Chapter 12: The Invitation

Orely

“And who is that?" demands Santiago, in a tone that seems to me to have become drier.

"My mother. She was always fascinated by grandiose parties.”

"Great, then. I'll send you two invitations. And don't worry, my driver will pick you up, so you will get enough time to get ready, he says in a softer voice. I'll see you Saturday, Orely.

I can't help but feel a slight chill when he says my name. He could whisper it in my ear for hours, I would never get tired of it. What's more, he is handsome.

“But what am I saying? What has come over me all of a sudden?” I monologue aloud.

When he left, my mother joined me with a tray of her brioche cheese rolls and two steaming cups of coffee.

"Hmm, it is delicious!" I articulate as I mold the bun.

"Glad you like it."

I tell her all about the conversation and she spends a good hour hovering around me, all excited. She is so excited that she starts planning the evening's preparations.

"We have to buy the most beautiful dresses and accessories, darling. Ah yes! And an appointment with the hairdresser."

As for me, I listen to her with one ear, my mind elsewhere. I am not so naive as to notice that he was trying to seduce me. But I can't understand what he could possibly find interesting in an ordinary woman like me. I decided to stop thinking about it, and the fact that I have thought about myself gives me ecstatic joy.

Orely? Orely? Are you listening to me?" says my mother, snapping me out of my reflections.

"Huh..? Oh yes."

"Yeah! That's it! Your thoughts are busy concentrating on that Santiago, aren't they?"

"What are you talking about? Nonsense. Come on, I'll help you with the dishes."

"Don't try to change the subject."

"Arrh mom!"

" Oh well, You think I didn't notice you exchanging sweet but discreet glances? You cannot fool me out, girl!"

I let out a sigh to avoid answering and she is right.

Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.

The two days I had planned to rest doing nothing were used by my mother to renew our wardrobes. But to my surprise, I received an unexpected visit from two men, named Alvaro and Luis. They have been instructed by Santiago to send dresses to my mother and I for the evening. And above all, there are shoes and accessories to pair with them. He even left me a note that Alvaro hand-delivered to me.

\[I thank you for accepting the invitation, and as a token of my appreciation, please accept these humble gifts, which will help you waste less time. Choose the most beautiful one and I look forward to seeing you again. Santiago\]

"Humble? He is fucking with me or what ! Those dresses and everything that goes with them cost a fortune."

And since I don't have his phone number, I'll just do the same. I head off to my room to write a few words and return to Alvaro, asking him to pass it on to his boss.

"In addition to the invitation and having the nerve to send you all this, it means he is interested in you, kiddo. I thank him for thinking of me too," says my mother, overexcited.

"Mommy! He wanted to be nice because he knows that gala evenings aren't my thing."

"Yeah! He wanted to be nice, you bet!"

"Well, you got the dresses and everything too, so have fun trying them on!" I sigh.

Ah, but that is what I am going to do, my dear. See you!

Is that my mother? We thought she was a kid.

After trying on a dozen dresses, I fell under the spell of a one-shoulder burgundy chiffon midi dress, slit to the top of the thigh. I complimented it with a pair of vertiginous pumps. As for my mother, she opted for a long sleeveless dress in navy blue lace embellished with a ribbon to mark her waist. We are finally ready for Saturday night. Surprisingly, as the days go by, my impatience grows.

I convinced myself that it was the excitement of spending the evening with my mother, with whom I had not been out for a long time, that made me so impatient. But deep down, I'm under no illusions, I couldn't wait to see Santiago again. I can't deny that my thoughts are regularly invaded by this man. Which is rather surprising, given that we met under the most unlikely of circumstances. To be honest, he has a lot going for him. On the one hand he's handsome and muscular, fueling my fantasies, and on the other he seems to be a gentleman. My make-up is rather simple: blue eyeshadow, a little powder for my complexion and a discreet lipstick.

For my hair, I gather it into a loose bun, leaving a few strands to frame my ears. I accessorize with a gold necklace and dangling earrings. At seven o'clock, Santiago's driver came to take us to the party. After an hour's drive, we approach the reception venue and see a crowd gathered in front of the building. Many elegantly dressed people enter the grand building, which is magnificently decorated and illuminated for the occasion. This palace, in the same style as the neighboring gambling house, is quite impressive, with both buildings occupying a large part of the street.

We make our way to the entrance, where a host asks for our invitations, which I hand him and respond with a friendly smile, inviting us to move on. In the hotel's vast lobby, we are warmly greeted by the men and women who lead us to our respective tables. Guided by a hostess dressed in a black suit, I can't help but marvel at the immensity of the reception room, with its high-ceilinged, contemporary decor. All in all, it exudes luxury and grandeur. The tables are adorned with flowers as we take our seats for six. One exquisite dish follows another and the long-awaited moment finally arrives: desert.

"It is really grand and luxurious," murmurs my mother, scanning the room with her eyes.

"The rooms must be overpriced for most people."

"Probably for us.” she replied sarcastically, looking at the expensive cutlery. I must say, your Santiago didn't do things by halves. Have you seen the decor? The flowers are splendid and the crockery? Do you think it's crystal?

"I highly doubt that Pyrex glasses are used at this kind of event."

"And why not, replacing paper napkins with paper towels? This could be fun."

"Let's not forget the plastic flowers," I added jokingly.

"You might as well serve a cold salad bar as a meal!” she bursts out.

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a young couple at our table, who greeted us and sat down next to us. The man decides to speak up.

"Good evening ladies. Allow me to introduce myself, Juan Acosta and my wife, Valeria." he says, shaking our hands. Ah, this is my colleague, Jorge Selvatira.

"Nice to meet you, this is Lucia de la Cruz, my mother, and I am Orely Perez," I confidently introduced myself. Oh, here we meet again, lawyer Selvatira.

"Do you know each other?" asks Juan's astonished wife.

"But of course. Orely is the owner of the Estadio land and I'm her lawyer," replies Jorge, winking at me.

"So, you know me? I am a partner in the firm Enrique & Acosta!" Says her husband with surprise.

"But of course, Jorge only talks about your victory in the Armando Abelino case." I reply, returning the wink to my smiling lawyer.

"We said we would not talk about work during the evening!" His wife cut him off, wrinkling her nose in annoyance.

The latter clears his throat before apologizing.

"Are you new to this kind of party? This is the first time we've met. How did you end up at this event, Orely? By Jorge?" Asks Valéria in a honeyed, haughty voice.

"In fact, it was the director who invited me, Santiago, who happens to be one of my acquaintances."

"The director, you say? Santiago Rivera? So, you know Andrés Rivera too!” replies a bewildered Juan.

What? Santiago Rivera? The other son of that asshole Miguel Rivera? His sons are really different compared to him.

I smile slightly to appear natural and answer with conviction.