Page 69 of Broken Bonds

“Did you decide to make a dent in your husband’s bank account?” she asks jokingly when I tell her my plans.

“No,” I reply and it’s the truth. “You see, I have some money saved, money that I never told him about. I suppose this is a good time to make an investment.”

She laughs, and I do the same.

“Agreed, a woman’s wardrobe is always an investment,” she declares decisively. “Dress the part, that’s what they say, right?”

I’ve been thinking a lot this weekend and the time has come to become a slightly more polished version of myself. I don’t expect big changes, just something that seems less out of my town’s thrift shop.

“Something like that.” But there is something that Alexandra will need to use all her connections, magic wand and everything for. “Do you know someone who can give me a good haircut?”

She lets out a gasp, I think I might have offended her.

“Girl,” she snaps. “In my client portfolio I have the brightest stars in this city. I wouldn’t be able to do my job fully if I didn’t have resources at my fingertips. Let me make a couple of calls and we’ll make an appointment, you want to do all of this before the agency party, I suppose.”

I think about it a bit before answering. “The sooner, the better. Of course, although I have some money to spend, I can’t go crazy. If you could get a good discount, I would appreciate it.”

Sale is my favorite word, without a doubt.

“Leave everything in my hands, I’m loving this new project. Don’t worry, I will work my magic. The agency party is the event of the year, have you ever heard of the party that Vanity Fair offers after the Oscars? Get ready, because this is something like that. Everyone who boasts of having a name in this city will be there.” God, those words sound almost like a threat. Is it too late to call it off? “And don’t even think about bailing out at the last minute, Lionel attends alone every year. I’m sure that many jaws will hit the floor when they see him arrive with his wife by his side. Let’s get you ready. Oh, Stella, this is going to be a lot of fun.”

Her enthusiasm is so great that it’s even contagious. The gears in my head have started. I can already imagine Lionel’s face when he sees me walking through the door wearing new clothes and with a new haircut.

A thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach as I imagine entering the reception holding hands. I’ve never been to a formal party in my life, my mother never allowed me to go to school dances, those are things of the devil and as the good daughter I am, I always followed the rules to a T, with very few exceptions and with the aid of Val. I think that is the reason why my mother hasn’t fully accepted her, even after so many years of friendship.

I end the conversation by thanking her, thinking it might’ve been a mistake to have called her. Maybe shopping on my own at an outlet mall would have been better.

Well, there’s no going back now, what’s done is done.

The truth is, there is no time to waste. I should check the drying of the soaps and then start studying. At eleven I have an appointment with my tutor and over the weekend, I didn’t even open my books to study. And Lionel is to blame, of course, he is.

And my hormones are to blame.

After my online class, I have some time before getting dinner ready, so I start experimenting with fragrances. I want to create something new. Lionel has inspired me, not only something that is special for him, but also to offer a line of masculine products in my store. Maybe a shaving cream?

I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.

On YouTube, I find several videos. I spend about an hour reviewing the ones with the most views. After researching, I decided to change some ingredients for better quality ones, putting my personal touch on the formula. It’s about creating something unique, not copying someone else. That isn’t the point.

The creative process is exciting, I really enjoy it.

Bergamot has healing and antiseptic benefits, so in case the person using the cream gets a cut, the essential oil will help heal the wound. On the other hand, mint is refreshing, an astringent, and helps reduce inflammation, nothing better for a good shave. And once we add honey to this with its benefits, the results will be wonderful.

And the truth is that it smells really, really good.

After mixing the main ingredients in a double boiler bowl, I have put the mixture in the refrigerator to harden. It will need to stay in there for an hour, so it’s time to collect the mess and start preparing dinner.

As I finish loading the dishwasher, hands I know well take me by the waist, and scare me shitless.

“You came home early,” I say when I’ve caught my breath. I try to turn around, to greet him with a kiss, but I’m powerless. Lionel has a good grip on me and his face is buried in my neck, as if he wanted to breathe my scent and keep it in his memory forever.

I want to see him. I want my retinas to fill with the image of him. Although I don’t admit it out loud, today passed very slowly, despite having so much to do. Our routine has changed, it’s no longer me and him in our little bubble.

It has exploded and now we live in the real world. For better or worse.

“It was a slow day at the office,” he replies, I really can’t see how that could be possible. He’s the owner, for fuck’s sake, and has been gone for almost a month. Although he was doing some things from home, it isn’t the same.

“There was no land to buy and houses to sell?” I ask him jokingly.

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