Elaine Montemayor

The following chapter is written in 3rd Person POV following Aviel Hoffman…

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15 years ago, some time in 2006, at Aviel Hoffman’s 40th Birthday Celebration…

“I don’t know how you do it Vicente.” Avi comments, his tone conveying both annoyance and amazement.

“How ‘I do’ what, Avi?” Vicente asks back in his thick Spanish accent with faux innocence, before he tightens his squeeze on the ass cheeks of the woman he has his arms around. Aviel can only outwardly smirk, while seething on the inside, as he watches Vicente’s blatant display of his skill in womanizing.

“Are you referring to this beautiful rose with me?” Vicente asks Avi goadingly. “I can help you get someone like her if you want, Avi.” Vicente continues to goad Avi with his smugness.

“I’m not fond of women who are susceptible to the wiles of a sexagenarian, Vicente.” Avi replies, unable to hide his annoyance any further. The lady with Vicente clearly doesn’t appreciate Avi’s subtle jab at her.

“Ayayay, Aviel. So judgmental! Your father would be so disappointed in your way of thinking. You’ll be our age soon enough, and what will you think of those ladies then, eh?” Vicente admonishes Avi. Avi just chuckles and nods to concede his mistake; but in his mind, he’s just sick of the antics of his late father’s closest confidante and partner in crime.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to offend.” Avi apologizes halfheartedly. “But I only took offense on your behalf. Vicente so callously offered to show his prowess at womanizing in front of you. You deserve more than that.” Avi tries to twist the situation against Vicente.

Avi knows that this woman isn’t just some run-of-the-mill sex worker or gold-digging commoner. This woman with him is one of the highest paid supermodels in the world, the inspiration for one of Vicente’s most recent art pieces, and, more glaringly, forty years his junior at least.

If it was any other man, Avi already knows how Vicente is manipulating and controlling her to do his bidding. Avi’s not unfamiliar with the machinations of men with power. He’s one of them. In Vicente’s case, he has proven time and again that he was someone who never had to use those underhanded tactics. Whichever woman he set his eyes on, he always seemed to enamour them to achieve their genuine affection in record time.

“Vicente is just a charmer.” The supermodel excuses Vicente’s antics. “I wouldn’t be surprised that he can convince any woman to be attracted to him. No matter his age.” The supermodel adds.

“Let me help you, Avi. Please. It’s the least I can do for your birthday.” Vicente gestures, to the continued annoyance of Avi. “I can gift you a beautiful rose before the night is over, I assure you.” Vicente adds, trying to get Avi to accept his offer.

“No need for theatrics, Vicente. I was only trying to create conversation with my comment.” Avi waves off the insulting gesture.

“Theatrics? I used to do this for your father, Aviel. Call it a perk of being my friend.” Vicente continues to prod.

“I’m married, Vicente.” Avi says forcefully to end the discussion.

“Ah~, monogamy.” Vicente says with his hands raised in concession. “How I miss it.” Vicente adds, though Avi can’t quite place if he’s being sarcastic.

‘Bullshit. Who would wish for monogamy?’ Avi reacts in his mind. It’s one of the consequences of marriage that Avi was never fond of. However, being monogamous on paper is an easy sacrifice to make if it meant getting the power and influence of the Rehnquists.

“Then again, you didn’t marry Victoria out of love now, did you?” Vicente asks deviously, as if reading Avi’s mind.

“I don’t appreciate what you’re implying, Vicente.” Avi says warningly to put up appearances.

“I kid, I kid.” Vicente says with his hands up guiltily. “Everyone knows how much you love your dear Victoria.” Vicente adds, showing his mastery at masking his sarcasm, as even Avi was fooled for a moment.

“And everyone knows how much I love my dear husband.” Victoria interjects, as she sidles up next to her husband, having seemingly heard their conversation. Victoria then gives Avi a kiss on the cheek and rests her hand on his chest.

“It’s good to see you, my dear.” Vicente greets Victoria, taking the hand that was on Avi’s chest and giving it a kiss. Avi stares daggers at the greeting of Vicente, as he clearly took it as a power play from the old man.

“I assume you’re trying to pull my husband to the dark side again, Vicente?” Victoria then asks.

“And once again, he is showing his undying loyalty to you, my dear. You have married a good one.” Vicente replies smoothly.

“And how much did my husband pay you to say that?” Victoria jokingly asks back, before she and Vicente share a laugh. Avi, on the other hand, only fakes his laughter to not be left out of the joke.

“Knowing how convincing you can be, Vicente, I implore you to stop planting these notions into my husband’s mind. You might just convince him someday.” Victoria tells Vicente.

‘I don’t need him to convince me.’ Avi thinks to himself.

“You know you’re the only one for me, my dear.” Avi sweetly lies to Victoria.

“How about you, Vicente? Is your plus one tonight finally the one to have you settle down?” Victoria asks, expertly trying to cause some awkwardness between Vicente and his date.

“Ah~, Victoria. You know that is no longer a priority of mine. I have had but one love, one soulmate… and my dear Maria is gone now.” Vicente responds solemnly.

“It clearly hasn’t stopped you from trying.” Victoria playfully jabs at Vicente, ignoring his attempt at solemnity for his late wife. “You always seem to have a beautiful woman in your arms whenever we see you.” Victoria comments.

“I have been blessed by the universe with a gift, Victoria. I am merely making the most of it.” Vicente replies with a knowing smile.

‘This smug prick.’ Avi thinks to himself. Though Avi admits that the man clearly has an innate ability in making people like him, his lack of humility about it has always turned Avi off to Vicente.

“Champagne?” a waitress asks, snapping Avi from his train of thought.

“And who might you be, my dear?” Vicente asks the much younger waitress, already turning on the charm from the looks of it.

“She’s clearly nobody, Vicente.” Victoria answers Vicente’s question for the waitress. “You. Girl.” Victoria then addresses the waitress directly. “Did none of your superiors instruct you to keep quiet? We’ll signal you if we need a refill.” Victoria admonishes the young girl.

“I signaled for her, my dear. I am in need of said refill.” Vicente covers for the young waitress, before he downs his perfectly full champagne flute in one go. He then places his empty flute in her tray and gets a fresh one.

“Thank you, my dear. I’ll make sure to find you when I need another one.” Vicente tells the girl with a polite smile, and an obvious hint for her to step away as to not incur Victoria’s wrath. The waitress gives Vicente an appreciative smile before stepping away from the group.

“Why did you cover for that girl’s obvious incompetence, Vicente? Don’t tell me you’d stoop so low as to find that servant attractive?” Victoria asks, not even trying to hide her disdain.

“My apologies, Victoria. I didn’t mean to undermine your helpful message to the girl.” Vicente halfheartedly apologizes to Victoria, trying to diffuse the situation.

“It’s just…” Vicente tries to explain, before taking a pause.

“She reminded me of Maria.”

---

Two years later, at Vicente’s Wedding…

“I can’t believe he’s marrying her. A nobody. Worse. Former service personnel. He’s gone completely mad.” Victoria can’t help but comment under her breath.

“Do you, Vicente, take Elaine, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“They seem to be genuinely in love, Victoria.” Avi whispers back.

“I do.”

“Oh, please. Don’t pretend you believe in that nonsense.” Victoria fires back.

“And do you, Elaine, take Vicente, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore are you?” Avi asks Victoria back.

“I do.”

“What’s there to hide? You and I both know you just married me for my last name and nothing else.” Victoria calls Avi out.

“By the power vested in me…”

“You know I only said that in the heat of the moment, Victoria.” Avi gives his non-apology once more, referring to the drunken admission he made to his wife during their most recent heated argument.

“I now pronounce you…”

“Well, I’m saying this without blaming it on impulse,” Victoria prefaces.

“Husband and wife.”

“I’m moving out of the house, Avi.” Victoria informs him with a tone of finality.

---

Eight years later, at Avi’s 50th Birthday Celebration…

“Happy birthday, Avi.” Vicente greets him with a warm embrace.

“Thank you for coming, Vicente. I’m glad you could join us.” Avi greets back, returning Vicente’s embrace with the same warmth.

“Happy birthday, Avi.” The woman with Vicente then greets Avi, as he and Vicente separate from their embrace.

“Elaine! So good to see you too, my dear!” Avi can’t help but light up as he greets her, before giving her the same warm embrace.

Avi can’t help but feel elated any time he sees the two of them now. Especially in these settings. They always seem to light up the room. A stark contrast to how he used to despise seeing Vicente at parties. Always womanizing. Always smug. However, since he met Elaine, he can’t help but not like the guy. Maybe he’s finally seeing what his father saw in the old man.

“Where’s Victoria?” Elaine asks Avi.

“She’s just running a bit late.” Avi answers.

‘She wouldn’t dare not show up today. Especially after I announced her as the organizer.’ Avi tries to assure himself.

“Apparently, party planning duties don’t end once the party starts.” Avi jokes, trying to cover for Victoria’s absence.

“Well~, since the cat’s away…” Vicente playfully remarks, before placing his arm around Avi’s shoulders. “Should the mice play, eh?” Vicente jokingly asks.

“Get your shit together, old man.” Avi jokes back.

“~What? Don’t tell me you still have a low opinion of women that are susceptible to a… what am I now again? A septuagenarian? A septuagenarian’s wiles?” Vicente jokingly asks.

“Answer carefully, Avi.” Elaine jokingly threatens, making the three of them laugh.

“Need I remind you that you’re a married septuagenarian.” Avi jokes, knowing full well that hasn’t stopped Vicente and Elaine from enjoying carnal pleasures with shared partners. The joke seems to land, as the three continue to laugh at the thought of marriage even stopping Vicente from flirting with younger women.

“I don’t know how the two of you do it. I can’t even think of broaching the subject of introducing a third party to Victoria without the threat of divorce.” Avi enviously remarks.

“It’s magic, Avi.” Elaine tells him. “That’s our secret. Magic. So I wouldn’t get your hopes up in convincing Victoria to anything like what we have unless you’re a magician too.” Elaine continues.

“Artist. Philanthropist. Magician. Quite the resume you’ve made for yourself, Vicente.” Avi jokes.

“I am no magician, Avi. Elaine’s a kidder.” Vicente tries to deflect. “If anything, she’s the magician between the two of us.” Vicente adds.

“Stop flattering me, Vicente.” Elaine says, obviously flattered.

“I thought I was gifted by the universe after losing Maria, but Elaine was the one who showed me there was more to my gift than I first realized. All because she truly had faith in me and trusted me. There’s truly no end to the amount of happiness you can achieve once you fully capture a woman’s affection, Avi. That’s the real magic.” Vicente whimsically tells Avi.

“You truly are getting old, Vicente. You’re blabbering again.” Elaine tries to deflect.

“I thought the sentiment was quite sweet, my dear.” Avi replies. “And my dear friend wasn’t wrong. He really has changed for the better since meeting you.” Avi tells Elaine.

“And I have you to thank for that, Avi.” Vicente tells Avi.

“If not for your birthday bash all those years ago, I would have never met my dear Elaine.”

---

5 years later, on the night Jay was with Brooke in the Presidential Suite…

“I’m glad you accepted my invitation. Welcome to Dorsia, Ms. Craig.” Avi greets the woman who was being personally escorted by the maître d' to his private dining booth.

“Don’t call me that.” Elaine angrily tells him, making Avi laugh.

“Would you prefer if I called you Lainey?” Avi continues to prod, making Elaine scowl at him in response.

“My apologies. I just wanted to see how you’d react. And based on your reaction, our sentiments are aligned.” Avi backpedals from antagonizing her. “We are not enemies, Elaine.” Avi tells her.

“What do you want, Avi?” Elaine asks bluntly.

“It appears to me that you have very little fondness for your brother.” Avi answers.

“I’d like to use that to my advantage.”