Page 81 of Devious Gambit

I caught Lise and Gretta exchanging glances. “The first is always the hardest,” Lise told me.

“Spare me the niceties. I just want to get on with my life.” I hadn’t filled them in on the entire story, just the tidbits. That the a-hole was using me and lost interest as soon as he got what he wanted.

Gretta leaned against the back counter, gazing over at the jocks who were seated at their usual table. “He must be feeling guilty, if he’s done a runner.”

“Jeez, I hope nothing happened to him,” Lise sighed.

“Why are you two on his side,” I hissed.

“We’re not,” Lise answered. “Anyway, Gretta and I had a little chat earlier and we’ve decided to take you out on the town after work.”

“No thank you, I’ve got assignments to complete and…it’s far too cold to go traipsing about drunk.”

“I’ve booked a spa for us,” Lise informed me. “We’ll get our hair and nails done and get a massage, maybe a soothing mud bath, while drinking champagne. It’ll be nice and therapeutic for all of us. What do you say?”

I nodded. “That sounds nice.”

She took a strand of my long hair in her fingers. “Maybe you could get a new do.”

“I think Rhys should get bangs,” Gretta suggested.

“Oh my god, yes!” Lise gasped, excitedly. “You’d look amazing with bangs.”

My cheeks burned red; hating the attention, these two were giving my appearance. “I’m not sure I’d suit a fringe.”

“Wait.” Gretta placed her hand over my forehead, a fake fringe. “How does that look?”

“A-ma-zing!” Lise squealed, leaping forward to give me a hug. “I can’t wait to see the new you.”

I felt like saying, I’m still a killer and the daughter of a convicted murderer. A killer with a new hairdo, nothing else had changed on the inside.

When our afternoon shift was over and the dinner staff came in to takeover, we piled into Lise’s car and she drove us to the day spa. The spa was so fancy they had a mini replica of the Fountain of Neptune in the foyer and the walls were coated with gold flowered wallpaper. I felt completely out of place with my scruffy hair and plain, naked face, always without make-up.

Lise signed us up for a bit of everything, whatever that meant. Although I resisted at first to let her lead me blindly in this foreign world, I did relax a little when the champagne hit my pallet. Once I was groggy, the girls started to have some fun with me.

“Sho vas it you?” I slurred, pointing my finger at Lise’s gorgeous face. She was blessed with all the alluring features men love, plump lips, heart-shaped face, big eyes with long eyelashes, curvy body. Her hair was cut really short, almost bald, but that only added to her appeal. Me, I was long and lean, five foot eight, long face, pale lips, hair the color of tree bark, skin the color of snow, nothing special. We were sitting in a hot bath of bubbling mineral water that smelt like Mr. Ed’s farts. Oh yes, perfect Mr. Ed farted in his sleep and it stunk like hell on fire. Why the eff was I thinking about that a-hole for?

Lise giggled, drunkenly, sloshing the strawberry about in her champagne glass. “Vat are you talking about?”

“Greene.”

“Huh?”

“Suffocated by a pillow as he lay in the hos…hos bed.” My tongue failed to twist around the word ‘hospital’ so I gave up trying. “Vas it you?”

Lise’s mouth gaped open in mock horror. “Moi? I could never do such a thing.”

“If it wasn’t you then who was it?”

“Are you serious?” Gretta was miffed that I was even accusing Lise.

“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t cry in my latte when I heard,” Lise admitted.

“Me neither,” Gretta said.

“Maybe it was you, dear Rhys. Did you do the deed?” Lise stirred.

“No,” I answered after swallowing down some more champagne, burping afterwards. “One’s enough.”

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