The dinner was indeed peaceful and harmonious, mainly because Seth never showed up. Noreen's appetite was good, and she had a second helping of rice.
When she got home, Claire still wasn't back, so Noreen gave her a call. The background noise was loud; Claire was clearly still out.
"Babe, this dinner is dragging on. I might be really late, so don't wait up for me," Claire said, her hand cupped over the phone as she spoke from a quiet corner.
"You haven't been drinking, have you?" Noreen asked.
"No, there are elders here. Don't worry."
Reassured, Noreen was about to hang up when she heard Claire exclaim, "Holy crap!"
"What's wrong?" Noreen frowned.
"I just saw Bitch Bianca."
Noreen sighed. She should have just hung up.
"Tsk, getting frisky in broad daylight. Shameless."
"Your vocabulary is impressive," Noreen deadpanned.
"No, seriously, I just saw Bitch Bianca walking back from the garden, straightening her clothes. Her lipstick was smeared and everything. How desperate can you be?"
Noreen couldn't help but feel exasperated. "Are you there to eat or to watch a live show?"
"I multi-tasked. Watched a live show while I ate. Too bad it wasn't R-rated," Claire lamented.
"Well, enjoy the drama. I'm going to take a shower." Noreen had no interest in these people.
She hung up and went to shower. When she came out, she saw several new WhatsApp messages from Claire.
"Holy crap! Bitch Bianca went inside, and not a minute later, Jerk Seth comes back from the same garden. Are they that horny?"
"Guess they're the 'make love wherever you are' type. The world is their bedroom."
Noreen rolled her eyes.
"Focus on your dinner," she typed back.
This time, Claire didn't reply, so Noreen assumed she was finally eating. She put her phone down and dealt with some emails.
At ten o'clock, Mrs. Joyner called to ask when the strategic partnership signing ceremony between Centribo, Ron Archer and Vincent would be scheduled. The Centribo acquistion was still in the approval and closing stages. Including integration, it would take at least another month.
Mrs. Joyner's voice grew heavy. "Can it be any faster?"
A knot formed in Noreen's stomach.
"I'm afraid I won't be around to see it," Mrs. Joyner said.
...
Bianca came home late again. This time, however, Yvonne greeted her with a smile instead of a scolding. "You're back."
"Yeah." Bianca had been drinking and was feeling languid, her steps unsteady. Yvonne had the maid pour her a glass of honey water.
.n
"I heard about the high-temperature superconductivity project. Seth is really holding nothing back for you After Bianca's recent string of failures Yvonne had been losing sleep with worry. Now she finally felt at ease.
Bianca leaned back into the sofa lazily. "I told you he cares about me. You just didn't believe me."
"I was just concerned, that's all." Yvonne paused, then asked, "Why did you come back here? Didn't you talk to Seth about moving in together?"
Bianca stretched languidly. "I was just about to tell you. Seth is having his house torn down and rebuilt, so he's temporarily staying at the office. It's not convenient."
"Torn down?" Yvonne was clearly confused.
"Mhm. It's because Noreen
decorated it. Seth was afraid I'd feel
uncomfortable, so he decided to
demolish it and start over. He said
this time it will be designed
completely according to my tastes.
Yvonne's last remaining worries dissolved. "It's clear Seth is very devoted to you.
He's so considerate. I was worried for nothing."