plate. “Mrs.
Doona Moore Adams” had been printed on it. She stared at it for a moment and then shook her head. Bessie sat down in her seat and watched
as Doona very carefully tore the word “Adams” off the card.
“That’s better,” she said as she sat down
opposite Bessie. There was a candle
burning in the centre of the table and Bessie grinned as Doona dropped the
piece she’d ripped off the card onto the flame.
Bessie watched as the dining room filled
with guests. When everyone was
seated, waiters began to move around the space, carrying trays full of the
first course and pouring glasses of wine.
For several minutes the pair ate and drank
silently, letting the background noise of the room wash over them. Bessie watched as Mai and Harold moved
from table to table, presumably making sure everyone was happy.
They had just started on the second course
when a tall blonde woman appeared in the doorway. She looked around the room as if she was
trying to find someone. To Bessie
it seemed as if her eyes stopped on Doona for a short while, before moving
on. The room grew quiet as everyone
noticed the new arrival.
Bessie looked over at her friend. “Someone you know?” she whispered.
“Jessica Howe,” Doona whispered back. “The woman Charles was seeing behind my
back.”
“What’s she doing here?” Bessie asked the
obvious question.
“I’ve no idea,” Doona hissed.
“Ah, Mai, there you are,” the woman called
from the doorway. “Do us a favour
and tell Charles I’m here, would you?”
“Certainly, Ms. Howe,” Mai said, turning and
heading towards the kitchen door.
The room remained silent while Mai was gone. Bessie used the time to study Jessica
Howe. She would have put the woman
somewhere in her thirties, but it was hard to be certain, as she was wearing a
great deal of makeup. Her hair was
platinum blonde and it looked dry and brittle, even from across the room. Her eyes were a luminous blue that
Bessie suspected came from coloured contact lenses. She had generous curves that were being
showcased in a very tight dress that was not only cut low at the front, but had
a very short skirt.
“Charles is really busy in the kitchen,” Mai
announced when she returned. “He
said to tell you he’ll see you later. In the meantime, you’re welcome to enjoy the dinner.”
“Oh, am I?” Jessica asked, her voice rising
in pitch with every word. “Busy in
the kitchen, is he? Tell him to get
out here right now or he’ll regret it,” she shouted shrilly. “I won’t be treated like this, not after
everything he’s put me through.”
“Calm down, Jess,” Charles said as he walked
in behind Mai. “There’s no need for
a scene. Have some dinner and we’ll
talk later.”
“I don’t want to talk,” Jessica
shouted. “I want to kill you.”
It seemed as if everyone in the room gasped
at the same time.
“Surely you’ll do a better job on a full
stomach,” Charles suggested. “I’m
not going anywhere. I’m working.”
“I think we’ve had quite enough of this
little drama,” another voice chimed in. Lawrence Jenkins walked in behind Charles and nodded tightly at
him. “Ms. Howe, if you’d like to
come with me, we can have a chat while you wait for Charles to finish here.”
“Charles is finished here,” she
replied. “In every possible way.”
“Yes, well, that’s something we can better
discuss elsewhere,” Lawrence said smoothly. He walked over to her and took her
arm. “Let’s go somewhere a little
more comfortable. I’m sure we’ll
find lots to talk about.”
For a moment it looked as if the woman was
going to argue, but Lawrence turned her around and led her out of the
room. It seemed as if everyone
sighed with relief together as the front door shut behind the pair.
“Well, that was interesting,” Bessie said brightly to Doona.
“Do you think we
Doona Moore Adams” had been printed on it. She stared at it for a moment and then shook her head. Bessie sat down in her seat and watched
as Doona very carefully tore the word “Adams” off the card.
“That’s better,” she said as she sat down
opposite Bessie. There was a candle
burning in the centre of the table and Bessie grinned as Doona dropped the
piece she’d ripped off the card onto the flame.
Bessie watched as the dining room filled
with guests. When everyone was
seated, waiters began to move around the space, carrying trays full of the
first course and pouring glasses of wine.
For several minutes the pair ate and drank
silently, letting the background noise of the room wash over them. Bessie watched as Mai and Harold moved
from table to table, presumably making sure everyone was happy.
They had just started on the second course
when a tall blonde woman appeared in the doorway. She looked around the room as if she was
trying to find someone. To Bessie
it seemed as if her eyes stopped on Doona for a short while, before moving
on. The room grew quiet as everyone
noticed the new arrival.
Bessie looked over at her friend. “Someone you know?” she whispered.
“Jessica Howe,” Doona whispered back. “The woman Charles was seeing behind my
back.”
“What’s she doing here?” Bessie asked the
obvious question.
“I’ve no idea,” Doona hissed.
“Ah, Mai, there you are,” the woman called
from the doorway. “Do us a favour
and tell Charles I’m here, would you?”
“Certainly, Ms. Howe,” Mai said, turning and
heading towards the kitchen door.
The room remained silent while Mai was gone. Bessie used the time to study Jessica
Howe. She would have put the woman
somewhere in her thirties, but it was hard to be certain, as she was wearing a
great deal of makeup. Her hair was
platinum blonde and it looked dry and brittle, even from across the room. Her eyes were a luminous blue that
Bessie suspected came from coloured contact lenses. She had generous curves that were being
showcased in a very tight dress that was not only cut low at the front, but had
a very short skirt.
“Charles is really busy in the kitchen,” Mai
announced when she returned. “He
said to tell you he’ll see you later. In the meantime, you’re welcome to enjoy the dinner.”
“Oh, am I?” Jessica asked, her voice rising
in pitch with every word. “Busy in
the kitchen, is he? Tell him to get
out here right now or he’ll regret it,” she shouted shrilly. “I won’t be treated like this, not after
everything he’s put me through.”
“Calm down, Jess,” Charles said as he walked
in behind Mai. “There’s no need for
a scene. Have some dinner and we’ll
talk later.”
“I don’t want to talk,” Jessica
shouted. “I want to kill you.”
It seemed as if everyone in the room gasped
at the same time.
“Surely you’ll do a better job on a full
stomach,” Charles suggested. “I’m
not going anywhere. I’m working.”
“I think we’ve had quite enough of this
little drama,” another voice chimed in. Lawrence Jenkins walked in behind Charles and nodded tightly at
him. “Ms. Howe, if you’d like to
come with me, we can have a chat while you wait for Charles to finish here.”
“Charles is finished here,” she
replied. “In every possible way.”
“Yes, well, that’s something we can better
discuss elsewhere,” Lawrence said smoothly. He walked over to her and took her
arm. “Let’s go somewhere a little
more comfortable. I’m sure we’ll
find lots to talk about.”
For a moment it looked as if the woman was
going to argue, but Lawrence turned her around and led her out of the
room. It seemed as if everyone
sighed with relief together as the front door shut behind the pair.
“Well, that was interesting,” Bessie said brightly to Doona.
“Do you think we
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