Worship And Other Love Rituals

Chapter 17

I hurried into the bathroom and shut the door, leaning against it with a sigh. What a mess this all was. The bathroom itself was a fancier affair than I expected - marble sinks, fluffy towels, even fresh flowers artfully arranged. I suppose when you're hosting harvest parties for a vineyard worth millions, you spare no expense.

I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to erase any trace of tears. But my reflection only stared back sullenly, eyes still puffy and red. "Pull yourself together, Clara," I muttered.

My thoughts wandered as I dried off. Why did Ethan's performance affect me so? Was it the raw emotion in his voice, cutting through his usual polished veneer? Or some small, foolish part of me that wanted to believe the song was meant as an apology? I scoffed. Fat chance of that.

No, the truth was simpler. For all his flaws, there was a time I cared for Ethan deeply. His betrayal stung not because I pined for him still, but because I'd opened my heart only to have it stomped on without a second thought. Well, never again. From now on Clara was looking out for number one - me and Leo, that's it.

Speaking of Leo, I hoped he was having fun out there. Kids are so resilient - a pile of cookies and they've already forgotten their troubles. I smiled, picturing his chubby cheeks smeared with chocolate. At least one of us could enjoy this party.

I was just steadying myself at the sink when the bathroom door swung open again. "Clara, are you in here? I've been looking all over for you!"

Penny bustled in, cheeks pink from wine and dancing. She froze when she caught sight of my face. "Oh no, you've been crying! What on earth happened?"

Her concerned doe eyes peering at me was almost more than I could take. But this was Penny, now my only support. If I couldn't tell her, who could I tell? The dam broke and all the messy emotions from the past few hours came pouring out in a torrent of tears and snot.

Between heaving sobs I recounted the whole story: how Ethan and me were living a fairytale life, only to have Maya corner me in his tent today, catching them lip-locked. The way she sneered and told me to stay away if I knew what was good for me and Leo. It was all just so humiliating!

To her credit, Penny remained silent through my hysterics, gently rubbing my back. When I finally ran out of steam, she handed me a tissue without comment. I blew my nose with a honk loud enough to wake the dead.

"Sorry, I know I must look a mess," I sniffled.

Penny waved it away. "Nonsense. You've had quite the day, dear. I'd be more surprised if you weren't a sniffly, puffy mess!"

I had to chuckle at that.

I shrugged helplessly at Penny. "I just feel so foolish for ever trusting Ethan. And now Maya acting like some jealous villainess! Ugh."

Penny paused, considering. "You know...I never much cared for that Maya. Even as a child, she always had to be the center of attention. Why, I remember one year at the harvest party, she tried to make off with the cake before it was even served! Claimed some crazy story about needing it for a school project. As if."

I giggled through my tears at the mental image.

Penny continued. "And Ethan...well, he's always been a charmer. But charm alone doesn't make a person trustworthy. I'm just sorry you had to find that out the hard way, dear."

"I should have known better. I guess some lessons you only learn through pain." I sighed.

"Quite right." Penny smiled sympathetically. "But chin up! This bathroom has seen far worse tears than yours, I assure you. Why, one year the plum wine must have gone to JJ Hastings' head, because -"

Penny was about to launch into another story from the vineyard's colorful history when there was a knock at the bathroom door. "Everything alright in there, ladies?" called an amused male voice.

Penny rolled her eyes. "That'll be Walter. Always barging in at the most inopportune moments." She raised her voice. "We're fine, dear, just having a chat. You know how it is."

Walter chuckled. "Alright, well don't take too long. The tarte tatin is almost ready and I know you have quite the sweet tooth." His footsteps retreated down the hall.

I glanced at Penny questioningly. "Walter?"

"My husband," she replied, a smile playing on her lips. "I never mentioned him? How remiss of me. He was off in Ojai dealing with some property we have up there. Only returned this evening."

"Oh, I had no idea...you never mentioned it," I said, taken aback.

Penny rummaged in her designer handbag, emerging with a tube of lipstick. "Nearly forty five years now. He's really more of an accessory at this point." She expertly applied the crimson shade, transforming from a concerned friend to a vibrant socialite in an instant.

I watched her preen in the mirror, impressed as always by Penny's ability to slip between personae. Meanwhile, here I stood, smeared mascara and flushed cheeks on full display. At least my crying jag had abated, though I could still feel tendrils of sadness snaking through my belly like restless eels.

"The, uh, tarte tatin does sound good," I ventured, hoping a dose of carbs and sugar might deaden my nerves.

Penny dropped the lipstick back in her bag. "Of course it does, darling. And you simply must join us. A spot of dessert is just what the doctor orders after an emotional trauma." She hooked her arm through mine and led me to the door.

"Actually, Walter and I have been talking about moving to Ojai permanently. Now the kids are all grown and married, what's keeping us here really?" she mused as we walked. "Perhaps you and Leo would like to visit us there sometime. A change of scenery could do you both good."

Her kindness warmed me, even as I felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of Penny leaving after recently becoming such a confidant. But that was life — people came and went, while you just had to soldier on. At least for now, there was tarte tatin to look forward to, which seemed a fine consolation prize after the sorry hand I'd been dealt today. Onward and upward, as they say. Or something like that.

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