The room was dimly lit, with leather sofas and chairs surrounding a long, low, oval-shaped marble table, which was packed with drinks.
When entering, the indirect light would lit up as if welcoming the new guests before slowly tuning back to a cozy and darker setting.
This didn't look like a business meeting; this looked like entertainment.
Looking up at Thomas, his face unreadable, I couldn't say whether he knew the event would be like this.
The men stared but eventually stood up hurriedly, encircling us and greeting Thomas, while the ladies stayed seated like the accessories they were.
"Mr. Lennister. It is our pleasure to finally welcome you here."
"Mr. Lennister, your wife is beautiful, matching such a dashing man."
It seemed Thomas was here for the first time as well.
Looking closer, I noticed that these men had been under the guests of Saturday's soirée.
Yet, I spotted none of their wives.
These girls weren't the older women who accompanied their husbands... is this a little get-together with the mistresses?
I again looked at Thomas in disbelief. What the hell did he bring me here for?
After my husband greeted everyone, we sat down on a two-seater couch; luckily, I had none of these creeps near me, if ignoring the creep I came with.
Thomas gave me a little golden booklet, and I stared blankly at it, asking myself if it was the secret diary of a long forgotten princess.
Opening it, it was only the menu. I really wanted to steal it... It wouldn't fit in my pocket, but it would in my bag.
However, if I got caught, it would be really a dilemma, in front of these creeps and while playing the obedient wife.
Contemplating, I nearly flinched when I heard Thomas' voice in my ear.
"Have you chosen?"
I haven't registered a thing of what I had read,
"You decide." I gave him the booklet back, and he seemed satisfied with my answer, his frozen face relaxing a bit.
If only he wouldn't be a violent psycho, then he would be more pleasing to look at.
Jude, at least, was only a violent psycho to men, not beating kids—no, that's wrong. Jude had set fire on a teenager, which is a kid, and he had punched another kid as well.
Okay, both are psychos. Ah, but Jude hadn't attempted to hit me, while Thomas did.
And... Thomas harassed me, while Jude did not, or at least only with his eyes.
So, Jude won against his father, being the better psycho.
Happy to have sorted out the psychoscale regarding the Lennister-men, my favorite going as the winner, I looked up and noticed that Thomas had already ordered.
The other girls' eyes were sticking on him.
Naturally, they had the same thoughts as me, just without knowing about his other side. And in comparison, Thomas, with neither gray hair nor beginning baldness, without a little belly, and a handsome, not-really-aged face, was the best looking here.
I bet if they saw Jude, they would just go and die with a smile on their faces.
Until the drinks came, they exchanged pleasantries, with Thomas being the only one not partaking; the others were even going as far as asking how the kids were doing, and that in front of the younger girls around.
So they should know of their mistress status.
I was given a wine, the same I drank at the soirée; it was good. Thomas made the right choice.
Because the two-seater was already not that big, I had placed my bag on the floor, and when Thomas finished ordering, he laid the booklet on the edge of the couch table, before sitting back with crossed arms and legs, observing the people around him.
So, the booklet was now hovering above my bag.... This wasn't an invitation to take it; it was a push to do just that.
Putting my wineglass on the desk near the booklet, I looked around in real boredom, waiting for my chance.
The men found one reason after another to toast to each other, and soon I had to take my glass again, nudging the booklet a little bit with the glass bottom in the go; the loot fell into my bag, just like that.
I did neither look directly at my bag nor made any indication that I had noticed it; as long as someone else had, I could feign surprise and put it back.
Because nobody would steal a menu. Heh. That's a treasure now because I like it and decided for it to be one.
And I have a new memory to store away. It doesn't matter if the memories are from great or awful places; the important part is that I had them.
If I would one day look at my treasures and not remember one of them anymore, then I knew I would become like my grandma. And if that time ever came, I would kill myself.
So, everything I would remember in the future was a treasure, and everything I didn't remember was either unimportant or the starting point of me losing against my mind.
********
Thomas POV
Before I could mention the punishment I wanted to implement, Lesly told me about how I molested her while I slept.
Impossible. I would have called her a lair if her eyes hadn't told me that she had indeed told the truth.
How is that possible?
Have I dreamt of you and gone too far while sleeping?
The next day I indeed woke up with her in my arms, but my hands hadn't touched any private parts of her.
Her breasts... Pictures of the dead woman with her ugly bleached hair, naked, posing before me made my stomach turn. Impossible.
But amidst these dreary thoughts and disgust, my eyes fell on her neck as we spoke. Suddenly, the disgust diminished, and I spoke to her about what I needed, wanted, and desired to do.
When my lips touched her soft pale skin, I expected the disgust to resurface, or at least a bit of a barrier. But instead, I desired her.
I desired a woman that could either be your daughter or niece.
I didn't want to stop; I didn't want to stop sucking the silky skin, devouring a part of her, leaving my signature all over her curves.
How is this possible?
How had it come to this?