Chapter Two

I poured hot water over the instant coffee granules in the third mug and handed it to Claudette who was sitting opposite me at the kitchen bench. She smiled a thanks and added sugar then slowly began to stir.
“Mmmm yes, coffee” exclaimed Kelly with quite the amount of enthusiasm as she rushed in from the lounge room and seemed to wrap her entire body around the mug before spooning about five teaspoons of sugar and half a cup of milk into the mug.
“Muuuummmm” came a whining call from my front lounge room which caused Kelly to sigh heavily and walk back into the room to satisfy one of her three young girls and the problem with the non functioning Rapunzel DVD. “I swear,” I heard her mumble under her breath.
I smiled slightly and took a sip of my own coffee.
“I don’t know how Kelly dear does it” Claudette shook her head causing her platinum blonde curls to bounce along her shoulders. “The poor thing, Oh sweetie your girls are gorgeous” she changed her tone when Kelly returned within earshot. Kelly just shook her head in exhaustion and returned to making love to her coffee cup.
Claudette was a strange type of friendly and b***h all in one. She was known to take pity on others as she considered herself very highly but would be absolutely charming to your face. This being said she was truly genuine friend and was always there when we needed her, armed with her credit card and some ‘special’ contacts she knew through her husband.
Then there was Kelly.
Kelly was the most down to earth, level-headed, sweetest person I have ever met. We became friends in high school and since then we had done almost everything together. I was her maid of honour at her wedding and she was mine. We had travelled Europe together when we were younger and now she had made me the godmother of her three girls Becky, Claire and Sophie. She always told it as it is but always with complete tact. Just like her girls Kelly had chestnut brown hair and she always had tied in a low ponytail which rested at the nape of her neck with a few strands which always fell out and framed her face.
I watched her down half her coffee in one go and let out a little moan of pleasure at the taste- a coffee orgasm.
“Muuuuuummmm” Came another call from the adjoining room “What do I press?”
I put my mug down on the bench and gestured to Kelly “I’ll help her” I smiled.
She tilted her head and smiled in gratitude and took another large mouthful of coffee as I walked into the front room to help Sophie with the remote.
Sophie looked up at me with her big brown eyes filled with innocents which made me question how such a determined wail could escape her petit little mouth.
I was given the remote and I started pressing buttons, looking towards the TV waiting for something to happen. I could see my reflection in the blackness of the unresponsive screen. My artificially dyed honey-blonde hair fell over my shoulders leaving the split ends to rest on by back. I hadn’t put makeup on this morning and as far as I could tell, it was noticeable. I had been stressed ever since that depressing night three days ago and it was starting to show on my skin. Maybe I should have put at least some concealer on…
The TV screen flashed into life, causing me to jump out of my wandering mind and regain focus on what I was originally doing.
After a few more button presses, The Walt Disney logo started sparkling on the screen and all three girls chirped in unison “Thank you, Mila” In which I took my leave and returned back to the kitchen with Claudette and Kelly both watching me as I returned.
“Why are they such bloody princesses with you?” exclaimed Kelly with both hands around her mug “I swear I get the possessed little demons all the time, but when you or their father is with them, bam, perfect little angels.”
I smirked and took what felt like a little victory sip from my coffee.
“They’re not like that with me.” Piped Claudette “The little things don’t even say a peep to me unless they are asked to.” She put on her saddened face.
Kelly turned to face Claudette “That’s because they’re scared of you” she spoke bluntly.
Claudette gasped and Kelly continued “Hell, I’m scared of you, look at you,” With that we all gave Claudette the once over, even Claudette looked down at herself.
Her hair was not the only thing that was immaculate. Everything about her made her look like a porcelain doll. She was dressed in designer clothing which would cost no less than a fortune, her neck was draped in diamonds as were her ears and that is all before the giant rock of a diamond known as her wedding ring in which Kelly enjoyed constantly telling Claudette that the cost of the ring could feed all the starving children of the world for five years.
Kelly and I looked to Claudette’s face and she waved us off in her ‘such a silly idea’ way.
“So, Mila” Claudette turned the attention onto me “What are you going to do about this dinner tomorrow night?”
“Or more importantly” Interrupted Kelly “what are you going to do with that husband of yours?”
I sighed a little “what can I do? He’s so busy with work- which I get, I do!” I corrected myself before it sounded like I was bad mouthing my own husband.
“Oh please,” Claudette rolled her eyes “if my husband did something like that, I would find a way to return the favour, like say, hide the keys to his Mercedes and making him drive the Bentley to work.” She laughed at the thought and Kelly shook her head then looked to me.
“Or in the real world, you make him sleep on the couch until he makes it up to you.” She said matter-of-factly.
I smirked at the thought of my husband trying to get comfortable on the hard modern sofa that we just had to have.
“I can’t do that, as far as he is aware, nothing is wrong and I’m to help him seal the deal on whatever account he is working on.” I looked down into my coffee “I kind of feel bad for the poor sap he’s schmoozing”
“What if you cook a lousy meal? Then the client wont stick around for long and he wont land the account, it’s perfect” Smiled Kelly as she clapped her hands together to celebrate such a great idea.
I shook my head. “If I was to do that, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.”
“Then cook the best meal you possibly can, my dear” Spoke Claudette in a satisfied manner “Then the client will be smitten for your cooking, and then,” She smirked as she looked me in the eyes “and then, you, my dear, do the schmoozing. Make him pay attention to you, not to that husband of yours.”
Kelly then turned to me as she realized what Claudette was saying. “Yes!” Kelly cheered “Flirt with the client! Make your husband jealous, that should make him notice you.” She jumped up and down in excitement. “Oh Claudette, that is brilliant!”
Claudette smiled in satisfaction as I looked to one woman then the other.
Flirting with a complete stranger? That would be wrong wouldn’t it?
“Well, I guess it would be nice for a bit of jealousy from him…” I contemplated, swirling the remains of my coffee in the bottom of the mug.
“I’m going to drop off one of my gowns for you. You’re going to need all eyes on you.” Said Claudette as she whipped out her phone from her handbag to type in a reminder. “You will look stunning in my simple little black number.”
I couldn’t help grinning at the thought. It had been a very long time since I dressed up nicely. I’m sort of looking forward to this now. I looked to Claudette then to Kelly and smiled.
“Ok.” I said “I’ll do it”
I felt the butterflies flutter in my stomach.

This is going to be fun.