“Enzo,” I whispered while looking at him talking to the woman. He was smiling, and I saw that he was…happy. The spark in his eyes, while he was talking to her, was visible from where I’m sitting. It made me turn my head in another direction so that I couldn’t see them. I hid my tears from the people around me. The hurt was hurtful for me to control. I had been waiting for him for days and now I see him with another woman, Smiling and enjoying her company. It hurts, It hurts so much. I gripped the hem of my dress tightly to control myself. I tried to forget that I’d seen him here with other women.
I tried so hard to erase it from my mind but it keeps on popping in my head. My head was burning with all the thoughts of him with her living happily in his mansion. I don’t know why but all this stupid thought running in my head. I tried to convince myself that, No, she might be his friend or relative. But my mind refuses to believe it.
“Venessa?” I turned to the one who called and saw Penelope looking at me with a worried expression on her face. I instantly gave her a fake smile and tried to hide my misery. “Yes?” I asked, maintaining my fake smile.
“Are you… okay?” She said, eyeing me with concern.
“Yeah, I’m Okay,” I said and quickly turned the other way to hide my face from her. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I closed my eyes to stop my tears.
The auction had started, and everyone’s attention was completely on the man speaking on the stage but mine was struck on Lorenzo. Was she the reason he didn’t come to me? But I’m his wife, How can he move on with other women? All these questions were burning my head, I couldn’t control my tears anymore. I stood up and excused myself. I walked towards the restroom still holding my tears. I entered inside and walked to the last one, I stepped inside it and closed the door. I leaned my back to the door and my tears burst out, I placed my hands over my mouth making sure to suppress my loud sobs. I sobbed and sobbed until there were no tears left.
With puffy eyes, sore throat I walked outside of the washroom I was in. I walked to the sink and looked at my reflection. I was staring at a broken doll, whose eyes were red and a black thin line from her eyes was reaching down to the chin. Her lipstick was all over her mouth and her once beautiful face was destroyed. I turned the tap and washed my face. I hear footsteps entering the washroom, I try to hide my face from whoever it is.
“Venessa?” A familiar voice called me; I turned my head to see Penelope staring at me in shock. Looking at me, she immediately walked over and hugged me tightly. I once again burst into tears as I hugged her. She kept on rubbing my back with her hands and chatting soothing words in my ear. After crying for hours, I released her, wiping my tears. She placed her hand under my chin and raised my head to meet my eyes.
“I saw him, I saw how happy he was with that woman…” I looked down at the ground, She raised my chin again and looked into my eyes “It’s your turn now… to show him you’re happy too… It’s not the time to cry Venessa” she said,
“I… I can’t… I can’t believe he moved on with someone else… I’m his wife…” I sobbed. She hugged me again, “Please don’t cry, I can’t see you like this… please…stop crying” I released her and looked at her with my tear stained face, “You need to be strong Venessa, You have to face him and ask him why? All your questions can only be answered by him,” Penelope explained. She was right. I need to face him, I need answers. I wiped my tears and took a deep breath. I looked at Penelope and smiled.
“Before we go out, I think… I should fix your makeup,” she said, placing her purse on the marble. She fixed my makeup, and we both walked back to our seats. I sat next to Nikolai as his date. He looked at me suspiciously, I smiled at him. He just turned his head, and his attention was back to the person on the stage.
I signed and stared at the woman who was happily giving some speech about something I’m not familiar with. Even though I was feeling bored, I was pretending to listen to her with all my attention.
****
As I was looking at the old man on the stage talking about his deal and future projects, I felt someone’s Intense gaze on me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my hands started to sweat. From the corner of my eyes, I can see Lorenzo’s gaze on me. I tried to be unaffected and tried to relax and ignore him as much as I can, but it’s difficult for me to ignore him.
I put all my attention on the person on the stage. My palms were pretty shaking and sweating. I rubbed my sweaty palms together and tried to ease this anxiety.
After a few minutes of my pretending to be unaffected, slow music started and every single couple was moving towards the dance floor.
I glanced at Penelope who was smirking at me while taking the hand of Alan and leaving me alone with Nikolai. I shook my head signaling her not to leave me with him but she left me. I was suddenly hit by nervousness as the moment in my bedroom flashed in front of my eyes. Our closeness, his breath on my neck, his touch and the way he kissed my neck ruched back to me. I nervously turned to him and to my surprise, Nikolai was standing in front of me with his hand extended to me. I glanced at his hand back to him.
“Come on Vanessa, you can do this” My subconscious yelled at me.
I nervously placed my hand in his and stood up. He walked us to the dance floor and turned towards me while placing his hand around my waist and pulling me closer to his body. My one hand was placed on his chest and the other was in his hand. My breathing was unusual because of our closeness and his intoxicating smell filling my nostrils. I looked up into his blue eyes which were staring right into mine.
There was something that always pulls me towards Nikolai which I don’t understand. This feeling is foreign to me. His ocean blue eyes always mesmerize and attract me. Time seems to pass on when I look into his eyes. The way his perfect lips move whenever he speaks, The way my name rolls from his mouth, his deep and husky voice. I never thought I would observe this much about someone but I did. I couldn’t control myself and took a step back from him trying to walk away from him but he pulled me back and my body hit him with full force making every part of my body touch his. I was breathing hard, my chest was touching his every time I took a breath.
Bending over he whispered, “Still running away from me princess?”