slightly mocking!
hope you're not too busy to talk?"
"Well, you're the one who's obviously been busy," she retaliated.
"I
thought you were going to call me?"
"I'm calling you now," Nicolas said.
"I want your company tomorrow night."
"Not another party at the Marquez house?"
she asked.
"Would that be so unpleasant?
Didn't you enjoy the last one?"
He
sounded amused.
"I did.
The last ten minutes of it, anyway."
"You walked out on me," she reminded him.
"After a quick tuck over a desk.
And you haven't contacted me since. I
expected something better from a man with your reputation, Senor
Schlemann."
"What did you expect?
A dozen red roses and a thank you note?"
He
laughed.
"You've got the wrong man for that, Dr.
Muldaire.
And I didn't walk
out.
I was called away on official business, remember?"
"Oh yes, you had to go and interview a suspect,"
she said, coolly and with a hint of sarcasm.
"That's your job, isn't it."
"Part of it," he agreed amiably.
"I'll send a car for you at eight."
"I haven't accepted yet," she said.
"Is this going to be another semi-official orgy?"
"It's a fully official formal dance," he said.
Toliticos and military,
and Hernandez and his wife.
They'll all be there on their best
behaviour.
And looking forward to meeting you."
"I'm flattered," she said.
"I wasn't aware they even knew I existed."
"Of course they do," Nicolas said.
"The new, beautiful doctor with the flame-red hair, who actually
doesn't mind getting her hands dirty at El Inviemo?
Everyone's talking
about you."
"Including the Generalissimo's wife?"
she asked sweetly.
"Especially the Generalissimo's wife," he said.
"She wants to meet you more than anyone.
But I'm the one who'll be
enjoying tender moments with you later, and they know that.
Be ready
when the car arrives.
I hate being kept waiting."
He rang off abruptly, and Jacey put the phone down.
Well, she thought,
what a charmer you are, Senor Schlemann.
Then she smiled.
And how
useful you're proving to be.
This will give me the chance to check out
the Generalissimo, his formidable wife, and most of the other big names
in Guachtal as well.
Yes, dear Nicci, this liaison is just what the
doctor ordered in more.
ways than one.
Knowing how her evening was going to end made it easy for Jacey to
decide what to wear.
She opened her wardrobe and let her hands wander
briefly over the high-necked, low-backed silver beaded gown that hugged
her figure so tightly it would show the tiny peaks of her nipples, and
accentuate the cleft of her behind.
That would give the party guests
something to talk about.
What a pity it was totally inappropriate.
Instead she chose the designer gown, which also hugged her figure, but
was nowhere near as revealing.
Made of heavy, very dark, green silk, it could be dressed up or down as
the occasion demanded, and would always look right.
This time she
decided to dress it down.
She felt certain the female partners of
Guachtal's military and political elite would be taking this
opportunity to display their finery.
She would be a contrast.
Her red
hair would stand out like a beacon above a body sheathed in plain, dark
silk.
If they expected Nicolas Schlemann's woman to glitter, they were
in for a surprise.
And if Nicolas doesn't like it, she thought, too
bad.
She was aware that the dress would come off much later in the
evening.
She guessed that Nicolas would like frilly, feminine underwear.
The
tarty look black or red probably with suspenders, and stockings with
seams.
She remembered him saying something about liking his women to
be 'decorated'.
Like dolls, she reflected.
That's undoubtedly how he
sees us.
Playthings.
Objects of pleasure, to be used.
She saw nothing wrong in dressing up for sex.
She had an erotic but
uncomfortable bra, some impractical lacy underwear and some
black-seamed stockings, a legacy from her affair with Anton.
But with
her underwear, like her gown, she decided to go for spartan
formality.
She did not need a bra with the ball-gown, which was beautifully cut
and discreetly boned, and gave her a full, comfortable cleavage.
She
took out a pair of French knickers, tailored by hand from silk almost
the same colour as her gown.
She knew they fitted her perfectly, like
a second skin, smoothing over her buttocks and pulling just tightly
enough between her legs to emphasise her sex.
Instead of a suspender
belt she wore hold-ups, plain dark grey, with no seams.
She chose
black sandals, with medium heels and narrow, black straps.
To top all this, she was tempted to leave her hair loose.
She knew, it
would look stunning; she would be the only natural redhead in the room.
But again, she felt it was too obvious.
Instead she made a semiformal
pleat, carefully pinned to look as if any strenuous activity would make
it tumble to her shoulders.
She was ready when the car arrived for her.
An official flag on the
bonnet, and tinted glass windows that she suspected were bullet-proof,
it was driven by one of Nicolas's cold-eyed thugs, who opened the door
for her, but did not speak, and drove all the way in silence.
Because of the darkened glass she found it difficult to know where she
was going, but when they arrived at the huge gates of the
Generalissimo's official pal ace, she could see it clear enough, picked
out by floodlights, and decorated with elaborate shields.
The car
stopped and a uniformed guard peered in.
He looked at Jacey and, much
to her surprise, jumped back and saluted.
The car eased forward again
until it reached the palace forecourt and stopped at the foot of a
flight of white, balustraded steps that led to the palace doors.
Impressively huge, they now stood open, and once she was out of the car
Jacey could hear the sound of sedate music, voices and laughter.
The car cruised away, leaving her alone at the foot of the steps and
she stood there for a full minute, feeling increasingly angry.
Was she
supposed to wait, or go inside and look for Nicolas?
The night wind
stirred her hair.
Another car drew up and an elderly man with a
plain-looking younger woman got out, passed her on the steps with an
indifferent stare, and said nothing.
Jacey's patience evaporated.
She
headed up the steps, rehearsing some cutting remarks with which to
greet Nicolas when he finally appeared.
Inside, the couple who had just passed her were having their
invitations checked by a large, plain-clothed, and slow security guard.
The elderly man was clearly annoyed, but said nothing.
Jacey waited in
the marble-tiled entrance hall, under a huge chandelier, until the
guard finally allowed the couple to proceed.
When he did glance at
her, she glared back, willing him to come and ask her for an
invitation, or to challenge her in some way.
At that moment she would
have been delighted to take advantage of her association with Nicolas,
and tell him exactly who she was waiting for.
"Good evening, Dr.
Muldaire."
She turned to see Nicolas coming
towards her, tall and elegant in his black evening suit.
The brilliant
white of his shirt emphasised his tan.
When he smiled she was
irritated with herself; not only was she pleased to see him, but she
felt a surge of sexual excitement as well.
He offered her his arm.
"How very delightful you look.
Not that I expected anything else.
You're a classy lady, aren't you?"
She took his arm.
"For a man who doesn't like being kept waiting," she said coolly,
'you're not very punctual, are you?"
"I didn't say I minded keeping other people waiting," he said
amiably.
"Particularly women."
He bent his head towards her and for a moment
she felt his lips close to her ear.
"It makes them appreciate me just that little bit more.
Don't tell me
you weren't pleased to see me."
"Only because I was getting tired of standing around," she said.
He laughed.
"You'd only just arrived."
She opened her mouth to protest and felt
his hand tighten on her arm.
"Don't deny it.
I know exactly what time the car picked you up, and
what time it arrived here."
They moved further inside and past the couple she had seen on the
steps.
The elderly man's eyes flicked briefly from her to Nicolas, and
back again.
His expression changed from surprise to an ingratiating
smile.
His female companion also smiled, displaying her large teeth.
"Well," Jacey said, 'that's not how those two greeted me earlier on.
They looked right through me outside."
"Now they know you're with me," Nicolas said, 'they'll be polite to