Page 32 of A Billionaire for Christmas
Spend the day blindfolded
Make your own face out of sausage meat
Publicly eat vanilla pudding out of a mayo jar (with gusto)
How could she fall madly in love in just a few days? Was that even possible? She was definitely in lust, she knew that for sure. But Levi would be keeping a professional distance now that his family had started to arrive, so she had very little chance of getting to know him properly. She turned back to the list. There were at least two or three that she might get out of the way tonight, before everyone descended tomorrow. She whipped up some vanilla pudding and filled an empty mayonnaise jar, putting it in the fridge to set. She popped trays of delicious seasoned vegetables into the small oven ready for roasting. She set the huge rack of lamb rubbed with garlic and rosemary into the oven to slow roast. She would throw the hors d’oeuvres together later.
She slipped on a hair net and checked for signs of life nearby. She padded to the top of the stairs that led down to the spa area and heard Levi and Lucca chatting. It sounded like they would be down there a while. Molly wondered which task to complete next. She chose the quickest and easiest. She opened the fridge and pulled out what she needed – a giant pack of sausage meat. It was trickier than she first thought. She would have to lie down to do it. She cut out a face shape with eye holes and a slit for the mouth from a sheet of rice paper, dipped it in water for two minutes and draped the soft wrap over her face. She worked deftly, working the sausage meat across her face. Making sure to mould it to her features. She whipped out her phone to take a selfie. She would take another one once it was cooked and decorated to look like her.
It took an age and several bouts of cursing her friend before the task was complete. Honestly, what was the point?
As Molly lay on the couch while the meat mask rested, she was reminded of when Ava decided they must learn how to make their own sausage, arguing that there would be a market for corporate BBQs and quirky-flavoured meats. The more bizarre and alcoholic-sounding the combination, the more popular they had become. As she lay, eyes closed, Molly revelled in the memories, the days spent laughing together, creating recipes with outlandish names. The What Happens in Vegas sausage with its shot of tequila and lime running through it had them tipsy by the end but was by far their most sought after. The Date Night steak, Manchego and red wine sausage had been another messy night, ending in a sausage that was 10 per cent proof but hugely popular. Sex on the Sausage was a turkey, vodka and cranberry-infused creation that graced every buffet they catered. No wonder they had won an award for their ingenuity.
Molly reached for the baking tray at her side and, with gloved hands, she gently peeled the meat mask from her face. She wondered how running the restaurant without her best friend at her side was ever going to work, let alone be any fun. Shaking away the heaviness, she added the final touches and placed her sausage-meat face in the small oven above the slow-roast lamb cooking in the main oven. She took a photo of it going in and breathed in the aromas. Blooms of garlic-infused herbs filled the kitchen.
‘Something smells nice.’
Molly jumped, slamming the oven door shut.
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,’ said Lucca. ‘I just wanted to apologise for walking in earlier and… erm’ – he was trying not to sound amused while he explained – ‘disturbing you. But here I am, doing it again.’ He gave Molly a self-deprecating grin.
‘No worries. You weren’t disturbing anything.’ Molly straightened, wiping her hands on her apron.
‘Yes, that’s what my brother said,’ Lucca stated, sounding bemused. ‘Is there anything occurring I should know about?’
Molly wondered how to answer this. Even a fool could see there was clearly something going on. Lucca had caught them in compromising positions twice now.
‘What did Levi say?’
‘My brother remained tight lipped as usual.’
‘Did he now?’
‘He never mixes business with pleasure so it’s no surprise. He’s hardly what you’d call a diagnosed people pleaser, unlike myself. And he’s been professionally trained to deny everything.’ Lucca was smiling at her in a friendly way. ‘Are you sure nothing romantic is blossoming between you?’
‘Why do you need to know?’ she asked him, picking the jar of vanilla pudding from the fridge and spooning some into her mouth to give her some time to think. Why was she protecting Levi when he was trying to hide the truth? Molly wasn’t sure, but it felt like the right thing to do. At least until she could establish what sort of brotherly relationship they had. She needed to bring this conversation to an end. Her chest burned at the thought of having to be untruthful. She took another spoonful of the cool pudding, grateful as it slid down her throat.
‘No reason,’ Lucca said. ‘Wait. Are you eating mayonnaise?’ he asked, his mouth open as he squinted at the label.
She put the jar down with a clack. ‘Yes. Yes, I am.’ She offered him some.
‘Mayonnaise? Out of a jar?’ he repeated. ‘I always imagined gourmet chefs would have a hard time choosing what to eat. Normal food would taste too simple, too run-of-the-mill.’
She hoped he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. Otherwise, she’d have to admit it was vanilla pudding. ‘I’m sure you have some weird kinks of your own.’ She busied herself wiping down the bench, pulling out salad from the box and rinsing it. ‘I have a lot to do. Did you want something in particular?’
‘No. I just thought I’d find out a bit more about you.’
Molly inwardly groaned. That was all she needed. ‘Sorry. Nothing to tell.’
Lucca grinned as though he didn’t believe her. ‘Well, I’ll look forward to getting to know you better. I’ll be here for the whole week. Who knows what could happen?’
Wow. Molly’s eyes widened. Lucca was clearly coming on to her. He’d only been in the house an hour.
Lucca seemed to hang around, waiting for a response. Molly stopped what she was doing to face him. ‘Me.Iknow what will happen. Nothing.’
He laughed. ‘Funny.’
‘Not particularly.’
