she'd felt it, leaving her to wonder if it had just been her own guilty conscience.
"This is such a beautiful house, isn't it?" Harlow said and there wasn't even a hint of disingenuousness in her voice. She was glancing around the high ceiling and her fingers were rubbing the smoothly, intricately carved design on the armrest of her chair. She looked almost like she had been made to sit in this chair in a room like this and Reagan felt a sudden pang of regret for being the misfit here among family where this stranger was right at home.
"It really is. This is my first time here. I mean, they just bought it a few months ago."
Harlow's smile became a bit brighter, almost understanding? Reagan felt off kilter the more she watched Harlow blend into her surroundings in ways Reagan never could. The air of grace and poise that Reagan would never have, nor want either she supposed, was nevertheless undeniable. Harlow was lovely and meant for lovely places like this. Reagan was not.
"Well, I want to know who their decorator is. The balance of antique and modern is simply stunning. Maybe Owen and I will - Oh. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself there, I guess." Harlow put a finger to her lips and tapped thoughtfully just once. It wasn't a confidence being shared with Reagan but more of a reminder to herself to take things slower. Owen was definitely not a fast mover and if he had given Harlow any idea that they'd be moving in together already, Reagan would be astounded.
Reagan shifted in her seat and sighed as she noticed a run in her stocking, the nylon slowly splitting down below the hem of her skirt. Typical. "How did you and Owen meet?" she asked, a bit distractedly but also curious. There was such a stark difference between Harlow and Rin.
"Oh, gosh, we worked together. Though I don't think he even knew I was alive back then. I've changed a bit. For the better," Harlow said with a fond nostalgia on her face. "I guess we officially met when he threw is coffee all over me." She laughed at Reagan's expression of shock and raised one bird-like hand, little fingers wiggling slightly. "Oh no, it was not at all on purpose. I was on a jog through the park. You know, the one with the dog run and the children's playground donated by the Rowley family in memory of dear little daughter Aggie who died of leukemia."
Reagan nodded even though she had no idea where this park was. Unless she'd spent a night on a bench there once. But she'd slept on benches everywhere.
Harlow continued, "Well, anyhow, Hayes and Owen were talking business, walking on the grass with Milo, and there was apparently a very fat squirrel. Milo took off, yanking his leHayes right out of Hayes' hand, which knocked right into Owen's arm. With the coffee in his hand. And the coffee went up." She looked upward through her lHayesed in a way that was probably beguiling when she told the story to her friends. Then pressed her lips together to look happily miffed at the obvious outcome. "And what goes up, definitely came back down. On me."
Reagan cringed inwardly at the destruction of a well known scientific quote. It was just as bad as cutesy baby talk. "Yikes," she said, attempting commiseration. Poorly.
"Mmhm! He was mortified and I was soaked. He offered to dry clean my jogging outfit. You don't dry clean spandex."
Reagan cringed further and almost made an involuntarily audible sound too. Spandex. Of course.
Harlow continued, her words interspersed with giggles. "It was so cute and he wanted to make it up to me somehow so I told him he could take me for a drink later. He didn't even recognize me!"
Reagan smiled as best she could be the meet cute was thoroughly nauseating to her. "Well, it seems like you two have really hit it off!" Way to state the obvious but what else did she say?
Harlow nodded, looking enraptured. "We have been almost inseparable for a month. I was so thrilled when he invited me tonight though I knew he would as soon as he mentioned the party. How could he not?"
Reagan was in complete cringe mode at this point and almost wishing her mother was here to roll her eyes and get away with it. "I would have thought it would be a bit weird for you but I have to say, you're a good sport."
Harlow's brow furrowed slightly and she tilted her head. "What do you mean? Why would it be weird?"
The realization that Harlow might not actually know about Owen's past with Rin was sudden and Reagan almost cussed under her breath. No going back now, she supposed.
"I mean, Owen ending up the best man in this wedding was weird all on its own really considering how long he and Rin were together. But Hayes is his best friend so..." Reagan let her voice trail off with a slight shrug of her shoulders. And after all the cringe, she was kind of amused to see the color leave Harlow's face and her posture become stiff suddenly.
It was a minor variation that corrected itself quickly and Harlow was smiling again, dismissing with a wave of her hand as though she'd known all along. "Oh, that's ancient history. Owen is the kind of man who makes peace with the past and moves forward. This isn't weird at all." Reagan smiled and nodded, thinking, "Sure, honey. Not weird at all."