| UNHINGED | WILHEMINA VENABLE

19

A month later*

Wilhemina is nice and loving as usual, well only to me of course. My arm is fully healed, today we are going to a dinner meeting with whoever Mina called 'old friends'. She said I don't have to go if I don't want to but I wanted to be with her 24/7 so why not.

"Put on any dress you want dear, you look ravishing in anything" she let out a puff of her cancer stick, don't get me wrong I join her.
'Life is too short why not enjoy while it last' that's what she always said.

Wilhemina is waiting for me on the couch looking like a whole dish, having on her floor length silky black dress with a pair of lavender heels diamond necklaces resting neatly around her magnetic neck, if only I could devour her now but she said patience is key.

"what do you think?" I swirl around in my sleeveless black dress which stop above my knee and a pair of lilac heels, Wilhemina bought me last week after my arm healed, along with a Cartier diamond necklace worth over $200,000. I sure am wearing it for tonight event.

She took a moment to observe "Divine is the word, my dear" she put out her cig and motion me to come closer, sharing an almost sloppy kiss.

***

On the way her old friend's house, we pick out most well known wine in town worth over $3000 a bottle as a gift, I wonder who this old friend might be.

Wilhemina keep whispering sweet things along the way as the jazz music play softly in the backseat.

After an hour we arrived, the mansion stood in the middle of nowhere, there's no house near it.

"Careful with the steps" Wilhemina says, the guards in front see us and quickly open the gigantic door, we walks in and they were waiting for us at the dining table, some of them stood up "good evening Ms.Venable" "and Ms...?", "Davina Claire" I says, "Ms.Claire nice to meet you", "nice to meet you too" I handed them the wine, "thank you, how lovely" the woman who took it give me a little hug.

"Are we late?", "You are right on time, Ms.Venable" a woman in red says in her raspy voice. We took a seat Wilhemina rest her hand on my bare thigh under the table.

The dinner went smoothly, Wilhemina is so hook with the conversation, I let her know I'm going to the bathroom.

Walking back from the bathroom, I heard piano was playing out of one of the room, i carefully open and see a guy facing his back at me. I accidentally sneezed making him turn to me.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt", "oh don't worry, and you must be Ms.Venable's friend.", I let out a soft laugh "you are quite good with that thing" I compliment, "that thing is a piano, madam", "yes yes the piano sir" I giggle placing my fingers on the notes, "have you play it before?" he asks, "I used to", I start playing paul de senneville mariage d'amour, "beautiful" he whisper behind my ear.

The music must have heard to the dining room, the door widely open up, "Warren?" a woman says, we turn. They all making there way into music room, it look more like a private bar.

"That's beautiful Ms.Clair, I thought it was you playing" a man says, "gorgeous girl play gorgeous music huh" the guy that stood behind me which I guess he's Warren, he pull a strand hair out of my face, while both my hands still moving hitting the notes. I let him. Wilhemina was there of course.

The music end and I turn to see Wilhemina staring at me with a force smile on her face, I didn't notice her hands gripping tightly on her cane, each veins look like they about to rip off her skin to the surface.

"That was epic Ms.Clair" Warren claps loudly so as the others, Wilhemina down a couple of whiskey trying to remain calm.

I get out of the seat and join some of them at the bar counter, taking a seat next to Mina. "Did you like it?" I take the whiskey glass from her hand and down it. She give a hum in response. Warren come and take a seat next to me so that make me in the middle, Wilhemina on the left and this stranger I just met on the right.

"Good evening Ms.Venable I see your friend here is really good with her hands" and yes Wilhemina took that the other way, "She sure is", I sit there innocently blushing and that doesn't go unnoticed by my fiancé.