Oscar Winning Performances (Part 2)

-2-

She woke up with the sun streaming in through the window. The trees were full of singing birds and the sky was clear after the storm. She heard footsteps outside the door, pulled out a pill from her bag and swept her hair back from her face. The door opened and in walked Jacob carrying a tray full of toast, orange juice, croissants and coffee. She smiled at him as he placed the tray over her legs. He sat down next to her and kissed her bare shoulder as he rubbed her back.
‘How about we work up an appetite before breakfast?’ He began to nibble her ear when her mobile rang. She jumped to answer it.
‘I can’t talk right now; I’ll call you when I get home ok?’ She hung up and tucked the phone under the clothes.
‘Who was that, baby? Hope your not planning to leave anytime soon.’ He slid a hand under the covers and between her legs. She hoped she wasn’t damp or he would suggest another session of fast sex when all she wanted to do was go somewhere other than here. ‘I couldn’t help noticing that you’re wet.’
She sighed as he worked his fingers towards her moist clitoris and between her labia lips. He smiled as she contracted around the finger that was entering her vagina. He took it as a sign that she wanted him, but she was trying to stop him from entering her.
‘Let’s get this breakfast out of the way.’
‘No Jacob, I’ve got to be somewhere.’ She sat up, clutching her breasts and putting on the shirt. He grabbed her waist saying ‘what’s the hurry, princess? I’m not working until 4 o’clock.’ He sat up; kissing every vertebra that pressed its way through her skin. She wriggled away, walking out of the room silently.
She half-ran down the carpeted stairs and found her clothes in a pile on the working surface. Thankfully, her underwear was clean and dry as well, so she hurriedly dressed and grabbed her damp coat. She shouted her goodbyes up the stairs, frantically shoving her mobile into her handbag. She fumbled with her car keys and unlocked the door, slamming it as she slipped into the cream leather drivers’ seat. She rested her head back and closed her eyes, exhaling in relief and annoyance.
Starting up the car, she reversed out of the drive and sped off. Jacob thought she was going home so he left her to it, yet he saw her turn left instead of right at the end of the road.
‘She must be going to her mum’s.’ He lay back in bed, reminiscing about the night before when he had made love to the only woman he had ever wanted to marry.
He remembered the breakfast on the floor and picked it up, chewing on a limp piece of toast and downing a glass of orange juice.

***

Salix’s hands were trembling as she steered down the main street of the city. She smiled at the elderly couples holding hands on the benches and at the couples with the newborn babies. Tapping her fingers on the cream steering wheel, she waited for the lights to change. She pressed ‘play’ on her iPod converter and music blasted into the car. She let down the sun roof and put on her shades as people turned to look at the rich, beautiful woman in the newest Mercedes on the market. Several guys whistled, and women tutted as she sped off down the road.
Fifteen minutes later, she was speeding down the open road, to the other side of town; ‘the posh side of town’. Her mother and father lived there in a huge white mansion, yet she sped past it, not even slowing to see who was home. She saw a bigger house looming in the distance over a hill. Its windows glistened, and its iron gates were unwelcoming. She pulled up and smiled at the man guarding it.
‘Hello, Miss Frantisek, like the car, is it new?’ The guard smiled warmly at her and admired the car. ‘I’ll open up for you and tell Mr Augury that you’re on your way up, shall I?’
‘Thanks Bill, how’s the wife and the little one? Here,’ she reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of notes, ‘buy them something nice.’ She smiled at his amazed expression and hurried up the driveway as the gates opened.
Handing her keys to the porter, she slung her handbag over her shoulder and skipped up the stairs, the door flung open before she had had time to ring the bell.
A handsome man stood framed by the white doorway, his blue eyes glittering in excitement as he flung his arms around her, kissing her and dragging her in to the building. He shut the door with his foot and smothered her face and neck with kisses as he pulled her into one of the front rooms. He pulled her down onto the sofa and kissed her until they were both out of breath.
‘That was a nice welcome,’ she breathed as she lay panting in his arms on a large suede sofa. ‘I need a shower; I’ve just come from Jacob’s.’ She smiled and he kissed her, not letting her move away from him.
‘Salix!’ They both stood up as a young girl aged around six or seven ran into the room with a doll hanging from her hand. Her blonde curls bobbed around her face as she leapt into Salix’s arms and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ve missed you. Guess what? I’ve lost another tooth,’ she parted her lips to show a gap, ‘and Mummy brought me a new dolly, like it? And Jaden brought me a dolls house to match it.’ She paused, crinkling up her nose in a theatrical way. ‘Where have you been? You smell funny.’ Salix laughed and put her down, staring at the excited little girl in front of her.
‘Claire, don’t be so rude. Salix is a guest here; you don’t ask personal questions like that please.’ Jaden was trying to hide his amusement as he told his youngest sister off.
‘If you go and find Peter the parker, he’ll give you a birthday present from me.’ Salix winked and patted Claire’s bottom as she ran off in search of another gift. ‘She’s a cute kid; she’s going to be a little heartbreaker like me when she grows up.’ She turned to smile into his handsome face, but he was frowning.
‘I told you not to buy her gifts, what happens when you decide to fuck off back to that twat? She’ll be heartbroken, and it will be your fault.’
Salix advanced on him, her fingers tucking into his back pockets.
‘I won’t fuck off back to Jacob. He’s a rebound until you make up your mind about telling your mother and father about us.’ She kissed and licked his Adam’s apple much to his protests, and pulled his face to hers to kiss him.
‘Claire’s right, you smell of sex, go and shower and I’ll tell Jerry to make us some lunch.’ He turned towards the kitchen when she grabbed his arms.
‘I’ll do that, I haven’t decided how hungry I am yet; you go and run us a bath.’ She smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips and bounded to the kitchen.
‘Hey there Jerry, how you doing?’ She kissed him on the cheek in greeting. She was on first name terms with all of the staff at Jaden’s house as she spent a lot of time there and she never overworked them. She looked in the fridge, pulling out some cold meat, lettuce, tomatoes and sweet corn. ‘I don’t suppose you could rustle me and Jaden a salad, could you?’
Jerry sighed. ‘Ok then Salix, how have you been? Heard you had another fight with that other guy; hope it wasn’t too serious.’ He looked at her with the eyes of a concerned father. He had known Salix since she was eight when her mother and father brought her to the house for Jaden’s sixth birthday party.
‘Don’t worry; we made it up, if you know what I mean.’ She smiled and Jerry sighed, not approving of her behaviour.
‘Salix, you really shouldn’t be having sex with both Jaden and Jacob. What if you fall pregnant, you won’t know who the father is, and then you’ll lose both of them because you’ve been lying to them both all along.’ He cut up lettuce leaves and threw them into a wooden bowl along with slithers of meat and chunks of sweet corn. ‘Can you get me the other tomatoes?’ he asked vaguely.
Opening the fridge door, she carried on the conversation. ‘Jerry, I won’t get pregnant, and if I do, I’ll dump them both and get Mum and Dad to help me raise the baby. I won’t land another screaming kid under this roof for you to look after, don’t worry.’ She smiled and grabbed the bowl Jerry had shoved aside, kissing him on the way out and munching on the leaves.
‘Oh, Salix, Jaden didn’t say we were expecting you.’ His mother, a soft-hearted woman, was just walking into the hall with a laden bagboy following her.
‘Yeah, sorry about that, he didn’t know himself until I turned up, thought I’d surprise him. I have a new film for us to watch.’ She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Anyway, must dash, Jaden’s running me a bath, I got wet in the storm last night and didn’t get the chance to shower. See you soon, April.’
She bounded up the large spiral staircase and followed the scent of bath oils to where Jaden had lit dozens of candles around a large deep set bath tub and rested rose petals on the waters’ surface. She smiled and he held out his hand for the bowl, resting it on the side, hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door handle and locking the door. She laughed at his quirky smile and he whisked her round the room, dancing to the soft music playing. He kissed her and started to untie the bow on her green dress. He lovingly tied her hair up on top of her head. He continued to remove her clothes, kissing every limb that appeared, and the ears that were getting pinker thanks to the steam developing on the mirrors and windows.
She slid his clothes off his toned body and kissed every muscle, including the one getting stiffer below his waist. It protruded out from his body by nine inches, and he was proud of it, letting her lick it slowly. He knew she hated giving oral sex, so he picked her up and helped her into the bath, sliding in behind her. He massaged her neck, letting the rose petals stick on her nipples, and licked the skin behind her ears. She moaned and held his head, holding him there to caress the sensitive skin. His hands dived into the water to massage the base of her spine, and she stood up, turning to face him. The pool-like tub was large enough for them to float fully-stretched on the surface, so he swam out to meet her in the centre, wrapping his arms around her and enveloping her in his affectionate embrace. She kissed him, lightly at first, wanting to feel his full lips brush hers for a second, then her kisses became deeper and more passionate as she slid her tongue into his mouth. She only kissed Jaden with tongues, as she knew he would respond with the correct enthusiasm. Their tongues touched and teased as their hands wondered over each other’s bodies as if discovering it for the first time. He pulled back, his eyes full of concern.
‘Are you sure you want this, I mean, with it being so soon after doing it with Jacob?’ He pushed the jet black tendrils of hair that had escaped the bobble back from her face with his fingertips and looked deep into her eyes, wanting to read her soul.
‘I’m not sure, I’m sorry boo, I guess I’m just worried about how things will turn out.’ She sighed and looked at her hands on his chest. She rubbed them over his velvety skin and wrapped her lips around his nipples, gently rolling them in turn between her teeth.
‘Ok, princess, out you get then. Do you want to stay over tonight, or do you have to go to your parent’s?’ He smiled at her as he helped her out of the bath, rose petals clinging desperately to her skin.
‘I want to stay with you tonight, if your father let’s me.’ She looked shyly at him. Jaden’s father was a very successful barrister, who had a unique way of getting people to tell the truth by raising only an eyebrow.
‘Of course he’ll let you, he likes you really, just doesn’t want the family inheritance going to someone who will misuse it.’ He laughed gently, and kissed her as he wrapped her in a towel.
‘But I don’t need your inheritance, I have my own. But your father still scares me even though I’ve known him for nearly ten years.’ He kissed her forehead and got dressed. He watched as she slipped on her dress and led her into his bedroom. A king size bed stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by red velvet curtains and smothered with cushions of different sizes. Clapping his hands, the lights came on, and showed the full splendour of one of the biggest rooms in the house. Window seats overlook the private lake, with swans gliding across the surface silently.
He pulled her towards his bed, dragging her down on top of him. As she tried to move away, he turned over, so he was on top. He kissed each of the brown freckles which were scattered like gold dust over her nose, finally reaching her mouth. His lips pushed against hers hungrily, his hands roaming over the fabric that was between his skin and hers. He lifted the hem and let his hands race up her inner thigh, his tongue probing her lips open. He let out a soft groan as he realised she had left her knickers in the bathroom and the smooth skin covering her labia was exposed. His cock stiffened immediately and he unzipped his trousers with his spare hand. Her hands were on his chest, pushing him away, yet that made him hungrier for her.
Salix turned her head to the side and pushed at Jaden to get off, yet he pulled his trousers down further and her skirt up higher towards her waist.
‘Jaden, no, Jaden, I said no. Get off me Jaden.’ His fingers continued to open her labia and his other hand probed into her vagina, letting the heel rub her clitoris. She continued to push her legs closed and push him off, yet he ignored her protests and hungrily buried his face into her neck, kissing, biting and sucking the skin. She was wiggling underneath him now so he grabbed her wrists together over her head.
She screamed as loudly as she could and Jaden stumbled off, apologising profusely and shouted after her as she ran out of the door and down to the kitchen crying.
Jerry was about to place a whole chicken into the large oven as Salix rushed in, her hair falling about her face and tears streaming over her cheeks. He placed it on the side and rushed to hold Salix’s shaking shoulders. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed on his black and white uniform.
When her sobs had subsided slightly, he pulled back and wiped the tear tracks away from her eyes. She looked so vulnerable and so much like the daughter he had lost only a year ago to leukaemia.
‘What’s happened, Salix? Come on, love, talk to me. What’s wrong?’ He hugged her harder as she continued to whimper on his shoulder.
‘He tried to rape me’ she managed to stutter in between sobs. ‘Jaden, he went crazy and tried to have sex with me. I kept saying ‘no’ but he carried on. Jerry, why would he do that? He’s not that sort of person, why would he do that? I just don’t understand.’
‘Salix. Where are you, Salix?’ They could hear Jaden’s voice coming from the next room, then the door flew open and Salix cowered behind Jerry. ‘Salix I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, please let me explain.’ He pleaded uselessly with Salix yet she continued to shake her head and Jerry ordered him out of the kitchen. He went defeated, and Salix rushed to get her bag from the front room. ‘Thanks Jerry, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m going to Mum’s, don’t tell him where I am, ok? I love you Pop.’ She hurried out of the front door and round to where her car was parked. Jaden was standing next to it, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.
‘Salix, please, just listen to me.’
‘I don’t want to hear what you have to say, Jaden. Now get out of the way.’ She tried to push him aside, yet he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her until she felt her eyes would roll back into her head and ordering her to listen to him.
‘You nearly raped me Jaden, how can you demand my forgiveness after that?’
‘I don’t know what came over me. I just thought that seeing as Jacob got it so easily last night I was disappointed that I didn’t get any in the bath.’
‘So you tried to rape me? That’s the stupidest excuse I’ve ever heard. Jacob loves me, and respects me, he got what we both wanted, but you,’ her voice faltered, ‘you forced me to get what you wanted. Now get out of my way.’ She jumped into the car, locking the doors and sped down the gravel drive to the open road, wiping the tears of anger and frustration from her eyes.

-3-

She turned on her iPod and when the saddest song blasted through her speakers, she swung into the nearest drive, punching in a code and stormed up the gravel driveway. Rushing into the house, she dropped her belongings to the oak floor and rushed to the familiar room on the second floor, and flung herself on the large four-poster bed. She heard a loving voice and a soft tap at her bedroom door yet she continued to sob into the pillows. The door creaked open and a warm hand rested on her heaving shoulders.
‘I really thought he loved me, Mum, but he’s just like every other guy that I’ve come into contact with. I’ve got no one, Mama.’ She looked up at Maria, the black haired woman sitting gingerly on the edge of her bed with sparkling green eyes, and full lips that were stretched into a thin smile.
‘You have me and Papa and Paolo, you don’t need anyone else. Papa’s planned you a birthday get together tonight, it’s meant to be a surprise, so why don’t we go shopping for a nice dress and shoes?’ Her daughter looked at her; she looked as youthful, beautiful and vulnerable as the day she was born. Maria used her thumbs to wipe away the smudges of mascara from beneath her daughter’s eyes. She kissed the tip of her daughter’s nose, and smiled into her eyes, pulling her to the mirror.
‘Look at yourself, darling, what do you see?’ She stood behind Salix’s shoulder, and smiled into their reflections.
‘I see us, like a reflection of each other but you have more wrinkles.’ She smiled cheekily, her mother nudging her back with her elbow. ‘But I see a hideous, spoilt princess, hardly worthy of rape.’
‘Well I see me as a young lady, beautiful black hair that girls would kill to have, gorgeous green eyes which guys fall into, a smile which can stop the world in its tracks, and a figure worthy of the catwalk. I don’t see a spoilt little princess, I see a girl who has had her fair share of trouble and broken hearts. So let’s go and spend all of Papa’s hard earned cash on a show stopping outfit for tonight’s party, hey?’ She smiled warmly at the daughter she had seen go through multiple manipulations and heartbreaks and pulled her towards the door.

Half an hour later, they were laughing at the hideous outfits that were in stock in the shopping mall, and drinking hot chocolate.
‘So what happened yesterday? I saw you driving past the house with the smile of a naughty school girl.’
‘I was at Jacob’s house and we had had an argument the day before, we made up, but it didn’t feel right, it was just sex to me, so I went to Jaden’s to talk things over with him because Jacob found out about us. He’d set up a rose bath and everything, and when I turned him down, he was ok. We went back to his room just to chill and we started kissing but he got on top of me and tried to have sex with me. Oh Mama, I thought he was so much more than that. I guess my judge of character was wrong, again.’
‘Oh sweetheart, to be completely honest, that Jaden guy is a complete goon because he virtually has his father’s entire fortune in his bank account. He doesn’t deserve you. We have a dress, shoes and soon we’ll have jewellery, shall we call in Sarah to do your hair and make up, or shall we get it done over at Jalap?’
Her daughter’s eyes light up, loving the pampering sessions her and her mother spent in Jalap, the leading hair and make-up specialist in the city.
‘Can we get them to come over to us at home so they can do our hair and make up when we’re dressed?’ Her mother nodded and she offered the stylists double if they made a home call. Maria reached into her Prada bag and called for the chauffeur.
She linked arms with her daughter and started to retell her first disastrous experience with Antonio, Salix’s father. They both threw back their heads, showing off perfect white teeth and letting their velvety laughter flow through the shopping centre so several people turned round to watch the two beautiful women walk towards the exit and slide into a black limo.
It only took twenty minutes for them to get home. Bagboys streamed out of the front door, ready to take the multiple bags to several rooms, and they were all laden with at least five shopping bags with several name brands plastered over the sides. The two women ascended the stone steps to Salix’s room, still laughing, and collapsed on the huge bed which dominated the room.
Maria clapped her hands, demanding a fashion show of all the clothes which were bought earlier that day. They stripped off their clothes, their bodies had the same youthful curves and they were both comfortable undressing in front of each other as they were more like sisters than mother and daughter.
The first outfits they tried on were gold Chanel trouser suits with matching shoes, yet they both knew they would never wear them until they went to Milan fashion week. The suits were followed by casual jeans and t-shirts, short skirts, bikinis, sensible dresses for Ascot, and finally floor-length gowns.
Maria was wearing an emerald velvet dress which matched her eyes to perfection and heeled shoes, sweeping her hair into a side bun, yet Salix wore a black silk dress, cut low at the back, with matching black shoes. They stared in awe at each others’ beauty and sighed.
‘Mama, you look beautiful; Papa will fall in love with you all over again.’ She gazed at her mother as she stared at her reflection admiring the cut of the velvet material. ‘Who made it?’ She reached to the label and read out ‘Augury’. ‘Jaden’s mum did it. She knows exactly which fabric goes with which design.’
‘You don’t look so bad yourself, sweetheart. I have a little something that I got while you were in the loo.’ Maria reached into a Chanel bag and pulled out a jewellery box, handing it to her daughter. Inside it lay a necklace similar to that of which a famous actress had wore in the advert for Chanel. She gasped and touched the diamonds set in a circle with ‘SF’ written inside it with more diamonds.
‘Oh, Mama, it’s beautiful. How did you get it? You must have had to order it like a year ago.’
‘Papa tugged a few strings at design shop and got it made with rare diamonds. It cost about one and a half million pounds, so don’t lose it.’ She chuckled as she reached forward to clasp it around her neck. The diamond chain slithered down her bare back and settled half way down, the jewels glimmered with every movement and made her back look more tanned. There was a knock at the door, and a shy boy stuck his head around the door.
‘Miss Frantisek, oh wow.’ His mouth gaped as he saw them both exquisitely dressed and the diamond chain. ‘You two look beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. I mean, ahem, you have visitors; the hair stylists from Jalap are here and the make up artists from Tines are here, and the masseuse people are here as well. Shall I send them up?’ Salix walked over, her heels sinking into the pampas carpet, and kissed him on the cheek.
‘Thank you, Tim, tell them they can set up in the morning room and we’ll be down soon. Take the rest of the day off, I know that your sister just had her baby, so why don’t you go and see her?’ Salix smiled sweetly as the boy said his thanks and sped off to get his coat.
‘Salix, you have to stop letting everyone have half days, your father will be furious if he finds out he’s paying full for them to be working only half a day.’
‘He can take their pay out of my account, I’d rather they relaxed than having to rush around the house and miss out on the important parts of family life.’
Maria sighed at her daughter’s generosity and laughed as they took off the dresses and covered themselves in dressing gowns.
The morning room was a converted conservatory, with large windows overlooking the lake and swimming pool. There were already hairdressing seats and vanity counters set up around the room with a smiling worker next to them.
Salix walked into the next room where a massage table stood surrounded by glowing candles and soft music. She stripped and lay on a massage table, awaiting warm hands to rub the knots out of her muscles. She heard a click and looked up, noticing a smiling black man rubbing oil into his hands ready to massage her. She tried to relax as his hands slid over her toned body and over her shoulders, but as he slipped her towel a little further towards her bottom, she was aware of his warm hands rubbing circles on the base her spine. She looked into the mirror set up in front of the table so the customer could have a respectable conversation with the masseuse, and looked into his eyes and noticed that they were doorways to his soul.
His eyes were trying to avoid hers, and treat her like he did every other customer, but she was beautiful; her emerald eyes burned his skin as he massaged her thighs and calves.
She turned on to her side, not bothering to cover herself with the towel as she reached for the back of his neck. She pulled him to her and kissed him seductively, letting her free hand wander under his uniform top. She swung her legs around so she was facing him and continued to kiss him. He pushed her back a little.
‘We can’t, I’d get the sack and I need the money.’ She hushed him with her finger and continued to kiss him. She removed his shirt, whispering ‘it’s only fair that you’re naked as well’. She undid his belt slowly, never losing contact with his lips and let his black trousers fall to the cream carpet. His warm body was shaking with nerves so she pulled him closer to her, letting her velvety thighs graze his hip bone. His penis strained against his boxer shorts and she freed it by dropping them to the floor.
‘Miss Frantisek, we really can’t. My wife would kill me,’ he muttered against her lips. He let his hands meander over her naked breasts and pulled her hips towards his, feeling her wet vagina against the head of his stiff penis. She shuffled towards him and pushed at him so it entered her. She moaned, loving every inch that entered her.
‘She doesn’t have to know. You can get a job here, earning twice as much for doing nothing but massaging me.’
He mumbled into her neck as he thrust his penis further into her, he started to moan as she licked his collarbone. He lifted her up and carried her to the sofa only a couple of feet away and lay on top of her.
They whimpered in ecstasy as their bodies grinded together. The door handle moved but, as the door was locked, they continued.
‘Miss Frantisek-’
‘Call me Salix’ she interrupted.
‘Salix, I don’t think we should be doing this.’
‘You’re enjoying it though, so you can stop now and finish my massage, wondering how good it could have been, or we can continue and you can find out how good it can be.’ She smiled bewitchingly into his eyes and he continued to thrust into her. He started to moan, his orgasm building up. His thrusts got deeper and more frequent as he built up his orgasm within her.
He collapsed on top of her as his orgasm ripped through his body.
‘That was so good, but so wrong.’ He quickly got up, and hurriedly dressed. ‘Miss Frantisek, do you wish for me to continue the massage?’
She shook her head grumpily and gathered her towel, unlocking the door. She turned around, looking at him as if to say ‘you’ll come back for more’. He sighed and buried his head in his hands.
‘Mum, be careful with that masseuse. He’s unfaithful.’ Her mother looked horrified and went to apologise to the masseuse about her daughter’s disgraceful performance.
‘She’s having a bad time with her boyfriend, you see, likes guys who are taken, she sees them as a challenge. As I said, I’m sorry about that, please don’t let it reflect badly on our family.’ She smiled apologetically at the young man standing in front of the massage table, his t-shirt peeking out of the flies of his black jeans. ‘You may want to tidy yourself up a little bit.’
She walked out of the room having handed him a weeks worth of wages and dismissed him to spend the day with his family. The make up artist and hair dresser had already finished Salix, so she had run off to invite people and get dressed.
Maria settled into a hair chair and relaxed as people tugged her curls and swept shadow over her eye lids.

An hour later, Salix was only a quarter of the way through inviting her friends and acquaintances.
‘Yeah, party at mine tonight, should be awesome. Mama and Papa are organising it for my 18th, so it should be good. Bring some people; I’ll make sure we have a room for the oldies and we can have the rest of the house.’ Her mobile was clutched into her hand and she was chattering excitedly in to it. ‘Just do one thing for me; don’t bring your girlfriend. Bye.’ She hung up, with a wicked smile spreading across her lips.
Her phone began to ring and she snatched it up.
‘Hi, it’s James, the masseuse.’
Salix smiled with accomplishment. ‘Oh, hi, I was wondering how long it would take for you to call me.’
‘Yeah, I heard you’re having a party later, mind if I gatecrash? I’m on a downer right now, I told the missus about us and she flipped so I need some free alcohol to numb it all down.’
‘Sure, people will be arriving from eight, you can stay if you want, and we have three floors of bedrooms for people to crash in.’
‘Thanks, I’ll see you later.’ He hung up and she smiled, dialling several more numbers and inviting several more friends from all over the town.