Depth in Subtleties

"Heeey, we've been looking for you," Emily sweetly sang when she saw Olivia and the assistant manager descend from the flight of stairs. "Can I take a look?" she asked when she saw the assistant manager holding on tightly to a velvet box, as if she was guarding it with her life.

Olivia gave the assistant manager a nod to which the latter complied, opening the velvet box for the rest to see.

"I don't think you should buy that, Livi. That's too much for… a gift? Is that a gift?" Ava commented, ill at ease upon seeing an expensive looking pair of octagon diamond cufflinks with a clear emerald adorned in the center.

Ava knew Olivia had a history of going overboard with showing her emotions through gifts. Lance and GL.com was a testament to how she could splurge without batting an eyelid just to feel good about herself for making other people 'happy'. Another example was when Finn was born, Olivia opened a million dollar brokerage account that she tanks up every year on his birthday.

At that moment, Ava was stuck at a crossroad - whether or not to inform her husband of Olivia's extravagant purchase. She didn't want to meddle in Olivia's business, especially not after how she got in trouble with helping Selena and after accepting Fiona's 'help'.

"Ava! What are you spouting? Our Livi darling here is going to shackle that naughty colonel! Can't you just show some support to our gal pal? And what century are you living in? It's Olivia's money so she can do whatever she wants with it," Emily snorted.

"But–"

"Stop giving Ava a heart attack, Emily," Olivia playfully tapped Emily's arm. This new friend of hers could get a bit blunt sometimes that it was no wonder her circle of friends were mostly boys. She looked at Ava and tried to dispel the uneasiness that could be seen in the latter's eyes with her excuse and said, "He's my date so we have to be coordinated somehow."

Convinced with Olivia's pretext, Ava decided it's best to let it go. Olivia's an adult and what's a pair of cufflinks that costs six-digit anyway?

...

While the three ladies were busy scouring the jewelry boutique, news about the royal kitchen staff's service in a high-end restaurant that afternoon made rounds among those in the high society.

According to the grapevine, Prince Maxen's girlfriend dined in the french restaurant owned by a Michelin-star chef yet the country's prince still sent a battalion of staff to cater her meal. The restaurant's owner was so dumbstrucked that he agreed to the unnecessary intervention even though it was a huge blow to his ego. He watched in silence and took notes in the sidelines as the royal kitchen staff did their meal service without a blip.

But just who was the prince's apple of the eye to cause such trouble of mobilizing the royal kitchen staff?

Tea trolleys rolled out as ladies in high society feasted on the the gossip and narrowed the names that made rounds in the whispering campaign.

First on the list, Ava Lin. Nope. Cross her out.

Next, Emily? They didn't think so. She's currently dating Wyatt and even moved into his villa.

What about Fiona Chung? Could be. Some of them have seen the two "go out" a few times a year.

And who is the other girl? They said there were four? Nevermind, she must be some foreign friend or perhaps Fiona's assistant. So the unheard-of name was swept under the rug as women of all ages chirped all afternoon. However, before the teapots were emptied, a social media post from Fiona Chung circulated. It was a shot of the Peking duck plate with a caption:

[Thanks for the heavenly meal, O! <3]

Just like that, with Fiona's denial, another round of tea trolleys rolled out, talking about the mysterious 'O'.

…

Inside a studio, Fiona scoffed upon seeing her notification page blew up with likes and comments ranging from fawning over her food and questions about the identity of 'O'. She rolled her eyes while a hairdresser blow-dried her hair.

"Ouch!" she screeched, slapping the hairdresser's hand.

Sitting on the couch on the other side of the room, Fiona's manager smirked at his talent's display of attitude. Now that's the Fiona he knew. He continued to scroll on his phone screen and tried to trace Fiona's whereabouts that lunch. He also snooped in Emily's and Ava's social media accounts looking for a lady with an O initial yet found nobody.

Not even a trace.

He was itching to ask Fiona but was too afraid to be lacerated by her claws so he held his tongue in and let his talent displace her anger on other people except him.

…

It was almost sun down and the three ladies, Ava, Emily and Olivia, found themselves inside a lingerie boutique.

The truth was, Emily dragged the sisters-in-law so they could help her find the best outfit for tonight. With her ovulation at its peak that night, she's hot and ready for the taking.

She silently thanked her Livi darling for bringing her fortune tonight. If not for her new gal pal, Wyatt would be away during a crucial fertile period.

She would not lie, she was not getting any younger and she could feel the changes in her body especially in the land down under where it used to be wet and weeping. With her age catching up on her, she's lucky if her cave would be damp enough for a rubbing.

Emily's reverie was cut short when Ava's tomato face sent tickles to her belly.

"What are we doing here, Emily?" Ava nervously whispered to Emily's ears as her eyes wandered on the rows of lingerie hung on suspended bars.

"Girlfriend, enough with the conservative act. How did you make my beautiful godson Finn with that mindseeet?" Emily rolled her eyes at Ava and turned about face, heading towards the racks of red-colored lingerie sets.

Not far from them, Olivia went ahead and held out a satin slip over her as she checked herself in the mirror and ran her hands through the fabric. "I'll take this one," she said to herself. She continued to look around and walked towards the toys section.

Feeling naughty, Olivia searched for a pink fur handcuffs and when she found one, she threw it across her where Ava timidly followed her like a lost kitten.

Ava's face immediately turned beet red upon catching the soft and sinful thing in her hands.

"Try that on Ollie later," Olivia winked. Emily saw the entire exchange that she bursted into sweet peals of laughter filling the lingerie boutique.

"Are you kidding me, Avaaa?" Emily shook her head and sauntered towards their pure as snow friend who had already given birth to a child. She handed Ava a black satin blindfold and cheekily suggested, "Wrap this around Ollie's eyes and see for yourself."

Ava's heart drummed in her chest. Her mind started to spin around, overwhelmed by the sea of information. The image of Ollie blindfolded and cuffed on the bed sent a jolt of electricity in her belly creating waves of heat up to her neck. Her hands were shaking as she tried to receive the satin black blindfold from Emily. Before she took it, she carefully looked around the lingerie boutique, afraid of being caught with it, as if she was trying to steal something.

"It's ok, Ava. This one is on me," Emily offered. She felt benevolent at the moment that she paid for all their purchases in that store.

…

The new trio of gal pals found themselves in Wyatt and Emily's villa. It was a thirty-minute drive from the mall and almost near the military camp where Wyatt worked. Emily, yet again, dragged the sisters-in-law to her place so Ava and Olivia could help her get ready for her surprise.

"What time did he say he's coming?" Ava asked as she gingerly placed rolls and sushi on Emily's torso who was by the way, lying on top of the dinner table, sparingly covered in an ensemble of a lava red lace triangle bra, thong, suspender belt and beige stockings.

"He said before midnight," Emily replied in control breathing, afraid that a movement in her belly would cause the rolls to fall.

"What?" Ava asked, straightening her back, surprised at Emily's answer. "Then how are you going to the toilet? It's still four in the afternoon," she asked worriedly.

"My bladder is clear and ready so please keep going before time runs out, Madam Lin." Emily gritted under her teeth when Ava's barrage of questions started to irritate her. Can't this girl give her a break?

Down to her foot, she saw Olivia open a wasabi tube. "Livi darling, there. Just a dot of wasabi on my toes," she instructed Olivia before smirking at Ava whose eyes turned into saucers at the thought of Wyatt popping Emily's toes in his mouth before devouring the rolls on her body.

Olivia beamed at the sight of Emily who looked like a work of art. Ava and Olivia cheered Emily on and left as soon as they were done because they didn't want to bump into Wyatt which could ruin the surprise.

Ava and Olivia were out of the house and were walking on the stoney pavement, about to part ways, when Olivia patted Ava's back in a silent thank you. Ava responded with an awkward smile at the physical show of affection and squeezed Olivia's arm.

The in-laws stood in silence for a brief second, speaking with their eyes because sometimes there's more depth in subtleties than words could explicitly express.