The Dinner Party – 9
In the back of his car, Gilles Massé watched his latest acquisition’s face as he caught her nipple between his first and second fingers and squeezed. The whimper she emitted was a satisfying combination of pain and need. Carmen, his beloved, his wife, his partner in crime, had her hand up the girl’s dress; he […]
The Dinner Party – 8
At 3 PM, Isabel phoned David and asked if he could meet her. “It sounds urgent, Izzie. Clandestine.” David had an uncanny way of making quite ordinary words sound extraordinarily obscene. Isabel laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. It isn’t like that.” She paused. “Well, not really.” “Then what is it like? No hints?” “Well, you […]
The Dinner Party – 7
The workweek started as it always did. Isabel came into her little office at about 8 AM with two plastic bags full of iced-coffee, tied up with rubber bands and with straws sticking out the tops. There were places that sold coffee to go in swankier containers, but the coffee lady on the street, outside […]
The Dinner Party – 6
Isabel awoke at dawn feeling strange and unreal. She looked across the enormous bed to where Gilles and Carmen lay naked and spooned. There was very little she remembered about the previous night after she had come a second time. Snatches of sound and pictures flitted through her head: insidious erotic fragments, like a film […]
The Dinner Party – 5
Isabel had no idea how long they lay silent, drifting through layers of dream. Images would flood into her mind, swallowing her up and then release her with the taste of them lingering on her tongue. She was a child looking up at a grey sky, gentle snowflakes falling on her face. And then she […]
The Dinner Party – 4
“Carmen, go inside and prepare the necessaries.” Carmen lazily drew her legs together and stood up. “Perhaps you should ask her first, Mâitre?” Gilles laughed and looked at Isabel. “It did not occur to me that our guest is…” He traced the tips of his fingers around the swell of one of her breasts, just […]
The Dinner Party – 3
Isabel walked mutely back onto the dining veranda. It was irrational, but she was positive that they only had to take one look at her face to know what she’d just been doing. If they didn’t see it, they’d smell it – she was sure. But Mr. and Mrs. d’Aubigne were on their feet, with […]
The Dinner Party – 2
Isabel ate her strawberries in silence. The table had completely returned to normal. It had been cleared by one of the Mase’s many staff, and even the wine stain was gone. The conversation had reverted back to gossip and rumour: whose business was doing well, who was leaving for the home country, which school was […]
The Dinner Party – 1
The invitation to dinner was unexpected. It came in the form of an email. It was very nice to meet you at the Consulate party on Tuesday night. Carmen and I are having a little dinner party on Friday and would be happy if you could join us. We realize that our villa is a […]
If In Some Distant Place – Part 3
Robert and Nuria walked back towards Lam Son Square, down the night-time chaos of Dong Khoi street. “Thanks for that,” Robert said, after a considerable silence. “Madam Dai is one hell of a character. If she were ten years younger, I would have been tempted to seduce her.” “I’m pretty sure she’d still be interested.” […]