…Ah, what a night!
Helena, Helena.
By that time, Dane and I were having one of our cooling-off periods. You know what I mean.
Bad patch, breathing space, transitional period, hard time…
Practically, we weren’t together, we weren’t dating, we didn’t even talk to each other and Helena… Oh well, Helena was comforting me.
Which means that she was fucking my brains out.
Ah, Helena, Helena.
Wait a minute.
We’re eating with elderly people now.
Keep that closed.

Flashback – Carmen

When the doorbell rings, Shane’s bosses are already having their appetizers and I know that the only guests still missing are Alice and… Helena, her new flame.
God, I miss Dana.
Sighing, I open the door and smile warmly. After all, it isn’t Helena’s fault if my good friend Al takes her breathing spaces as an opportunity to have wild sex with rich and sexy Englishwomen.
“Hi!”, Alice exclaims immediately, opening her arms for a metaphorical hug.
Helena just smiles politely.
“Hey! Where you been? Come on!”, I say, stepping aside to let them in.
“Good afternoon, Carmen”. Helena shakes my hand gently.
“Come on, come on”, I repeat.
“The other guests are already here and Shane is gonna have a nervous breakdown in less then ten minutes”, I whisper in a conspiratorial tone.
Alice gives me her best wink.
“Let’s go, then”, she mutters, “She need all of our support”.
Silently, we head towards the dining room and the look on Shane’s face is grateful and even a bit relieved.
I smile at her, reassuringly, as we take our seats.
“Mister Brown, Mister Coleridge, these are Alice Pieszecki, our good friend and famous lawyer, and her… friend, Helena Peabody”, Shane says with a quiet smile.
Mister Brown puts his napkin aside.
“That Helena Peabody?”, he asks, amazed.
Helena just nods, beaming gently and sipping her white wine.
Mister Brown pats his hands on the table.
“Damnit! The Peabody Foundation is one of the most influential artistic authorities around!”, he exclaims.
“It’s so good to have you here, Miss Peabody”. He winks at Shane. “Seems our dear Shane here knows how to surround herself with very classy people”.
Then, he smiles at me. A bit lusciously, I must say.
“Valuable friends, important bosses and… A wife that anyone would envy…”.
I half-smile, as Shane blushes slightly and lowers her head a little.
Then, Mister Coleridge raises his glass.
“Here is, to Shane”, he exclaims, “for a job well done at CAC!”.
“Hear, hear!”, Alice says, breaking the tension.
“Hell of an exhibition…”, Mister Browns adds.
“Thank you”. Shane clasps her hands and slightly bows her head.
“We couldn’t have done it without you, Shane”, Mister Coleridge says, patting her back.
Mister Brown smiles.
“Yes. This woman has a talent that nobody can ignore”.
Helena sighs, raising her glass.
“Well, let’s drink up!”.
I get up, brushing the nape of Shane’s neck as I head towards the kitchen.
I pull the veal roast out the oven and smile to myself.
If I cannot be a professional gymnast or DJ, I’ll have a future as a cook.
And all the guests seem to agree.