Page 19 of Caffeine & Chaos

Surrendering to that fact, Nadia walked over to the edge, gripping the railing as she leaned out over the water. She could hear the soft whispers of the wind rustling through the leaves on the palm trees. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to float back to the day she spent on the water with Ryan; the crisp breeze caressing her skin, the afternoon sun warming her to her bones, and Ryan; Gorgeous, sexy, and undeniable. She could almost feel his hands gliding over her body and the heat of his mouth on her breast.

“Nadia. I am delightfully surprised to see that you beat us here.” Valentina’s smooth voice shattered her blissful reminiscence. Nadia turned to see her mother giving her a graceful wave as she approached.

“Hi mom!” Nadia said, electing to ignore the back-handed compliment about her punctuality. “You look lovely, new dress?” Of course it was a new dress; Valentina rarely wore anything twice, especially evening wear.

“Yes honey, thank-you. It’s from the Vera Wang Night Noir collection.” She gestured towards herself, “My birthday gift from Robert.”

Valentina exuded an undeniable allure, captivating in her exceptional beauty. In fleeting moments of honesty, Nadia couldn’t help but acknowledge the striking resemblance she bore to her mother. With her natural blonde locks, sculpted cheekbones, and luscious lips, she cut a figure that still turned heads well into her fifties.

Robert strode over to Nadia and clasped her hands tightly. “You look lovely as well my dear. It is so nice to see you,” he said, leaning in and giving Nadia a kiss on the cheek. He had been her stepdad since she was just six years old, and the only source of parental warmth in her life.

“Hi Robert, you’re looking pretty good yourself, old man.” Nadia grinned widely as he winced at her jab. Robert always looked sharp in his custom Armani suits. He wasn’t a tall man, but he knew how to create the appearance of height with the lines in the suits he wore. Tonight’s selection was charcoal grey paired with a pop of colour in a bright blue dress shirt. He flashed her his perfect Veneers before turning to grab Valentina’s hand.

“I suppose we should sit down then,” Valentina announced, sashaying over to the table, her blue chiffon dress swaying back and forth with her hips.

Nadia took one last longing gaze over the water, wishing she could re-live that day with Ryan instead of sitting through dinner with her mother. Valentina hadn’t even made a move to hug her. She shouldn’t have been surprised, her mother was the ice queen after all, but it still stung a little. They hadn’t seen each other in months and all she could muster was a wave.

Robert graciously pulled out chairs for both her mother and her, offering them warm smiles as he gestured for them to take a seat. Nadia couldn’t help but wonder how much longer the delicate balance in her relationship with her mother would hold if Robert weren’t there to ease the tension between them.

“So, Nadia, tell me about the wonders of Miami. You’ve been living here for a couple of years, what have you been up to?” The question might have looked innocent to an onlooker, but Nadia knew better. Valentina’s eyebrows were lifted at the corners, her chin held high, and her hands folded in front of her. Robert’s eyes shifted between them.

“Well, I am still loving my job at the cafe. As you know, I’ve made a very good friend there and we hang out together a lot. The beaches are of course to die for in Miami, so I’ve been soaking up the sun and basically just enjoying the culture of the city.” Nadia reclined in her chair, gracefully crossing one leg over the other, her gaze unwavering as it locked with her mother’s. If Valentina wanted a stand off, she’d give it to her.

“Doesn’t that sound divine, Valentina?” Always the peacemaker, Robert reached over and patted Valentina’s knee. “I really should make an effort to see more of Miami sometime. Maybe we should take a couple of extra days to take in the sights this time.”

Nadia’s eyes bulged at the thought of her mother staying longer. She reached for her water glass and took a long gulp. “Yes, I would love to show you both around.”

“Oh Robert, you know we can’t stay longer, I have the Bride’s Ball coming up and there is still a lot of work to be done.” Thankfully it looked like her mother wasn’t too keen on the idea of staying longer, which was not surprising since she lived and breathed New York high society.

“The Bride’s Ball? What’s that mom?” Nadia asked, feigning interest, relieved to steer the conversation away from herself.

Valentina’s face came alive, and she leaned forward towards the table, being careful not to rest her elbows on it. “Oh, it’s this cute little fundraising idea that our women’s golf league came up with! It’s going to be a huge event held at the Gagosian Art Gallery on Madison. The who’s who of New York has already RSVP’d their attendance. It’s going to be an incredible night!”

Nadia marveled at the selective emphasis her mother placed on certain details while entirely omitting others. “What are you fundraising for?”

Valentina rolled her head back and offered up her perfectly rehearsed laugh. “I guess I forgot to mention that, didn’t I? It’s a fundraiser for breast cancer. We were sitting around in the Hudson’s clubhouse two months ago and came up with the idea of the Bride’s Ball.” She continued while gesturing for Robert to pour her a glass of wine, “every married woman has a beautiful wedding dress hanging in a closet somewhere after only having worn it once; it’s a terrible shame really. So instead of wearing an evening gown to the event the guests are expected to come in a wedding dress! It’s going to be a smash hit, I’m sure.”

“Robert, would you mind pouring me a glass as well?” Nadia held her glass out to him, needing some alcohol to lubricate the evening with her mother.

“Oh Nadia, you should come home for the ball. Every eligible bachelor worth looking at will be there.”

“Now, now, honey, didn’t Nadia tell you on the phone yesterday that she was seeing someone?” Robert nodded and smiled at Nadia, thinking he was helping.

Nadia braced herself for what she knew was coming as she watched her mother’s lips slowly widen across her face in what could only be described as a menacing grin. Valentina, delighted with Robert for presenting her with this opportunity, was just about to begin her interrogation when Nadia felt hands grasp her shoulders.

“Hi honey, sorry I’m late.”

Nadia’s chair creaked as she twisted around, her eyes widening in disbelief as she nearly choked on her sip of wine. There stood Travis, dressed in a sleek black suit, leaning casually against the back of her chair with a mischievous grin. For a moment that felt like an eternity, Nadia simply stared at him, utterly dumbfounded by his unexpected presence.

“Don’t look so surprised my love,” he nodded slowly at her as he continued, “I know you weren’t expecting me, but I managed to switch my shifts around and here I am!” He leaned down, winked at her, and kissed her on the cheek.

What was happening? Nadia blinked several times trying to get herself up to speed. She watched as Robert rose out of his chair to shake his hand.

“Pleased to meet you son, I’m Nadia’s stepfather, Robert.” He grasped Travis’ outstretched hand and shook it vigorously.

“I’m Travis sir, nice to meet you as well.”

“Well Nadia, aren’t you going to introduce your mother to this young man?” Valentina stayed seated, waiting.

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