The business district of San Myshuno had a certain prestige that no other district could replicate. It could be the sprawling business centers that towered over all of the other San Myshuno buildings. Or even the fresh leather shoes and briefcases the businessmen carried. One could also contribute it to the decadent perfumes that wafted off the women. But even with all the class in the world couldn’t stop Vivienne Lee from releasing her unfiltered thoughts.
“They’re not fucking.”
Vivienne declared with a swift sip of her drink.
Marlene chuckled at her friend. At this point, Viv’s crude language no longer bothered her. Actually, it was now expected. “Maybe it’s a little awkward with you living with them.” She said.
“No. I know it. It’s a fact. I investigated. There’s no sexy lingerie. No locked doors. They barely even spend time alone. I put some pregnancy tests in their bathroom and they haven’t been touched. ” Vivienne exclaimed. “They’re newly weds! In my first year of marriage, we were getting down every day!”
“Well, they both have a lot on their plate. It’s ok for Jonathon and Elizabeth to focus on their individual goals before trying to grow their family. It’s not like how it was for us, back in the day. Times are different. Things change.” Marlene shrugged.
“They do.” Vivienne sighed with taking a glance at her ringless finger. She conveniently lost her wedding ring a year ago when she moved to San Myshuno to run her business, Gaia Health Spa. Everyone knew better than to ask what happened to the ring, especially Alan.
When Kenneth bought Marlene home, it felt like a child bringing home a stray cat. Vivienne was already stressed trying to keep her husband happy and maintaining her spa business. And now she was expected to play nice with her?
Secretly, Vivienne envied Marlene. Marlene quickly married Ken Sato and fell pregnant with Ken JR, with Emilene following a few short years later. It has taken Vivienne years of obscure diets and kama sutra sex positions to finally bear a child.
Alan blamed Vivienne’s fertility issues on her prioritizing being a business woman more than being a wife. Vivienne blamed Alan for fucking anybody with a mouth.
Thankfully, the ladies quickly bonded over being new mothers and wives to two enterprising and ambitious men. Often times, the ladies would just put the kids together and gossip over whatever information Viv pried out of her clients during a massage.
“What can I say, I have a magic touch.” Viv would say as the ladies giggled over nonsense. Vivienne’s new found friendship was a nice break in between running the house, her business, and her husband’s nonsense.
“Anyway, what brings you in town?” Vivienne asked.
“Natalia had a dress fitting today. The dress is horrid. I thought hiring a fashion designer would push her out of this vanilla girl fashion sense she has, but I guess I was wrong.” Marlene admitted.
“Tell her it’s ugly!” Vivienne said.
“I can’t. She seems invested into the dress. She even made bridesmaid dresses to go along with the dress.”
“If you don’t tell her it’s ugly, everyone is going to see her in that ugly ass dress and remember that the Satos allowed a white girl in an ugly ass dress marry their only son.” Vivienne said. An awkward silence entered the conversation.
Vivienne was right.
Culture was important to the Komorebian people. Marlene learned that the hard way when she married Ken. While nobody would outwardly admit this, Marlene knew she did not fit it. Therefore, Marlene did everything she could to assimilate into their culture. She learned their language, cooked their food, wore their clothes. While Ken never asked her to do any of these things, she knew it would bring shame to his family name if she couldn’t continue their culture. That’s why it was so important for Natalia to at least try to adopt some of it. But no matter what Natalia did, it didn’t seem like she cared to meet their silent expectations.
“I’m sorry.” Vivienne apologized. “But it’s true.”
“I know…I’ll figure it out.” Marlene said. “There’s a lot going on, Viv. The wedding and Emi being home and…” within that moment Marlene felt herself transport back to The Oracle hotel, with the warmth of the fireplace beating on her face and the two investigators hounding her down about her past trauma. Marlene washed the thoughts away with another swig of champagne. For a moment, Marlene considered telling Viv the truth of it all.
We have a stalker. They threatened our lives. I don’t know who it is. I don’t feel safe.
But she knew she couldn’t. Not because she was sworn to secrecy with this whole ordeal, but what if… what if by some odd chance the stalker was Vivienne?
“I have a meeting with an interior designer to finally help us refurnish the house. ”
After finishing each and every last drop of champagne, the ladies parted ways for the evening.
As Marlene waited for her car, Vivienne’s voice played through her head.
The Satos allowed a white girl in an ugly ass dress marry their only son.
So, Marlene decided to take care of it.
She typed up a quick message hoping that Nicky Beniot would understand her perspective. Her thumb hovered over the send button. It felt a bit wrong to go behind Natalia’s back. But with the Sato reputation was on the line, was it really that bad? Marlene shook the second thoughts out of her head and quickly sent the message.
A still wave washed over her as she watched the message update from sent to delivered. What was Marlene even freaking out over? This was for the better good! Also, it wasn’t like she hadn’t done this before…
miss moodring musings 