Edited by BigJim48
Background:
Richard Villanova was one of those men all other guys wished they could be. A tall, muscular, alpha male with the looks of a Greek god. Owned a successful business and employed twenty percent of the townspeople. Married to the prettiest girl in the county with twin girls. Richard was beloved by everyone in the town and was known for his charity and involvement with the town. Every girl in town dreamed of marrying a man like Richard and every guy wanted to be him. And only 35 years old and had it all.
He married Vanessa with her twin girls ten years ago. His wife loved the community and the popularity and fame she received by being married to Richard. There were lots of jealous wives but overall, she was loved because of the endless hours, and volunteer work she gave to the town. Vanessa was known as a dedicated wife and loving mother and looked up to by others. She lived for the banquet dinners, county club lunches, and being looked up to by others. Vanessa came from a lower-class background and quickly adjusted to living the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Every year the town recognized one woman as the town's Woman of the Year at a banquet dinner attended by the town's upper crust. It's the town's highest honor and this year's winner was Richards's wife Vanessa. She won the award because of all her work with the church, charity fundraisers, and community involvement. Being married to Richard didn't hurt her chances.
I sat at one of the dinner tables in front of the stage where they give the awards, with my wife and enjoyed the great food, wine, and people. My wife and I enjoyed the town's supportive and warm feelings. Everyone loved and cared for each other, which is what one finds in smaller towns. We all knew each other and looked out for everyone's well-being. We were all connected.
Tonight, the stage had a small podium and a large 20-foot video screen, which was different than previous years. Along the sidewalls, there were several 65-inch monitors set up for everyone to see the action, which seemed odd as the presentation usually only lasted less than thirty minutes.
We watched Richard walk up on stage and turned to listen to him. The tuxedo Richard wore could not hide his large shoulders and arms; the man was massive with a George Clooney face. I saw all the wives, including mine, smile when they saw him walk up on stage.
Richard was introduced and got a standing ovation for all of his work in the community. He was a big supporter of the town and loved by all. It was like having a Hall of Fame NFL player or Movie Star in your presence. His charisma and charm were rare qualities.
Richard thanked the crowd in his humble way and told us how honored he was to be there and to be able to present the Woman of the Year award.
We watched as he invited Vanessa upon the stage. He kissed her and grasped her hand as the crowd clapped and cheered as their favorite couple was about to present. Richard continued to hold her hand and stared at the presentation on a 20-foot screen and the 65-inch displays around the room.
Richard clicked the remote control, and the first image came up on the screen. It was their wedding photo, and you heard the women in the audience make an audible romantic sigh. The next photo was of the two little twin girls and the women continued their adoration.
As the images appeared, Richard said some nice words about each one making them come to life. It was heartfelt and I even felt moved by the images.
Richard continued and the images now displayed images of Vanessa and the things she had done for the community over the last year. There were social events and images at her country club. Richard stopped one image of Vanessa at the country club, dressed in one of her ball gowns, and said tenderly to the crowd. "What a lucky man I am to have this loving and beautiful woman as my wife." He turned and kissed her sweetly as the women just watched on in envy. The men looked at the photos of Vanessa and wished they were Richard.
More shots of Vanessa as a school board member. Pictures of her in the choir at church, snapshots at a church bake sale, her charity events, Views of her helping at the shelter fundraiser, photographs with children at the hospital, all displaying that she truly was a cornerstone of our community.
Richard then made things even more personal and introduced people that were important to him. In his deep voice, still holding Vanessa's hand, started his introduction, "I'd like to recognize Vanessa's two daughters Amanda and Jessica, please stand," then - applause from the crowd. "Her mom and dad Jerry and Mary, please stand." Another round of applause from the crowd.
Richard continued, "In addition to everything my loving wife does for the community, she also kept her job as a sales executive with Trident Industries to keep her business degree relevant and staying in touch with John Benson, her boss. Vanessa just loves working under him. John, please stand up. John, thank you so for looking after my wife and the mother of our children when she's on the road with you." John stood up and sat down quickly looking out of place, that seemed a little odd and did not get a big applause.
Richard was on a roll now and had the full attention of the audience who was waiting to hear from Vanessa. He now had his arm around Vanessa's waist and held her lovingly. They did look like the perfect couple.