In the morning Maria and I got up before Greg and went out for our usual morning run. As we ran through the streets of Bangkok we realized why we decided to workout and run on the island instead of in the city. As we dodged vehicles and pedestrians and sucked in a few pounds of Bangkok's finest smog we talked and decided not to do this again. We stopped for coffee and donuts after we completed our run then took a leisurely stroll back to our apartment building. We did not do much during the day before we split up in the afternoon and went to our separate apartments to get ready for our husband's company Christmas party that evening.
When I emerged from my room dressed in my black gown with purple embroidery that simulated the look of lace, Greg took one look at me with my hip length purple streaked hair and my matching lipstick he just shook his head. He complimented me and said that I looked like a model, but he also commented that my look was a little too dark and ominous for a Christmas party. I disagreed and defended my attire by saying that last time I dressed sexy in an elegant gown and people called me a whore so this time I get to dress my way and to hell with what anyone else thinks.
Greg let it drop since he knew that it was his mistress and executive assistant Sandra that had ruined my reputation with her lies at the last company party. Greg knew that if he angered me before we left the apartment that I might take out my anger on Sandra later on in the evening. Instead of pressing the issue he told me that I was beautiful in everything that I wear and that he would eventually get used to his purple gothic princess after a few drinks. I knew he was trying to make a joke instead of suggesting that I would look better when he was drunk.
I knew that I was in for another interesting night and that like last time I would get some hateful looks from the women, and some lustful looks from the men. The way people looked at us was always interesting to observe being that my husband was 36 years my senior and was the CEO of the company that was throwing the Christmas party.
As we left the apartment I told Greg that he should be proud of the way I look, and take pleasure that other men will be jealous of him tonight after they see me on his arm. For the first time in a long while Greg was agreeing with me on something. He actually thanked me for putting so much effort into picking out the perfect gown and doing my hair and makeup just right. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps sometime during the night someone did not sneak in and give him a pile driver on the kitchen floor that scrambled his brain since he rarely complimented me after the first few months after our wedding.
When we met Maria and James in the lobby I wished I had be able to take a picture of the look on James's face when he got his first look at me. I was hoping that Greg noticed since I could not get a picture to show him. I actually thought that James was leering at me as he walked Maria to the car we had ordered to take us to the party.
When we arrived at the ballroom that had been reserved for the party I started getting noticed the second that I stepped out of the car. Maria was dressed conservative since she was Roman Catholic and this event was a celebration of the Christmas holiday. Even Maria was noticing the looks I was getting, and as I felt the eyes upon me I stood up straight and proud with my shoulders back and my chin tilted up slightly, and gave them my best model's walk. Ok, I am not a model but we all dreamed we where and practiced the walk from the first time we tried on our mother's heels.
As predicted, the women looked disgusted and started whispering amongst themselves as they looked at me, but surprisingly there were a few women that actually complimented me. The one woman that complimented me was an older Vietnamese woman who appeared to be in her early to middle fifties. She was tall and slender and wearing a lovely tight fitting black gown that was low cut even though she had less cleavage than I had to show. I could not help to stare at her beautiful face and perfectly styled long black hair that softly framed her face. She had a few slight wrinkles forming near her eyes but it seemed like the wrinkles were perfectly located in a way that only added to her beauty. I could not tear my eyes away from her and as she looked at me I felt a connection of some sort with her but as far as I knew, this was the first time that I had ever met her.
Maria caught me staring at her after she turned and walked into the hall. She nudged me and said, "Earth to Aya, come in please." I think that even Greg noticed the long look that the two of us had exchanged and just as Maria was calling to me, Greg was gently tugging on my arm to get me to start walking into the ballroom. Maria told me about her as we walked side by side to the door. Her name was Dee Trang and she was the Vice President of operations for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. She whispered in my ear so that our husbands would not hear that Dee was only into women and that she was considered a major cougar if the rumors she had heard over the years are true. She cautioned me to keep my distance, but her words only increased my interest in exploring this beautiful and mysterious woman. I have to admit that as her eyes met mine I thought I felt my heart rate increase slightly as a warm feeling swept over me.
I was not thinking of putting a move on her or anything but I figured that she might be the only woman other than Maria that will talk to me at the party. I knew that as CEO Greg will be kept busy with his employees and their guests and that there would be little time for me as usual. I knew that William was out as a conversation partner since I torpedoed him royally at the French restaurant in front of his wife Sandra the cheating bitch. One of the reasons I picked out this gown was because I knew that there was a trendy club down the block from where the party was being held. I also brought my Japanese passport that listed my age as twenty because twenty is the legal age to be admitted to the clubs in Thailand. I had my escape all planned out in case I got bored, disrespected, or pissed off at the party.