chapter eleven

VANESSA

After Aphrodite helped me with my make up and the dress I decided was going to be the center of Dante's attention I put on matching yellow shoes and jewelry. I had even considered yellow makeup but decided that was taking it too far. Besides, I had no wish to resemble the yellow teletubby from the children story books.

I left Aphrodite in the room to clean up and came down to the dining table myself. Before I had fully descended from the stairs I heard him yell at a maid. Instinctively I felt bad for her, I used to be on the receiving end of such anger. But I couldn't help but warm up a little at his words. "I will not eat until my wife's here." Wife. He may not be the husband I wanted but I had a husband nonetheless and I was a wife. I convinced myself that it would please me just as much if it was anyone else that said it and it had nothing to do with him.

He stopped and turned at the sound of my sarcastic remark and my oh my,he did look like he was one more inconvenience aw