Part 30 (1/2)
He married you only because you were pregnant!
At least I gave him a son! You gave him a brat!
Don't you dare call my child a brat!
As soon as he knocks up the nanny, he's going to dump you!
He will not! We're a family!
No! You stole my husband and you're a home-wrecking cow!
”Ladies! Ladies! Please!”
”Mom! Stop!”
Bob rushed over and grabbed Maritza's arms from behind, concealing her nakedness. Daniel rushed over and grabbed Colette, holding her back. Bob's footing was unsteady as he held a wildly gyrating Maritza away from his ex-wife. She tried with all her might to break Bob's hold. All she wanted to do was punch Colette in the face.
”Now, let's calm down, ladies. This is a wedding, not a gutter . . .”
The word gutter so infuriated Maritza that she broke free, fell backward, and toppled the table with the cake and fell into it. Everyone froze. The music stopped.
”Oh my G.o.d!” Kitty screamed. ”Oh my G.o.d! You wrecked my f.u.c.king wedding cake!”
”Yeah! You crazy b.i.t.c.h! And you attacked my mother!” Daniel said.
Kitty's uncle Ernest stared as if he had never heard that kind of language until then. He stumbled over to a chair, clutching his chest, and collapsed. Betty hurried over and fanned him with the handkerchief tucked in the bosom of her dress.
The crew scrambled to clean up the cake. Bob struggled to help Maritza up and save her dignity at the same time. She pulled her dress around her to cover that which was hanging out that the sun seldom sees. Her entire body, including her hair, was splotched with cake and icing.
”It's okay,” Betty said in between reviving her brother and wiping her own brow. ”Kitty! It's okay. It's just a cake. It's just a cake.” Boy, these rich people are truly not like us, she thought.
Kitty inhaled and exhaled quickly, starting to hyperventilate, and then she centered herself and found a moment of Zen that calmed her right down. She resumed normal breathing and looked at her mother.
”You're right, Mom. It's just a cake. And guess what? I have extra layers in the kitchen and more b.u.t.tercream too. Maybe someone could frost them?”
”Of course! Right away!” The chef who was slicing the ham dropped his knife and sprinted toward the kitchen.
”That's my girl!” Betty said. ”Ernest? Ernest? Shall I get a doctor?”
”I'm okay,” he mumbled and seemed to come around. ”Maybe a little shot of O Be Joyful might bring me to my senses.”
”Get the music going!” Bob said.
The musicians began to play again.
Olivia and Nick finally made it to Maritza's side and said, ”Are you okay?”
”I'm very disappointed in you, Maritza,” Bob said. ”Very.”
”She started it,” Maritza said and began to cry.
”Oh G.o.d. Here come the famous waterworks!” Bob said and walked away.
Maritza looked around to see if the world was staring at her. They were not. The others had turned away as if her distress was not important, except for Colette, who stood there smirking.
”You're a nothing,” Colette said. ”Bob regrets the day he met you.”
”Excuse me,” Maritza said. ”I'm going to change.”
Olivia said, touching her shoulder, ”I'll come with you.”
”I'm fine,” Maritza said, pus.h.i.+ng her hand away and left.
Olivia froze. Her instincts were correct.
She went to Nick and said, ”Maritza's upset that I'm working on Colette's new house.”
”Come on, now. That's ridiculous. It's just business. Besides, Maritza loves you to pieces.”
”Yes, but I think she sees this as fraternizing with the enemy.”
”Let's not worry about that now. And if you need me to talk to her, you know I will.”
”Oh, Nick. Thank you,” she said, thinking, No man is getting into my business. Not even Nick. ”You are so wonderful. Do you know that?”
”That's true,” he said and kissed her hand.
”I'm worried. We need the business, Nick. You know we do.”
”Olivia, my precious pet, if I walked away from a university every time I was made to work on a committee with a disagreeable, jealous, or politically compet.i.tive colleague, I could not have kept a position for more than a year. She's not walking away from you.”
”But women think differently,” Olivia said. ”Decorating your home is so personal.”
”I imagine there is a strong element of that in your work, but still, I wouldn't panic quite yet. Let's not let a little spat ruin the night for us! Come dance with me. They're playing our song!”
”What song is that?” Olivia didn't recognize the melody.
”The one they're playing.” Nick laughed at pulled her into him. ”All the music is ours.”
”You are an incurable romantic.”
”Guilty. G.o.d, you smell good!”