right, even after nearly a year of parting it to fall to the left.
Louise examined the shiny red scar on her scalp for a moment. She could still see the needle marks. Thanks to her delay in getting sutured, the stitches had had to stay in for ten days. Unable to deal with the memory, she quickly moved on and tonged her hair into wild ringlets. She put on the Christmas holly underwear that she’d modelled a couple of months ago, along with the stockings from the same range, which were a very sheer red with green sprigs of holly and little red dots for berries.
They were fabulous!
As were the red dress and high-heeled shoes.
Hearing Emily blast the horn outside, Louise pushed out a smile, determined to enjoy all the celebrations that took place at her very favourite time of the year, however unwell she felt.
‘God help Anton!’ Hugh said, as Louise stepped out of her house and waved to him and Emily.
‘Why haven’t they got it on?’ Emily asked, as Louise dashed back in the house to check that she’d turned off her curling tongs.
‘I don’t know,’ Hugh mused. ‘Though I thought that Louise had sworn off men.’
‘She’s sworn off relationships,’ Emily said, ‘not joined a nunnery.’
Hugh laughed. No, he could not imagine Louise in a nunnery.
‘Is Anton seeing anyone?’ Emily asked, but Hugh shook his head.
‘I don’t think so—mind you, Anton’s not exactly friendly and chatty.’
‘He is to me.’
‘Because you’re six months pregnant and his patient,’ Hugh pointed out, as Louise came down her path for the second time. ‘Maybe you could ask him if he’s seeing someone next time you see him.’
‘That’s a good idea.’ Emily smiled. ‘I’ll just slip that question in while he examines me, shall I?’
She turned and smiled as Louise got into the back of the car.
‘Hi, Emily. You make a lovely taxi driver—thank you for this,’ Louise said. ‘Hi, Hugh, how lucky you are to have a pregnant wife over Christmas!’
‘Very lucky,’ Hugh agreed, as Emily drove off.
‘You look gorgeous, Louise,’ Emily said.
‘Thank you, but I feel like crap,’ Louise happily admitted. ‘I’ve got the worst period and I can only have one eggnog as I’m working in the morning.’
Hugh arched his neck at Louise’s openness and Emily smiled.
They both loved her.
As they arrived at the rather nice venue, Louise got her first full-length look at Emily.
‘You look gorgeous and I want one …’ she said, referring to Emily’s six–months-pregnant belly, which was tonight dressed in black and looking amazing.
‘You will soon,’ Emily said, because Louise had shared with her her plans to get pregnant next year.
‘I hope so.’
Louise’s eyes scanned the room. It had been very tastefully decorated—there were pale pinkish gold twigs in vases on the tables and pale pinkish gold decorations and lights that twinkled, and there was Anton, talking to Alex, who was Hugh’s boss, and Rory was with them as well.
Perfect, Louise thought as the trio made their way over and all the hellos began.
‘Aren’t the decorations gorgeous?’ Emily said, but Louise pulled a face.
‘Some colour would be nice. Who would choose pink for Christmas decorations?’ As a waiter passed with a tray, she took a mini pale pink chocolate that the waiter called a frosted snowball but even the coconut was pink. ‘They have a theme,’ she said, and smiled at Anton, but it went to the wall because he wasn’t looking at her.
‘No Jennifer?’ Hugh checked with Alex, because normally his wife Jennifer accompanied him on nights such as this.
‘No, Josie’s got a fever.’ Alex explained things a little better for Anton. ‘Josie’s our youngest child. You haven’t yet met my wife Jennifer, have you?’
‘Your wife?’ Anton said. ‘I have heard a lot of nice things.’
Perhaps because Louise was close to PhD level in Anton’s facial features, Anton’s accent, Anton’s words, oh, just everything Anton, she frowned just a little at his slightly vague response. Still, she didn’t dwell on it for long because he simply looked fantastic in an evening suit. Her eyes swept his body, taking in his long legs, his very long black leather shoes and then, when her mind darted to rude places, she looked up. His olive complexion was accentuated by the white of his shirt and he was just so austere that it made her want to jump onto his lap and whisper in his ear all the things she wanted him to do to her for Christmas.
Oh, a relationship might not be on the agenda but so pointed was his dismissal of her tonight that they were clearly both thinking sex.
‘Is that holly on your stockings?’ Rory asked, and everyone looked down to examine Louise’s long legs.
Everyone, that was, but Anton.
‘Yes, I got them free after that shoot I did a couple of months ago,’ Louise said. ‘I’ve been dying to wear them ever since. Got to get into the Christmas spirit. Speaking of which, does anyone want a drink?’
‘No, thank you,’ Alex said.
‘I’ll have a tomato juice,’ Emily sighed. ‘A virgin bloody Mary.’
‘Hugh?’ Louise asked.
‘I’d love an eggnog.’
‘Yay!’ Louise said. ‘Anton?’
‘No, thank you.’
‘Are you sure?’ Louise said. ‘I thought I owed you one.’
‘I’m fine,’ he responded, barely looking at her. ‘I think Saffarella is getting me a drink. Here she is …’
Here she was, indeedy!
Rippling black hair, chocolate-brown eyes, a figure to die for, and she was so seriously stunning that she actually made Louise feel drab, especially when her thick Italian accent purred around every name as introductions were made.
‘Em-il-ee, Loo-ease.’
On sight the two women bristled.
It was like two cats meeting in the back yard and Louise almost felt her tail bush up as they both smiled and nodded.
‘Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,’ Louise said.
Saffarella was already getting on her nerves.
‘Saffarella,’ she repeated in her
