Hot Revenge Box Set 2

Still steaming from my shower, my hair turbaned into a towel, I examine the two dresses I brought with me. I’m not sure how formal the Threesome are with dinner, so I packed choices.

I hold them up to Ryan. “Which dress do you think I should wear? Christmas red with sparkly bits, or classic ‘little black dress’?”

“Not the red,” says Ryan. “That satin will show every mark.”

“Why should it get marked? We're only having dinner.”

He sits on the edge of the bed, tugging off his boots and smiling away from me. “I’m going for my shower.”

?

Mmmm…

Standing in front of the mirror, I switch on the hair-drier, brushing through my long locks, easing them to lie as I want, slightly covering my left cheek.

Ryan comes up close behind me. Taking me by the shoulders, he presses lips to the cheek, then in the mirror, his eyes meet mine. “You shouldn’t be so self-conscious about it. It barely shows. And in any case, you are still a beautiful woman; the most beautiful I know.”

“I… I still prefer to cover it if I can,” I stutter. I angle my face to the mirror, tracing a fingertip down the jagged red scar down the side of my face.

After my time in hospital, my months invalided, all my other injuries healed, but this…

An extra layer of foundation…

And some blusher…

Then no-one will see it…

*****

“Dinner is served!” James’ voice reverberates from the kitchen.

We head for the dining room. Out in the hall, Charlotte and Mitch descend the stairs, Mitch carrying Cara.

Mitch looks amazing. In a dress of jade, her hair is set in an elaborately up-style and at her neck she wears the silver and emerald necklace. The matching combs glint green against her copper-red hair.

Charlotte looks equally good. Although she still has much of her ‘pregnant shape’, the gown she wears emphasises her height and her much-expanded bosom but drapes smoothly over her expanded stomach.

Michael and Larry enter together, wearing their sweaters in a kind of protective fraternity, Rudolph side by side with the penguin, each refusing to meet each other’s eyes. Charlotte and Mitch exchange giggles as their men sit beside them.

Richard and Beth join us, she leaning on his arm, waddling a bit as he guides her to sit next to Charlotte. But Beth too, for all her advanced pregnancy, looks spectacular, in a dress chosen to make the best of her inflated stomach and bosom.

Michael aims a finger at Richard. “If you think you’re getting away with the suit and shirt, you’re mistaken. If the rest of us have to dress like idiots, so do you.”

Mitch turns to him, her voice all innocence. “Idiots, Michael?”

He turns to her, bowing elaborately. “My apologies, Mitch. If the rest of us have to meet your high sartorial standards, so does Richard.” He turns back to Beth’s elegantly dressed husband. “Go and change.”

James enters carrying a platter of smoked salmon, bedded on a green salad and dressed with sliced lemons.

Richard demurs, smirking…. “The meal’s arrived. If I take the time to change, the food will be cold.”

Michael takes on a quite untypical heartless tone. “Smoked salmon doesn’t go cold. Neither does melon. We’ll wait.”

James, Rudolph staring out from his chest, sets down the platter. “I’ll be back in in a sec with the soup. It’s just under the grill now.”

Hope lights up Richard’s face but Michael interrupts, “Just hold the soup for five minutes will you, James. Richard wants to change into something more appropriate. We don’t want his starter to go cold.”

James measures the billionaire’s perfectly cut, hand-stitched suit with his eye and his face stone-walls. “Yes, quite right. We’ll wait for you, Richard.”

Next to me Ryan, in his silk shirt and tie, lets out a slow release of air.

“Just realising what a narrow escape you had?” I murmur.

He scratches his nose and sniffs. “Mmmph…”

the stairs, James gives a satisfied chuckle and vanishes from the dining room. Five minutes

then takes his place, then glances up. “It suits you

his face almost as red

up a bottle. “Red or

“Red for me, please.”

table, pouring wine all

food. “Larry, French onion soup, melon or smoked

shifts his gaze from

He’s always watching her…

platter, radiating good humour as he serves himself a

her

“Mitch is sensitive to anything of this sort. She didn’t do well with Scandinavian

slices at his melon. “You’ve visited

crosses the table to Richard’s sweater, then he twists side-on to face Mitch. “Did I ever

teeth, then props her chin on a fist. “No, I don’t think

Over there, they call him Jultomten. Or just Tomten… Anyway, Tomten gives presents to all the…” He makes air commas with paired fingers… “… good little boys

her father as though

Santa ever visited

…

Or him?

you see, Tomten visits the house on Christmas Eve to meet the children. So…” He stabs at another slice

with a sackful of gifts, knocks on the door and asks, ‘Are there any good children here? Of course, all the kids say, ‘Yes’. So, then he’ll sit them on his knee…” Larry shifts to a fake and slightly comic Swedish accent… “So, Inga…

rude not to offer Tomten hospitality, so the parents will give him a slice of cake or stollen, and a glass

says

it does…” He grins and takes

out to get

Or… actually, genuinely, relaxing?

traditionally a family member will dress up to play the part. But… there are also what you might call professional Father Christmases. The

back, chuckling as he cradles his glass in paired hands. “I’m beginning to see

on Christmas Eve, by the end of the afternoon,

laughing, throwing out a finger at him…” … and drunk twenty shots

in Sweden to find two dozen Father Christmases, complete

Mitch

have you ever been to Sweden,

from her eyes. “Sweden no. But Larry took

“Really? That sounds marvellous.”

slowly. “One of the best

glass. “But you

the street. There must have been two feet of snow, but they did a hot salmon soup. The temperature was way below zero, but the soup smelled amazing. Larry and I had some

slide sidelong to the tall, fair-haired man next to her,

still, watching her parents,

still speaking. “…So, yes, the salmon soup was great. But the rest of it…” A shiver runs through

suppressing a smile. “In fact…” he says… “… If I am not much mistaken...” He hesitates, glances at

plate. Blinking, she sips at her wine. “Yes,” she mumbles. It

he looks between Charlotte and Mitch. “I worked it out. Not at the time obviously…” His

James and Michael

I missing something?” says

what are you both

to her father, but he shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not for me to speak unless your mother is comfortable

it is, it sounds important.” Her words shift to a hiss. “You can’t just leave

Wishing he’d not spoken?

a hand on her shoulder. “Calm down, Babe. Sometimes people have private stuff between

mind. It’s just a bit… er… Larry… You tell

for embarrassing confessions…” Then he turns, aiming his words at Charlotte. “Twenty-six years ago,

eyes grow round. “Why did

hands to heaven. “It was Christmas.

always wanted to travel too but hadn’t had the opportunity. So, I took her to Helsinki for Christmas. Everything was new to her and at first, meals-wise, she stayed with what was familiar; porridge and fruit for breakfast. That kind of thing. But after a few days of playing safe, she decided to get