Derailed (18 page)

Fatima stares with her mouth open.

“A client donated it for our use,” I lie. “He was so impressed with our humanitarianism, he wanted to do something nice for us. We can’t reject his gift, now can we? Let’s go.”

RIVAL

Even though Arena has sought to allay my anxiety, I’m really irked by Scarlett’s presence at WIN. I start to understand Liefie’s desire to keep me out of her family. I start to understand her territorial behavior when it comes to me. She, like me, according to Ritchie, hasn’t had much of a family growing up, and she has come to be fiercely protective with Arena and her brood. I’m starting to mimic Liefie when it comes to Scarlett – I feel threatened by her presence, and I don’t want the others to like her or to want her around. The moment I see her, or hear her name, my back stiffens. 

Clearly the others at WIN
do
want her around, because she’s there almost every day in her designer threads and thousand-dollar-a-pair shoes. To add insult to the injury, her Facebook postings have me fuming.

She posts a photo of her seated at her desk, designer reading glasses perched at the tip of her nose, phone glued to her ear, pencil in hand. On the carpet is Phoebe playing with Legos, while Holly sits on the desk next to her and draws. 

Scarlett:
Juggling home, kids and my fundraising for WIN. All I need is a 28 hour day and I’m good to go. 

#WorkingMothersRock #AMothersWorkIsNeverDone #VolunteersRock

Beverly Simons and 53 others like this!

Anna Long:
So cute, Scarlett. You make everything so glamorous.

Scarlett Murdoch likes this!

Anna Long:
Your girls are really growing, aren’t they?

They are my girls, not hers,
I feel like screaming.

Scarlett Murdoch: 
Indeed
Anna, as the days fly, they get taller and taller. Soon they’ll probably be pinching my clothes and wearing them. Lol!

Bradley Murdoch:
Be home soon darling. Then I will take them off your hands

and run you a bubble bath.
(Smiley face with heart eyes.)

Scarlett Murdoch:
That sounds wonderful.
(Three hearts)
But it will be better if you join me in the bath.
(Winking emoticon.)

Bradley Murdoch:
Of course I’ll join you. Wild horses…
(Emoticon with tongue hanging out.)

Scarlett:
In that case, I will have a bottle of Moet chillin’.

That’s not Bradley talking!
I want to scream. What a fake! “Uuurrrggghhh!”

“What’s wrong?” Ritchie asks.

“Nothing,” I say and quickly log out of Facebook. He has no idea I’m still using his Facebook account to stalk Scarlett online.

“Let’s go for a swim,” I say, needing to cool down.

Hours later, I log onto Facebook again and view her postings. When I see the photos Scarlett has posted on Facebook, I feel utterly betrayed by Arena. I fume at the photo of Arena, Fatima, and Scarlett seated inside a limousine, all holding glasses of champagne.

Scarlett Murdoch:
With the wonderful and philanthropic ladies of WIN, who have now become dear friends of mine. Who says you can’t mix business with immense pleasure?

Although with WIN, it’s such a pleasure to be part of their team, I daresay, it’s really mixing pleasure with pleasure.

Arena never mentioned a limousine ride to me. A few minutes later, Scarlett posts another photo of all three of them lunching at Chevalier’s, an upmarket, seafood restaurant at Darling Harbor with fantastic water views. My lips curl with distaste when I see the bottle of Moet on ice and the table crammed with platters of seafood.

Scarlett:
Our mixing of pleasure with pleasure continues.
(Smiley face with a wink.)

About fifteen minutes later, Scarlett posts a photo of decadent deserts on their table.

Scarlett:
Still mixing and mixing and mixing …

Seeds of doubt are planted in my brain. What if Arena is seduced by all that Scarlett has to offer? Will she still want to be my friend?

RITCHIE

“I get that you’re looking after your girlfriend’s interest here, boet, but surely you’re not questioning my loyalty to Rival, Ritchie?”

“I’m not
questioning
your loyalty, I’m just…surprised at your friendship with Scarlett. Suddenly, you’re riding a
limo
together, going to
lunch
with her…”

Arena rolls her eyes and looks at Bear.

“Hey, don’t give my wife a hard time,” Bear warns. “It’s for the greater –”

“Seems like you’re besties, sis,” I say in a deliberate voice, ignoring Bear. “Suddenly.”

My sister sighs. “She’s raised more than five hundred thousand, so far, Ritchie. How can I possibly fault her? How can I openly shun –”

“So you wine and dine with her? The person who has broken rival, taken away her freedom, caused us so much grief, yet –”

“Look, it wasn’t how it looked in the photos. I saw the photos she uploaded on Facebook and on our website. I cringed, but if it’s bringing in the money that we struggle to find…”

I look at my sister in silence.

“She exaggerates. Really, she does. Let me tell you how it went down. We got into the limo and she popped open a bottle of champagne. I said I was driving my kids later and could only have half a glass. She seemed disappointed. Then Fatima said no to the champagne and Scarlett got all confused. I said, ‘She’s Muslim, she doesn’t drink alcohol,’ and Scarlett gave us a so-what look. Anyway, Scarlett had half a bottle of champagne herself and got the limo driver to take photos of us. Both Fatima and I were uncomfortable with everything, really, but what could we do?”

“Uh-huh.” 

“At the restaurant, once we sat down, Scarlett began to speak
only
in French to the waiter. Showing off. Then she sent the waiter off before we could order. She says, ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ve ordered for you guys. You’re going to be pleasantly surprised.’
Okay
, Fatima and I think,
let her surprise us.
Then, a bottle of Moet arrives, and once again, I have half a glass, Fatima has none, and Scarlett drinks the rest of the bottle. Then these wonderful platters of seafood arrive, and both Fatima and I,” she chuckles, “I mean like, Ritchie, we’re everyday people,
volunteers
, so we were like…intimidated by the spectacular…feast.”

“Intimidated?”

“Yeah, by the waiter speaking French, the prices on the menu, the decor…” She laughs. “I mean, I was dressed in jeans! Bogans, compared to the others at the restaurant. But the food was wonderful. Scarlett talked some more to the waiter, and the next thing we know, he’s taking a dozen or more photos of us having lunch. We were at the restaurant no more than an hour and fifteen minutes, I promise. Not all afternoon like Scarlett gave the impression we were.” She looks at me, then again at Bear. “You’ve got to take me there again.”

He blinks at her. “Can you speak French?”

My sister shakes her head. “No.”

“Then I can’t take you there.”

Arena pouts. “I know how to French
kiss
?” 

“Get over here and give me a preview, then I’ll think about it,” he says.

Arena gets up from her chair.

“Don’t you dare!” I say. “Eeeewww!”

She and Bear laugh at my discomfort.

“Mm, so where to next? Hawaii with your
bestie
? Huh?”

“No!”

“Bestie and bogan does Hawaii? Huh?”

“Shaddup!”

“You shaddup!” I say.

“No,
you
shaddup!” Arena says.

“Okay, okay, both of you shaddup!” Bear says. He wags his finger at me. “Don’t let this woman get between you guys, Big. Arena knows what she’s doing. You gotta trust her, man.”

I look at Arena. She pokes her tongue out at me behind Bear.

“She’s sticking out her tongue at me, Bear!” I say like a girl.

Bear’s neck jerks to look at her.

“I did not!” she says. “He’s lying.”

“God!” Bear says. “You two!”

Random Seduction Tip

In some instances, your reluctant mark may be in need of trust and understanding. He may be married, or a prominent member of society who could face ruin if an affair is discovered. There your mark’s prerequisite for a successful seduction is trust, understanding, and reliance before anything else. Should you impart an air of understanding and imply your willingness to be discreet, that in itself can be seductive, and half your work is already done. Impress your mark by going out of your way to help (manufacture a situation that exhibits your loyalty if you need to). Make life easy and exciting for him amidst clandestineness and appreciativeness, and your seduction will undoubtedly advance. It may seem like you are too giving, but conversely, you will in time change the dynamics – your mark will have to prove his worth to you. Once you have successfully seduced him, once you have your hooks into him, you can manipulate him whichever way you like, because he will be reluctant to lose you. 

SCARLETT

Drum roll please…I, Scarlett Murdoch, future first lady of Australia, have single-handedly managed to raise a total of one million and eighty dollars for WIN!

Impressed? You should be. Bet you thought I was just a big shit-talker, huh? Well, I’m not, as you can see. It’s simply empowering to know that I have such ability to influence people. Okay fine, my father may have helped, but still, who’s the captain of this luxury liner?
Moi
. So, yes, I deserve more than a pat on the back; I deserve a standing ovation.

It hasn’t been easy, I have to say. Working with WIN has been nothing short of boring. All these insipid women who’s personas have been woven out of benign mediocrity care about is helping equally insignificant women and their ugly brats. The meetings are tedious and monotonous, because all they do is talk shop. They have, time and time again, turned down my suggestions to hold our meetings in exciting venues, citing their preference for the monies to be donated to WIN.

Fatima doesn’t drink because of some ridiculous excuse about religion, and Arena doesn’t seem to want to party with me. All meetings take place on their pokey premises, and cheap coffee from a jar and Tim Tams are all we get. Boring.

They have also rejected my invite to the cocktail function at my home, suggesting we use those funds towards the upcoming fundraising ball. Can you believe that? They actually turned down an invite to
my
home!

Also, Arena hasn’t once invited me to her home. Not once. I find that hard to handle.

And all their volunteers are fugly. Even their volunteer
attorneys
– fugly. I have deduced that there is absolutely no glamour in fundraising whatsoever.

There have been a few plusses though. I’ve seen the look on Rival’s face each time I’m in her territory, in her camp, infiltrating her tribe and winning over her friends. Each time I see the look on her face, all my time and efforts have been worth it. So, so, so worth it. Priceless in fact.

Grudgingly, I have to say that I’m surprised at Arena’s display of intelligence. In spite of her Country Road cable cardigans, her block-heeled cheap Diana Ferrari shoes, her Target baggy jeans and her lack of a decent bronzer, she is a fairly focused businesswoman. Her slow and steady motto toward fundraising has its benefits. 

Well, things have come to fruition and tonight’s the ball (as they call it), or party (as I call it). (Balls are for old people and for anyone who has lost theirs, while orchestras are for those cursed with two left feet.) So, I have hired a band for the oldies and a DJ as well. This fund-raising
party
is going to rock. As for me, the belle of the ball, as usual, I’m dressing to impress. No, make that dressing to
wow
.

My dress, a slinky black Valentino, has mesh horizontal panels that showcase my cleavage, my slim waist, and my toned thighs. My hair is an updo, with tendrils floating around my face. Dozens of tiny bobby pins with diamantes at the ends are added to create a halo-effect. They catch the light and add sparkle to my updo. (After I wear my hair this way, I have no doubt that tomorrow just about every fashionista in Australia will be showing my photo to their hairdresser.)

To the majority of the dull, menopausal women at the party, my dress will be innocuous, and even understated. However, to every virile male, it will be anything but. They will go squinty-eyed trying to take in all three bare panels on my body. Trust me. When I look in the mirror, I smile. Luckily for this
paladin
, she has the couture threads to match her supreme moxi. 

“Ready?” Bradley asks, tapping his Rolex.

Bradley’s eagerness to attend this party pisses me off. Every other time, I have to pull teeth to get him to accompany me. Not tonight – tonight, he’s ready
before
me. Want to guess why?

Because of a bleb called Rival, that’s why. Then there’s uncouth Ritchie and bogan Bear. I suspect my husband enjoys hanging out with lesser mortals, attracted primarily to their semblance of normalcy. My father and his cultured gentry irritate and infuriate Bradley for some reason. That’s because sadly, I’ve come to realize that that Bradley is a commoner at heart and always will be. But he’s my Eliza Doolittle, so for now,
the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain
. 

“Hurry up, will you?”

Shut the fuck up, Eliza.

Chapter Fourteen

SCARLETT

The party is like nothing you have ever seen. The orchestra plays surprisingly modern, buoyant music, which has young and old bumping and grinding on the dance floor. When the orchestra takes a break, the DJ spins and I dance my heart out. We have a gaggle of celebrities (has-beens who will show up at the opening of an envelope just to be in the limelight), and there is a smorgasbord of exotic foods, along with an open bar.