Vivian: Life in Estonia Ch. 11

This then was indeed the ultimate anticipated success for Vivian in a very exciting period of time to proclaim her business acumen. Her modest idea had been to supplement the income of the dairy farm by producing a craft beer from the hops grown on the Kangur farm. She had been met with derision and skepticism. Even Eino was not on board with Vivian's plan, as he had insisted that the expense of the enterprise would have to be borne by Vivian personally from her own funds. He was later to regret such rash decision, which fell into the category of a case of cutting off his nose to spite his face.

Vivian's time also was taken up by her duties as an elected parliamentarian. She was conscientious in devoting the maximum amount of time as was fully expected of her. Her party appreciated her superb efforts that she easily became the second most prominent female member of the party after Kaja Kallas.

Another new facet in life was her friendship with Carmen Kass the Estonian super model, who attended her wedding and assisted her initiation into the Tenth Club. Vivian derived a great advantage from this friendship in that Carmen was able to point out the best wardrobe possible for her. Obviously, Vivian had the wherewithal to purchase the most expensive clothes. Carmen was able to steer Vivian into the best clothes worth the value of the purchase price. As a result, Vivian was easily one of the most stunning females in her appearances in public at various prominent social and political gatherings.

The marriage of Vivian and Eino, then proceeded in a very tense atmosphere with no hint that things would get any better. Sex between them, which had been a daily occurrence when they were together, had dwindled down to a couple of times a month. In the fall there was a glimmer of hope for Vivian to expect for better times. Eino on his own initiative suggested that Vivian should still visit her relatives in November. He acknowledged that his understanding was that Thanksgiving is a very important family get-together holiday in the United States, second only to Christmas.

Unfortunately, when Vivian returned the heavy ominous atmosphere did not lighten at all. Vivian suspected that Eino wanted to test her to see if she would adhere to her announced resolve of no visits to the TLR. Now she suspected Eino did not know that her TLR visits were confined only to her May visits. Then again as Vivian surreptitiously noticed him grilling Maia, her daughter possibly might have inadvertently apprised him of that routine. That might have accounted for his continuing dour mood.

'Oh well', thought Vivian, 'I guess this means I'll be allowed to visit Erica and Paul next May after all. But if things don't get any better, I'll be damned if I'm going to avoid a TLR orgy. Then I'll put the ball in his court suggesting that I wouldn't have gone to Dallas if I was getting some at home. If he wants me to be exclusive, then he better start satisfying me better.'

The Christmas holiday was dreadful. The tension between Vivian and Eino, was so solidly intense that one could cut it with a knife. Maarja was most upset and despondent. She knew and had seen that Vivian and her son had been very much in love with each other and supported each other like any truly loving couple. Maarja Tarvas had detected that their matrimonial unhappiness started on the occasion of Vivian's miscarriage, but lately it had escalated to the point that there seemed no spark of love existed between them.

Neither Maarja's son nor her daughter-in-law confided in her. Whenever she dared venture to inquire as to the reason for their unhappiness, they tersely dismissed her concern. They each kept insisting that there was nothing wrong in the marriage. Of course, Maarja could see that was not the case, and so she suffered through a miserable Christmas holiday. At least Eino and Vivian were cordial enough to each other at masking their unhappiness with their marriage. No doubt their cordiality was brought on for the sole purpose of not spoiling the natural joy and merriment their children would expect in this traditional holiday season.

Finally, the straw that broke the camel's back in maintaining any serendipity in their marriage and which effectively ended it, occurred a few weeks later in January. The Prime Minister, and leader of the Estonian Centre Party (Eesti Keskerakond) was forced to resign as a result of a corruption scandal. Then as a result of intense negotiation, the Estonian Reform Party (Eesti Reformierakond) was able to establish a coalition with the Estonian Centre Party to form the government in the Riigikogu and Kaja Kallas as leader of the Reform Party would be installed as Estonia's first female Prime Minister.

To celebrate, a gala festivity was scheduled by the Estonian Reform Party at a banquet hall in Tallinn on the Saturday, a few days prior to Ms Kallas being actually scheduled to assume the office of the Prime Minister, the following Tuesday. The attendees were not only the elected officials, but the rank and file of the Estonian Reform Party members. There was also a fairly substantial coterie of news media present for such an auspicious occasion. In the best of a true Estonian celebration there were plenty of food and drinks generously available to ensure merriment.

Before the festivities commenced in earnest, a press conference was conducted. Naturally most of the questions were directed at Prime Minister Kallas, but the rest of her Party's cabinet members which included Vivian were also available to answer questions from the media. Finally, a reporter from The Baltic Times posed a question for Vivian.

The Baltic Times is an independent monthly newspaper that covers the latest political, economic, business and cultural events in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Its headquarters are in Riga, but there are offices in the capital cities of the other two states as well. It is the only print and online news media in the English language covering the three Baltic states.

The reporter in the Tallinn office was not available for this auspicious occasion, so the Latvian reporter was sent in his stead. The Latvian reporter was not fluent in Estonian. He knew that Vivian was an American originally, and therefore was the person in the hall most proficient in English. Therefore, he turned to Vivian to ask in English, the following question, "Ms Laaning I feel there's great jubilation expressed throughout this hall, that Estonia has its first female Prime Minister. As a result, it seems like the women in Estonia rejoice in this historic breaking of the glass ceiling of women's rights. However, you must know that Latvia had its first female Prime Minister seven years ago. So, aren't you a little behind the times in advancing women's rights in politics?"

Vivian replied, "Before I answer your question let me first translate your question so that those present here, who might not be as fluent in English, can understand your question and its inherent nuances."

Vivian then translated into Estonian literally the Latvian reporter's question. Since the metaphor of a glass ceiling is generally unknown in the Estonian language, Vivian took the trouble to explain, "Breaking the glass ceiling is a metaphor in English, especially in American English, for the invisible barrier that prevents women from rising to senior positions. It's a subtle but damaging form of discrimination where women cannot attain the opportunities they see in front of them, despite their suitability and their best efforts."

Vivian had actually anticipated that this topic and fact would come up for discussion during the evening, not necessarily by way of a reporter's question as it so happened. To answer the implication inherent of such fact, she had been in touch with the entertaining pianist of the hired band, and provided the pianist sheet music to play, to accompany her singing. Vivian's plan, whether or not the topic came up, was that sometime in the evening she would alert the pianist by a prearranged signal to get ready to play. Then after getting the attention of the room, she planned to explain the rationale for the song she would sing, with the piano accompaniment.

The Latvian reporter's question fell right into Vivian's machinations. Accordingly, she alerted the pianist to get ready, as she answered the reporter from 'The Baltic Times', "Well it's certainly true that Latvia had a female Prime Minister before Estonia, but you have to agree our Kaja Kallas is much prettier. And smarter too in my humble opinion. In fact, anything Latvia can do Estonia can do better. A great American songwriter long ago recognized this empirical fact and as a result penned a beautiful song which I'd like to sing for you. So hit it my dear piano player."

Now what Vivian was referring to, was the famous song written by Irving Berlin titled "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)". She parodied the lyrics so that it came out like this:

Anything Latvia can do Estonia can do better

Estonia can do anything better than Latvia

No, you can't

Yes, we can

No, you can't

Yes, we can

No, you can't

Yes, we can! Yes, we can!

Anything Latvia can be Estonia can be greater

Sooner or later Estonia is greater than Latvia

No, you're not

Yes, we are

No, you're not

Yes, we are

No, you're not

Yes, we are, yes we are, yes we are

Any woman Latvia elects as prime minister

Estonian Prime Minister is prettier and smarter

No, she isn't

Yes, she is

No, she isn't

Yes, she is

No, she isn't

Yes, she is. Yes she is. Yes she is!

After those verses, Vivian repeated those verses only she sang them in Estonian. The audience was so enamored with Vivian's parody they spontaneously broke into singing the Estonian national anthem and the pianist hurriedly got in sync to accompany the singing:

Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm,

kui kaunis oled sa!

Ei leia mina iial teal

see suure, laia ilma peal,

mis mul nii armas oleks ka,

kui sa, mu isamaa!

Sa oled mind ju sünnitand

ja üles kasvatand;

sind tänan mina alati

ja jään sull' truuiks surmani,

mul kõige armsam oled sa,

mu kallis isamaa!

Su üle Jumal valvaku

mu armas isamaa!

Ta olgu sinu kaitseja

ja võtku rohkest õnnista,

mis iial ette võtad sa,

mu kallis isamaa

The English translation literally is:

My fatherland, my happiness and joy,

How beautiful you are!

I shall not find such ever

In this huge wide world

Which would be so dear to me

As you, my fatherland!

You have given me birth

And raised me up;

I shall thank you always

And remain faithful to you 'til death,

To me most beloved are you,

My precious fatherland!

May God watch over you,

My dearest fatherland!

Let Him be your defender

And provide bountiful blessings

For whatever you undertake,

My precious fatherland

That naturally ended the press conference; it was getting tedious and boring in any case. The partying started in earnest. Mostly conversation, eating plus especially lots of imbibing of adult beverages. There was an area set aside to allow for dancing with a band including the piano player.

Vivian naturally was very giddy and jubilant. She had been informed by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas that she would be in the Cabinet as the Minister of Culture. So, as her normal custom she was not shy of taking a few drinks. She favored high end Russian vodka on the rocks for this evening's fete. Vivian was a lifelong heavy drinker, and so could usually consume a large amount alcohol without lapsing into drunkenness. Although she did not get too inebriated during this evening, nevertheless, she was affected by her drinking. By the end of the evening, she was slightly slurring her words and her voice came out in a high pitch, a lot higher than normal. Although she still possessed all of her faculties, still she wasn't as aware of her circumstances or as alert as she would normally be.

As a result, during the latter part of the evening Vivian suffered an embarrassing "wardrobe malfunction". She was wearing a cocktail dress which was black in color and made from pure silk. It was backless, with a V-neckline, and spaghetti straps. It was cut midi length with a sexy thigh-high side slit. She got on the dance floor and was engaged in an old fashioned waltz. Her partner was not very proficient in the dance and unfortunately stepped on her toes.

Vivian's shoes were Jimmy Choo's Saeda pumps with very slim 100 mm (or 4") heels. Because of the delicate construction of the shoe, Vivian stumbled and fell to the ground. She got up by her own steam but did not notice that the spaghetti strap on her left side had slipped off her shoulder in the process. The action had left exposed entirely her naked left breast including her nipple and areola. She stood upright for almost two full minutes in a dazed condition unmindful of her partial public nudity. It was enough time, though, for two alert paparazzi to snap several pictures of her.

As she heard gasps from other dancers and sensing that she was being stared at, Vivian became aware of her embarrassing condition. She thereupon restored the strap to its proper place ending the gawking of her. She repaired to the bar to get another drink. Although the moment of the display of her boob was ephemeral still the paparazzi were sufficiently supplied with what they needed to make a hefty profit from distribution to the various media outlets.

The pictures were featured in every publication in Estonia and in most countries in Europe. It also was picked up by some outlets in the United States as well as in other parts of the world. It went viral on the internet. Some of the conservative and more staid newspapers and magazines would retouch the photos to black out the nipple and areola, but there was no doubt of the exposure of her boob. Naturally tabloids and other sleazy publications had no compunction to show her breast, nipple areola and all, completely exposed. Internet users had access to see the exposed breast in its full glory.

The photos of Vivian had an uncanny resemblance to certain photos of Hollywood actress Tara Reid. Those photos were taken during her attendance at an elaborate birthday party celebration of rapper Sean John Combs, who at the time went by the name of P. Diddy. During her entrance to pose for a photo op, the actress stumbled on the red carpet. As a result, just as in the situation with Vivian, the strap holding up the left side of Ms Reid's dress had slipped off her shoulder exposing her left breast. Oblivious to her "wardrobe malfunction" the actress posed for several seconds as the paparazzi were quick to take several pictures before Ms Reid became aware of her predicament.

The resemblance of the photos did not rest on any actual physical likeness between Tara Reid and Vivian. For one thing Tara Reid was a blonde, whereas Vivian was a vibrant redhead. Their facial features were very different. Ms Reid although pretty, even some would consider very pretty, had a forgettable face which allowed her to mingle in public without attracting any specific recognition. On the other hand, Vivian, although, not generally adjudged as a typical beauty, still had striking features which made her mysteriously alluring. So much so that she would attract her fair share of admirers and gawkers.

The nexus for the similarity of the photos depended on three factors. The cause of their embarrassment was somewhat similar in each case, and that could be deduced from simply viewing the photos. The dresses each lady wore were very similar looking in the photos except the straps of Tara's dress seem to appear slightly wider that Vivian's spaghetti straps. Finally, the major similarity was in the manner of the way each breast was exposed, and notwithstanding the differences in their facial features, the amount of visible exposure of their breasts were carbon copies of each other's.

When Vivian's friends would subsequently tease her about the similarity of the photos, Vivian would harrumph and protest, "My hair is not in such disarray as hers, and she knew she was being photographed, although of course like me she was unaware that her left tit was exposed. Not only was I unaware that my boob was showing, but I did not even know I was being photographed. But I bet my dress is a hell a lot of better quality than hers. Carmen Kass had specially ordered it on my behalf from one of the best dress designers and makers she has modeled for. Mind you that bitch's smile seems more photogenic than my dazed look, but then again, I was suffering from some pain. That clodhopper of a dance partner in his misstep almost crushed my sensitive toes. Honestly though, I was more concerned that he had destroyed my Jimmy Choos. Thank God that wasn't the case."

In any case, after correcting her "wardrobe malfunction", Vivian decided to slow down on her drinking, and instead concentrate on finding a fuck buddy for the night. It was a sorry indicator of the status of her marriage, that Vivian would deliberately seek out to commit adultery without any concern for possible negative repercussions. In retrospect, Vivian subsequently concluded that her marriage was doomed once she had that night with her old flame, Jed Baxter. Certainly, the last eight months, since her TLR orgy adventure, had been pure Hell.

Eino had made no effort during the interval to have a serious discussion to address their mutual concerns. Perhaps, a sincere reconciliation might have been achievable. Surely it should have been worthwhile to make the effort especially considering how happy they were with each other before her unfortunate miscarriage and the unhappy news that she had become infertile. So, although Vivian had to concede that her promiscuity and her adultery was a major factor in flushing her marriage down the toilet still, she was not one hundred per cent culpable. He had his share of blame in making the continuation of their marriage intolerable.

With such attitude, plus the alcohol she had consumed, it was no wonder Vivian had become a predatory female for the remainder of the Reform Party gala fete. And so, as it transpired, she struck up a serious protracted conversation with Urmus Tralla the designated member to become the Minister of Justice. Urmus turned out to be a brilliant man, who had progressive ideas to try and implement during his tenure in the Kaja Kallas cabinet.

Despite the heavy serious political discussion, they had engaged in, they each mentally discerned a spark of electricity had ignited their arousal. From Vivian's perspective Urmus was unbelievable eye candy. He was tall, thin and slender. His hair was styled in a brush cut which made him look ever so youthful, decades younger than his real biological age. He was even taller than Vivian, 191 cm (6'3") to her 185 cm (6'1"). Since a majority of her male lovers had been shorter than her, that fact alone proved to be a discordant note in the ensuing sexual trysts with such male partners. Vivian was happy to surmise that such annoyance would not be present to inhibit satisfactory sex with the slender Urmus Tralla.

As the alpha male, who was most likely able to satisfy the insatiable Vivian Laaning, Urmus took command of the situation. As his main residence was in Pärnu, he had not yet secured more permanent lodgings for the increased time he would out of necessity spend in the capital city. Consequently, for this night he had booked a room in the hotel across the street from the Reform Party fete. When it seemed prudent to do so, he suggested they cross the street to spend the remainder of their wakeful time in his room. Vivian had no objection in acceding to this proposal and added a helpful addendum to the anticipated pleasure by purloining from the bar a bottle of Egri Bikavér (bull's blood), the Hungarian wine, which she had become quite fond of.