Chapter 2 - The Arrival of the Guest of Honor
The sound of the tires on the gravel driveway was the first signal that the play was beginning.
Austin felt a strange,
metallic taste in his mouth as he stood up and gestured for everyone to stay low.
The front door unlocked with a sharp,
mechanical click that echoed through the silent hallway like a gunshot.
Brianna walked in,
carrying her designer handbag and a coat that smelled of a perfume he hadn't bought for her.
She was humming a tune,
a soft,
happy sound that died the moment she stepped into the dining room.
"Surprise!"
The shout erupted from the guests,
tearing through the darkness as the lights flickered on.
Brianna stumbled back,
her hand flying to her throat,
her eyes wide with a terror that she quickly tried to mask with a fake smile.
"Austin?"
she gasped,
her voice trembling as she looked at her husband standing at the end of the table.
"What...
what is all this?"
He walked toward her,
his steps slow and deliberate,
and took her hand in his.
"I told you there was an important delivery,
love,"
he said,
leaning in to kiss her cheek,
noticing the way she flinched ever so slightly.
Her parents rushed forward,
smothering her with hugs and praises,
telling her how wonderful Austin was for organizing this "tribute."
Austin watched her face,
seeing the frantic calculations happening behind her eyes as she looked around the room.
She was searching for something,
a missing piece of the puzzle,
and he knew exactly what it was.
She was looking for the watch she had left on the coffee table,
the one she thought she could hide before he got home.
He led her to the seat next to him,
the place of honor,
and watched as she sat down with the stiffness of a woman facing a firing squad.
"You look exhausted,
Bri,"
he whispered,
loud enough for her sisters to hear.
"Shopping with your sisters must have been very taxing today."
One of the sisters looked up,
confused,
ready to speak,
but Austin cut her off with a toast.
"To Brianna,"
he announced,
raising his glass to the ceiling.
"To a woman who knows exactly how to get what she wants,
no matter the cost."
The guests cheered,
clinking their glasses in a symphony of ignorance that made Austin want to laugh.
Brianna drank her wine in one long gulp,
her eyes fixed on the wrapped box in the center of the table.
She looked like she wanted to run,
to vanish into the night,
but she was trapped by the love of the people who didn't know her.
Austin sat down and began to serve the food,
his hands steady,
his heart cold as the ice in the bucket.
The dinner proceeded with a forced joviality,
with stories being told of Brianna’s childhood and her career successes.
Every time Julian Vance’s name was mentioned in relation to her work,
Austin felt the gold watch in his pocket grow warmer.
He waited for the perfect moment,
the lull in the conversation that would signal the start of the final act.
He could see the sweat on Brianna’s upper lip,
May you like
the way she kept glancing at the door,
hoping for an escape that wasn't coming.
