Darkest Fantasies Read Free Page B

something, because she was just too
damned naive to hide it from him. That was one of the strengths of
their marriage. It made a man feel safe knowing that his wife was
there for him, that she wasn't running around behind his back. But
a social function? He had been dreading this moment, waiting for
it, and now it was finally here. What was he going to do? She was
nothing like these executive broads with their predatory smiles.
Nor was she like the wrinkled leather bags the directors were
married to. Between them they would eat her alive, and enjoy it,
the bitches.
    But there was
also the fact that he really didn't want anyone to talk to her
about what he got up to on those executive weekends, and long
evenings when he worked late and stopped over in the city. Of
course, she probably knew what he was up to; she might not be
socially geared, but she wasn't stupid. He had a reputation for
being a lady's man when she married him, and she must have known
that wouldn't change overnight. That was another of her strengths,
that she accepted a man's needs without continually harping on
about it. But there were rules, and one was that the wife was not
regaled with details. He was going to have to stick to her like a
glove to keep her out of the reach of the bitches, and behave
himself all night to boot, which was a pain. But the damage was
done, he thought grimly, and he would just have to live with
it.
     
    On the day of
the dinner Esther was as excited as a child. She knew these
business meetings often involved social events, but so far she had
never been invited to one, although it had always been on the
cards. Now Kevin was finally rising within the firm she was very
happy for him, and even if she felt a bit insignificant beside
those highly confident career women, she would do her utmost not to
let him down. She had bought a new dress, assisted by Kevin, as she
hadn't known what kind of thing to buy. And if she looked a bit on
the dowdy side, she supposed that he was trying to make her dress
the same as the other wives who were mostly older than her, and
that was a very kind touch. Anyway, these dull browns were
fashionable right now, the lady in the shop had assured her.
    Upon their
arrival at the venue her excitement was dampened by the sight of
the ranks of expensive cars outside the hotel, and the ostentatious
glitter of jewellery within it. She realised instantly that Kevin
hadn't realised it was to be such a formal event, or he would
surely have persuaded her to buy something with a little more
panache.
    'Esther, darling . So nice of you to join us.'
    Esther smiled
nervously at the chairman's plump wife, Amanda, whose vast family
jointly owned the majority of the company's shares. Then she
endured a two-cheeked embrace before being left standing as Amanda,
duty performed, swept past and homed in on one of her cronies.
    Kevin took a
firm grip on Esther's arm and led her in. Her heart sank as she
gradually realised there were three kinds of women present: the
wives of businessmen who exuded all the confidence of ranking
officers, the younger female executives who had nothing feminine
about them whatsoever, and herself. She felt as dowdy and
uninteresting as they believed she was, but inside she felt a
quiver of resentment. Just once in her life she would like to show
them all, and Kevin. Only she didn't know what she would like to
show them. But something. If only she knew how.
    She would have
been surprised to know that she was not as disliked as she
supposed. Most of those who knew Kevin realised that though his
wife was not what they would have expected of the most lecherous
man in the company, perhaps it was just as well, as no one else
would have put up with him. And they did admit she seemed to be
very nice, classy almost, in a quiet sort of way, and perhaps she
deserved better in a husband.
    Esther,
though, not realising she engendered such sympathy in those
present, felt her confidence shrink to the size of a peanut