Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“And what will you be doing during all of this?”
There’s an edge to her voice I can’t help but respond to, right or wrong. “I’ll be flirting with her, obviously. I might take her on the table between courses.”
“Cute.”
“A little finger banging after the salad course never hurt anybody.” She rolls her eyes and folds her arms, and for a moment, I feel a twinge of guilt. I have no intention of doing any such thing, but she doesn’t know that. I’ve kept it that way on purpose, haven’t I? Because she’s the liar responsible for my grandfather’s assassination. Isn’t she?
“You know I won’t do that,” I confess with a sigh. “But she needs to think I will. We want her defenses down.”
“In other words, I’m going to have to sit here and take it while she tries to seduce you.”
“Have you always harbored jealous tendencies, or is this new?”
Her eye roll screams derision. “Please. It’s insulting, end of story.”
I’m no longer joking when I round the table and place a hand against her stomach. “I don’t want you upsetting yourself for no reason. She’s nothing.” I receive a quick nod and the ghost of a smile before she leaves the room, and another moment passes before her footsteps ring out in the kitchen. Elena is due in a few minutes, and the woman of the house has to at least make it look like she’s used to serving up our dinners.
I gaze down at the flowers she so carefully arranged and reflect on the effort she took with her hair and makeup tonight. It strikes me as sad in a way. This is all a show, an act. She might wish it wasn’t. What girl doesn’t want to show off her new home to a friend?
But this isn’t the average marriage, and Elena is no average friend.
I only hope Alicia can put on a good performance—then again, I, of all people, should know how good an actress she is when she puts her mind to it. The memory stiffens my spine in time for the pealing of the doorbell. I cannot afford to forget who she is and what she’s put me through.
Alicia is wiping her hands on a dish towel as she hurries through the living room, breezing past me without so much as a glance. The girls do the typical squealing and hugging at the door while I busy myself opening a bottle of wine. A glance at my reflection in the mirror hanging over the sideboard tells me I’d better loosen up. Right now, I look like I’m ready to kill.
“And you can see through to the kitchen.” Alicia sounds upbeat, cheerful, happy as she gives Elena a tour.
“Wow, this is gorgeous!” She can’t hide how impressed she is. “You got lucky, babe. Really lucky. Does he have a brother?”
Alicia’s laughter is light and teasing, and the sound grows louder the closer the girls get to the dining room. I wait with my wine, smiling. The spider seated in the center of the web.
“Wow,” Elena breathes once she enters the room and sees the elaborate table, flowers, and candles. “All this for me?” Her smile is a bit disbelieving as she turns my way.
And then it hardens until it’s almost brittle. She sees what she wants and is determined to get it. “We meet again,” she announces in a decidedly softer voice.
“So we do, but now we’ll be introduced.” I hand her the wine, and she brushes her fingers over mine upon accepting the glass. “Elena, my name is Enzo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“As have I.” I raise my glass to her. “You have no idea.”
Alicia clears her throat, now wearing a brittle smile of her own. “I’ll see about bringing out the antipasto.” I nod but maintain eye contact with Elena. She’s a beautiful girl—curvaceous, too, and dressed to accentuate the fact. Her neckline is low enough to almost be indecent, and if she bent over, I’d have a nice view of her ass and perhaps her pussy, as well. Her diamond earrings and bracelet, and the designer label on her purse, all send a message. Your wife isn’t in your league, but I am.
She catches me checking her out and flashes a knowing smile. “I hope I look okay. Alicia told me you usually get dressed up for dinner.”
“You look great. That’s a nice dress.”
“You like it?” She treats me to a slow turn. “I bought it for tonight.”
“It was a good choice.” And now I’m glad Alicia has those expensive clothes from the shopping trip I took her on. I’m glad she looks just as good as her so-called friend—no, better. This little slut looks trashy. Eager.
Alicia enters carrying a platter of meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and crackers. “Dig in, please. I think I went overboard.” She sets the platter down in the center of the table before taking a seat at my right while Elena settles in on my left. “I never know how to estimate how much people are going to want to eat at once.”