Cocaine Princess here.
'Valentina you didn't?' I said. 'I did,' she replied proudly. 'Why? More importantly what did you text him?' 'I merely asked him how he was?' I asked her again, 'what is the matter with you?' 'Look at him,' said Valentina. 'I'd rather not,' I said back. Looking at him again she said, 'he's so relaxed and casual and why should he be? If anything he should be feeling guilty. He's absolutely showing no sign of remorse.' 'It's been months, what do you expect him to do?' I questioned. 'Wear black and be in mourning for a year?' 'The decent thing for him to do would have been not to show up,' she answered. 'Maybe he didn't know I was invited?' I answered back. Valentina scoffed. 'He knew you'd be here. He knows you know the host and have been to all of her other parties in the past so why wouldn't you be at this one?' 'Valentina give me your phone,' I said holding out my hand. 'No,' she said back. 'You took my laptop.' 'That's different.' 'How?' I asked. 'Taking away your laptop is my way of getting you to relax.' 'Funny I don't feel relaxed. If anything I feel agitated,' I told her. 'Valentina no more...' I didn't even get a chance to finish my sentence when I heard the phone ring again. 'Please tell me that's not his phone?' I asked. 'Okay I won't...but it is,' she said. 'That's it. I'm not talking to you anymore,' I informed her. 'You're bluffing.' she said. I really was but at least it worked. 'Alright I promise I won't text him anymore,' she said looking at the ceiling. 'Ever,' I added. 'You won't text him EVER and look me in the eyes when you say it.' 'I won't text him ever, I promise,' Valentina repeated looking right into my eyes. 'It's not like he can text or even call me back. I blocked him remember?' At that point I realized something. 'If he can receive your messages that's means he hasn't blocked your number,' I said. 'See I told you he's waiting for you to take him back and thinks I'm the one who's going to give him the message. That's why he hasn't blocked my number.' Even though Valentina did promise me by looking me in the eyes I still wasn't entirely convinced and to make sure she wouldn't text him anymore I got a hold of her cell phone and didn't give it back to her until she returned my laptop. If she can play dirty so can I.
Over the next hour all the guests had arrived including 'L.' She sat with Valentina and I and if anyone deserved to feel uncomfortable and uneasy it would have to be 'L.' You see 'L' has been having an affair with the host's husband for the past five years. She was even wearing the necklace the host's husband had given to her. I was dying to ask her a question. 'Don't you feel kind of awkward that you're friends with a woman whose husband you're having an affair with?' She smiled and said, 'it's not like we meet for coffee or call each other on the phone everyday. It's been five years going on six and she doesn't suspect a thing. I'm very careful, we both are and we cover our tracks quite well. If she hasn't suspected anything yet I doubt she ever will. Miss Fund Raiser is much too busy getting her picture taken for the society column to notice anything anyways. She puts on this whole act and speech about how she and her husband have been happily married for almost forty years. According to my man they don't even sleep in the same bedroom and haven't for the past ten years. We made plans this Easter to go to Hawaii but then she went and ruined it by announcing this dinner party and asked me to plan it.' 'You planned this party?' a shocked Valentina asked. L nodded, 'I could have refused and lied by telling her my schedule was full but I couldn't bear to be apart from my honey so we agreed I would plan it so this way we could still be together on Easter. I had this whole over the top party idea but she wanted formal elegance. She's always been so conservative.' (L is a successful party planner who doesn't come cheap. It was a very elegant affair except for the public display of affection between the fat, balding Panamanian and his wife and the loud mouth brothers who kept getting louder by the hour. I don't have any problems with p.d.a but his display of affections would make anyone's stomach turn) I would have preferred the over the top party. A cello player and a violinist were to one side playing a light tune instead of a live D.J. busting out dance music. 'Bug Spray alert,' Valentina whispered. Dear God have mercy on my sinuses. The host was making her way over to us with her loyal companion. I picked up one of the drinks, I think it was the sunset and took a deep whiff of it hoping it would fill my sinuses and be powerful enough to block out her perfume. She sat next to me with her arms wide open giving me another hug. I would have rather hugged a cactus with bare arms. I just smiled and held my breath again. The first question out of her mouth, 'what aren't you sitting with your boyfriend?' 'He's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up,' I told her. She put her hands on her cheeks and said in a disappointing tone, 'no!' They say animals can sense their owners feelings. It must be true because her dog whimpered when she became so upset over our breakup. L didn't know about my breakup with Senor Bling either. When did the breakup happen?' L asked. 'Late fall,' I answered. 'Are you at least talking to him?' the host asked. 'No.' 'So it was his fault?' she questioned. 'It was,' I said back. 'She turned around and looked at him and then at me. 'You two made such a perfect couple. I was expecting a wedding invitation in the near future,' she stated. 'So did I. I even had my bridesmaid dress all picked out,' Valentina cheekily said. I love Valentina to death and always will but sometimes there's no way to control that mouth of hers unless I put duct tape on it. 'Was it his fault?' she then asked me. 'Yes,' Valentina replied answering for me. 'He hurt you?' I replied by nodding yes. She took my hand and held it. 'I didn't know, I'm sorry,' she said in a compassionate voice. 'I feel like a bad dinner hostesses. I invited two people who don't get along.' 'Senor Bling and I are both adults,' I said. 'But you're not on speaking terms.' 'It's fine, we're fine. And don't worry there won't be any dishes flying or any screaming matches,' I assured her. 'We're both civilized. It'll be a peaceful Easter dinner.' I was in so much pain at that point. Her perfume acted like a hammer pounding hard on my sinuses. Valentina and L were lucky. The two were sitting across from us. I couldn't exactly have asked the host to leave nor was there any polite way to let her know the scent of her perfume was simply awful and to get her to stop talking about Senor Bling I began to ask her questions. 'So how have you been?' 'Busy, busy,' she replied. 'Last month I organized three different fund raisers and I have another two next month and in two weeks I have a charity auction,' she replied. 'And your kids?' 'My boys are good. The youngest is in Germany, still in school. Another two years and he'll be done. And the oldest is in the city,' she replied looking at L. 'He would be so perfect for you.' Oh God why did I bring up the kids I thought to myself. But the host insisted on playing match maker. 'The two of you are the same age. You're not seeing anyone are you?' 'No,' L answered. 'I hardly see you with anyone,' the host commented. 'My work keeps me busy,' L explained. 'Don't tell me you're one of those women who are married to your job? Every woman needs a good man by her side,' stated the host looking over at her husband. 'I have been married for almost 40 happy years.' Valentina started to giggle but quickly covered it up with a fake cough and then picked up her drink. I looked at L and couldn't believe how calm and cool she was. I was nervous for her but she didn't even flinch. Even the host's husband played it cool. Not once during the entire course of the evening did he make any sort of contact with her. 'So tell us what your secret is to being married for forty years?' One might think a question like this was asked by Valentina but it was L who did. I looked at Valentina who looked as surprised as I did. 'Communication is the key,' the host replied. 'We always make time for each other, even when he's away on business he calls me. We always say I love you to each other at least three time a day. And of course trust. To be married this long there has to be some form of trust.' 'How come you never accompany him on his business trips?' this was a question Valentina asked. I was wondering what took her so long to ask one. 'So many charities rely on me and I can't say no, she replied. 'With so many organizations and charities there's something taking place almost every week.' The host again turned her attention on the breakup between me and Senor Bling. I didn't understand why she was so upset. Unless she had money riding on our relationship it's not like she was going to gain or lose anything from us being together or apart.
When dinner was announced we all proceeded into the grand dining room. The table was marvelously displayed. The cello and the violin player followed us and were joined now by a pianist. The catering crew stood to one side getting ready to serve us. A bottle of champagne was left on the chair with a ribbon around it and a little card with our names on it. Now I understood why the host felt bad about Senor Bling and I breaking up. She was in charge of the seating plan and seated Senor Bling beside me. He was to my left and Valentina was to my right........
XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess
