Bear Faced Liar by Alice Coldbreath

Author:Alice Coldbreath [Coldbreath, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-05-03T23:00:00+00:00

“Well thank heavens for small mercies!”

But it hadn’t been her choice, thought Pris. Was that because Jared was only toying with her? Why the hell had he carried her out The Heights that day? Her thoughts were all jumbled. She had to swallow past a lump in her throat. The server was putting down dishes of seasoned chickpeas, eggplant in honey, and cheese croquettes.

“Could we have some bread please?” asked Vanya at the waiter’s polite enquiry if there was anything else he could fetch for them. “And I’ll have a large glass of the Sauvignon Blanc. Chrissy?”

“No, thank you,” said Pris. She would need a clear head for all the thinking she was going to have to do.

“You may find,” said Vanya, once the waiter had retreated. “That once you’ve got your little revenge fling out of your system, you’ll feel a lot better about the whole thing.” She started spooning stewed eggplant onto Pris’s plate.

Revenge fling? Pris regarded her. “Vanya,” she started heavily, then lapsed into silence as the waiter bought over a bread basket and a glass of wine to their table. “You seem to have this the wrong way around.”

“Have I?” prompted Vanya, when she didn’t continue. She placed down the bowl and picked up the dish of croquettes. “I think you must allow for my wealth of experience in these matters,” she said with a slightly patronizing smile.

“I love him,” said Pris abruptly. She let this sink in a minute, before adding, “Jared, not Stuart. I don’t think I ever loved Stuart. I just thought I should.”

Her stepmother stared back at her and set the bowl down with a heavy thump. “Then why in the world do you look so desolate?” she asked. “Answer me that!”

“Because,” said Pris, turning her head away, unable to meet Vanya’s bewildered gaze. “Because, I very much doubt he feels the same way about me!”

Vanya was very good and pretended not to notice the tears that spilt over, as Pris rummaged in her designer clutch for a tissue. She clicked her tongue and murmured ‘darling’, but otherwise left her step-daughter to compose herself.

“I’m sorry,” said Pris, finally looking up. “I’m not going to be able to eat much of this.”

“I will be pacified with even two spoonfuls,” Vanya told her kindly.

Pris did her best to comply, but the tomato sauce tasted congealed and the eggplant rubbery and dry.

“Tell me about the job,” said Vanya, tipping her head to one side. “Always, you had the fascination for the make-up artistry, always.”

Pris gave a weak smile, before it faded from her face. “But you remember how Dad felt about that,” she said bitterly. “Beauty courses are for those that don’t have the brains for real academic subjects.”

Vanya winced. “He could be stubborn, your father.“

“You don’t need to tell me. The amount of times he sent me back upstairs to wash my face, if he thought I was ‘painted like a clown’.” Pris set down her fork. “And then he went and married Jenna! Jenna, with her fake tan and false eyelashes.

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