“What do you mean?”
“Tell him that you’ve been cheating on him with another guy also. That you don’t want to work things out because you have someone else.”
“I don’t know if he’ll believe it.”
“Of course he will,” I replied. “But only if you make it believable. I mean, he’s been hiding his affair for weeks, who says you haven’t been doing the same thing? Just make him believe that you’ve been cheating too, and he’ll never want to see you again.”
A grin slowly appeared on her face. “Making him jealous certainly doesn’t sound like a bad idea. With the right presentation, I think it could work. If he could play the game, so can I.”
“I’ve got a bad, bad, feeling about that mischievous look on your face,” I said with a grin of my own.
“You’re the one who gave me the idea,” she replied playfully. “It would serve him right for cheating on me. But for now, we should forget him and get ready for the party. I want to look my best.”
“Suddenly you seem a lot happier.”
“Thanks to you. And I pride myself on being a great hostess of parties. Thanks sweetie.”
She stood up and gave me a kiss on the forehead before heading up the stairs. Somehow, this seemed like only the beginning of a long day.
***
An hour had passed when my mother called me to her room. When I got there, she struck a model pose to show off the outfit she’d be wearing for the party.
“What do you think?” she asked, still looking fresh out of the shower. “Not bad for a 45 year old woman, right?”
Her hands were around her waist as she stood barefoot in a holiday hostess outfit. It mainly consisted of a thick red dress which came down to her knees, displaying her toned calves from all the long distance running she does. It showed off most of her arms, highlighting her regular yoga routine. She also wore an embellished large black belt buckle around her waist. A lot of effort was also put into her hair and makeup.
Simply put, she was stunning!
“You look fantastic,” I replied honestly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so… dressed up for a party before.”
“You can go ahead and say it.”
I paused a moment. “Sexy.”
“Thanks! Wait until you see my matching black boots. I saw this ensemble a few days ago and I just couldn’t resist.”
“I can see why. Is this still a family friendly party?” I joked.
She smiled, “Of course it is. I know it’s a little more revealing than what I usually wear for these sorts of gatherings, but since this year’s party will only have grown-ups, I figured why not? You only live once, right?”
“Did the break-up have anything to do with this?” I tried to pry out of her more details. “You seem like you’re starting a new chapter in life or something.”
She gave a purposefully coy look. “Maybe. Let’s just say that I feel liberated and I want to look my best. And if you look good, you feel good.”
Right on cue, her phone beeped as she received a text. She picked up the phone on a nearby table, and judging by the suddenly miserable look on her face when she read it, it had to be him.
“Ughh…” she sighed. “He’s apologizing profusely. He also wants to come over right now to talk about things. The last thing I need is for him to come here and make a scene. Guests will be arriving soon. It’ll ruin the party.”