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2024-01-22 21:00:18Somehow, Trisha managed to get home before Monday sunset. She’d had to leave her car in Boston, take a bus to Worcester, another from there to Hardwick and then walk all the way from town to the Manor. But she made it, and I treated her to a lavish dinner, before sending her upstairs for a relaxing bath and a good night sleep in her warm, comfy bed.
I was still excited about Brandon’s call, but I put it aside to hear about her crazy adventures in the snow. By Tuesday morning, when my friend found her way downstairs to let Susan have her way on the second floor, I was already calm and composed, and just dropped a casual comment about it.
“Oh, he texted me last night,” she said, struggling to go from the standing-up state to really awake. “Just a line: let’s do it after New Year. You coming back from the party with him?”
I frowned, thinking that was actually a good idea. If roads were open, maybe he would accept an invitat
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I couldn’t believe my eyes as I stood before the full-length mirror in the bedroom. Brandon had called a stylist to take care of my hair and my makeup for the party. And now that I’d added the outfit we’d picked the day before, it was like seeing another person in the mirror. Hand to heart, I had no idea I could look so pretty. He came to stand behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders, looking up and down my reflection with his warm smile. “Look. That’s my favorite top model ever,” he whispered in my ear. Before I could argue, he produced his phone and circled my waist with his arm, sticking to my side for the classic mirror picture. He turned to me and his eyes slid down to my lips. “Fuck. I should let you at least get to the party with your makeup untouched, right?” “You better,” I replied, dying to kiss him. He raised a finger and hurried to his bag, from where he came back with a longish black velvet case. My frown made him s
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Mike had cleaned the driveway all the way to Greenwich Road, so Brandon didn’t have any problem driving past the gates to park only a few steps away from the Manor.Good thing I recalled turning on my speaking app even before climbing down from the truck, because the front door opened by itself a moment later. Brandon hesitated, so I took him by the hand to make him keep walking.“Happy New Year!”“Hey, twins! Happy New Year!” I looked around. “Trisha isn’t home?”“Not yet.”“Come, come.”“In a minute.”Brandon had stopped with one of his suspicious frowns. I let go of his hand and opened the SLS app on my phone. It showed two sticks figures standing on the porch by the open door. Two adults. I showed him the screen.“Bet those are Ann Marie and Edward,” I said. “A formal welcome to the Manor.”
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