July 27, 2017
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" That seemed to have been the only sentence I could muster to say all week long as Eve prepared a surprise birthday party for Cecilia.
Evelyn was too much her own person to let anyone else tell her what to do, and it was no surprise she did not care to listen to me when I presented my doubts about her plan.
"I know what I am doing. You would be wise to help me. Or do I have to remind you I am still your supervisor for another six months?" She loved to throw the power card around whenever it suited her, not that I minded though, I had gotten to know her enough to realize her threats were nothing but empty words.
I was glad to help her anyhow. As long as it did not backfire on me in the end, there was nothing I would enjoy more than to help her surprise Cecilia on her birthday.
I have no idea how, but the woman had managed to gather a handful of Cecilia's friends from her earlier days of travelling Europe. That in itself should have been considered a hell of a birthday present.
But the soon to be PhD Professor Evelyn Mace thought that was not enough. Reason why she forced me into helping her arrange a surprise party for Cecilia's birthday.
Lucy, much like myself did not think it was the best course of action. We all knew far too well how the older Bailey reacted to change. But the younger sister too was forced into helping set everything in place.
For it to be a surprise, Eve had decided to throw the gathering—as she would say—at her place.
Her apartment was big enough for the twenty or so guests to mingle. I wondered if her plans had more of a selfish reason as she had recently remodeled the place.
While the three of us sneaked around for a week to try and get everything ready before today, Cecilia seemed completely unaware of what was being planned behind her back.
Although she did mention my mother seemed unusually attached to her offspring—I had figured if I used my mother as an excuse to leave the apartment without her, she would not care half as much.
I must admit most of my doubts about this party had to do with Cecilia and I being seen together as a couple by pretty much everyone she considered a friend.
It was one thing for Evelyn and Lucy to be aware of our relationship. It was another whole different thing for all those people I had never even heard of—who seemed to know a completely different and more adventurous side of my girlfriend—to realize she was with someone almost twenty years younger.
She was always so worried about what people would think of her age when compared to mine, but she never realized it was a two-way street.
Cecilia was a year short of forty and I was only twenty-one. The last thing I needed was to hear these recently found friends of hers mocking how mature I must be, or how old my spirit seemed.
I despised those cliché statements, and I would hate for them to ruin Cecilia's birthday. It was bad enough she would be reminded about her aging.
I was not naïve. I knew she was growing old. I knew the difference would only be more visible each year. I also knew it was getting increasingly closer to my graduation and as soon as I started job hunting it would not be long for the rumors to reach the law firms' corridors.
Cecilia did not practice anymore, but she had left her mark and it was hard for other lawyers to not know who she was when half of them had been her students and the other half had, in at least one occasion, faced her on the other side of a deal.
But that was a problem for another time. Lucky for me I still had at least six months before that turmoil.
"Are you ready?" Cecilia's voice rang from my living room, echoing throughout my apartment. She had gotten ready way before I did—I wondered if she knew all along.
Cecilia was dressed in a cabernet V-neck chiffon dress with a side slit that went all the way from her upper left thigh to her ankle and nude trappy high heels that did little to help cover all the skin she was showing.
I on the other hand had gone for something less provoking.
I figured today of all days was her night to shine, and settled for an off-white wrap top, black social pants with black suspenders and a pair of black pumps.
"You look hot." She said taking me in and I chuckled, "What are you laughing at?" So unaware of her own seductiveness.
"I was about to say the same about you. Why so fancy?" I tried to see if she had figured it out, but she outsmarted me. "I don't know what you and Evelyn have planned, but whatever it is I rather be overdressed than underdressed."
I walked closer to where she was taking her by the waist as I lightly landed my lips against hers, careful as to not mess her matching lipstick. "You look great, babe!" I whispered close to her lips.
The blush on her cheeks had little to do with makeup and I felt complete knowing I was the only one able to get that sort of reaction out of her.
"You know Lucy told me, right?" I knew the younger Bailey would not be able to keep it to herself! "She was too scared I would freak out on you again." A somber tone took over her voice.
"Cee, do you really think I would be helping Evelyn with this crazy plan if I did not trust you enough not to go crazy on me?" But I must be honest, at least to myself, the thought did cross my mind, more times than I am comfortable to admit.
"I wouldn't. Go crazy on you I mean." Her eyes glistering a little more than its usual. "But I can understand if you would be concerned about it. I probably would too."
"Just promise me you won't get all upset if these friends of yours comment on our age difference." To that she smiled as she graciously kept a single tear of falling from the side of her eye.
"Oh, trust me. They will comment sure enough. I think I should be the one asking you to promise me not to be all upset once you meet them." I lift one of my eyebrows and she blushed again, "Let's just say I experienced a little more than I'd like to admit when I was younger."
"You mean, with these... friends of yours?" She shrugged and I was left standing on my living room as she opened the door to leave.
It did not take me long to realize just how close she had been to at least half of those friends.
I stayed a good distance behind as she greeted her guest all the while seeing some very sneaking hands a little too down on her back as she hugged each of them.
I must say I was surprised to see more men than women forcing said intimacy and I tried my best not to act overly jealous as they praised her on how good she looked, or even how foxy, just like old times, some said.
"If you clench your jaw any harder it might just crack." Eve said beside me as she handed me a glass of wine, "You are going to need this."
"Tonight, is her night, I will just have to deal with it on my own." I grumped before taking half the wine on my glass. "Has she introduced you yet?" The professor asked clearly trying to keep me from drinking all at once.
"No, and I am not exactly looking forward to that." I said just as we heard one of her male friends ask who the hottie was while pointing my way. That was my cue.
I drank the last of the wine on my glass and handed it back to Eve before walking to Cecilia and her friends.
I made sure to put a protecting arm around Cecilia's waist before pulling her closer to me. I knew she would be able to read right through my confident display, but I needed the closeness to feel less bothered by her friends.
"This is my girlfriend, Remi, so fuck off Raji." Cecilia introduced me to the same guy who had asked who I was, the same guy who had just moments before hugged her as if he owned her body.
"Pleased to meet you." I am sure my tone did not match my words, but Cecilia let it slide.
"You as well, darling." Raji said in return, with a warm smile and I hated him for being so unbothered.
"Young her, isn't she?" He said clearly mocking Cecilia over something that seemed much like an inside joke.
"Told you, they would say something. Raji here was married for a little over ten years with an older woman. I used to make fun of him for having the patience to be with someone so much older than he was." The professor explained and I felt like laughing, the wine probably helping me loosen up.
"You're gonna love this then." I heard Evelyn's voice before I saw her approaching. "Cecilia here was Remi's mother's pupil before Remi was even born."
She had clearly exaggerated a few facts, but nonetheless they all laughed at the statement, stopping only once Eve motioned with her hand that there would be more. "If it wasn't bad enough, they met because Remi ended up being Cecilia's student last year."
I was greatly surprised by how none of her friends seemed to mind that statement. There was no judgement just the occasional mocking, but they were harmless.
Cecilia seemed completely okay with having her friends hear about how we met.
"To be fair, we only properly met at our building. Cecilia is my neighbor." It was my turn to add to the narrative of our love story.
"We mustn't forget, at the time my sister here was dating the infamous Doctor Myers who later ended up being Remi's neurologist." Lucy too decided to participate.
The door to Evelyn's apartment was ajar so that the remaining guests could help themselves in once they arrived. Just as Lucy ended her contribution to the conversation, we heard a laugh coming from the door.
"It would seem I arrived just in time to defend myself." Miranda said with a wine bottle in one hand as the other rested on her waist.
She looked better than she had since the last time we met. I could no longer see the sadness in her eyes—I wondered if it were all just a show so that Cecilia would not feel bad on her birthday.
I was the first one to react, obviously because I was the only one who even knew she would be going to the party and therefore was not as surprised by her presence.
"Great to see you could come. I wasn't sure." I said leaving Cecilia's side to compliment the doctor. "You sure you are okay with this?" I whispered as we hugged.
"I can manage. It's good to see her this happy." She said slightly pushing me away so that we could look at each other. "And jealous. I better not keep you to myself for too long."
I turned around to see an uncomfortable professor looking our way, apparently bothered by just how close Miranda and I had gotten. It was the first time she was getting to see us interact.
"This is for you, although I don't think you will be needing it anytime soon." Miranda handed the bottle to Cecilia as she looked behind the professor to a table full of different kinds of beverage.
Cecilia thanked her still a little shocked as she hugged the doctor as if she were hugging a ghost. I could only hope I had done the right thing by inviting Miranda.
I walked back to my girlfriend shortly after. As much as I cherished the fact Miranda was there, my possessiveness was stronger than my willpower to stay away from Cecilia. I positioned myself between the two of them, but no one seemed phased by my action.
Lucy was not half as warm with Miranda as I had been, making sure to show her discontentment.
Evelyn tried to pretend she was not surprise with the neurologist's appearance, but it was evident she was just as shocked as Cecilia.
After a while Miranda's attendance became old news and everyone went back to their respective conversations while Cecilia pulled me aside.
"Thank you. For all of this." She kissed my cheek close to my earlobe, obviously containing herself in front of the doctor who seemed to follow Cecilia's every move with her gaze.
"Anything for you." I said close to her lips. Cecilia might have been more attune to Miranda's presence but there was no way I would pass on the opportunity to properly kiss the professor.
The rest of the evening consisted of Cecilia's friends getting to know me as they tried to figure out who Cecilia had become.
Miranda stayed long enough to be polite but after an hour or so she made up an excuse about having to get back to her daughters, although I am fairly sure it had more to do with not being able to keep up her happy façade for Cecilia for much longer.
I accompanied her to her car, and she apologized for not being able to stay for long before driving away.
Remi
As Miranda drove away that night I wondered if she would ever be able to get over you. Considering my own experience, I don't think it is possible to move past you. You have a way of imprinting yourself in the back of our eyes, and whenever we close them, it's your face we see looking back at us.