Page 12 of A Little Christmas: Rivi
In my room, the butler, if that's what he was, set my suitcases on two stands and opened the curtains to show me a brisk view of snow-covered mountains. He showed me the thermostat and a special house phone which he said went straight to his office and the kitchen.
“If you need anything, use this.”
“I was told there would be a dinner tonight?”
“Six o’clock sharp, sir.”
I felt so spoiled already that I didn't ask what was being served. I was sure it would be delightful, and I would eat plenty of it.
The man left, closing the door behind him. After exploring the room and the adjoining bathroom, I stared at the bed. Fluffy pillows garnished the head of the bed. The comforter looked soft and velvety. After my long drive, I was tired. I sat on the edge, then leaned back on the pillows, bringing my feet up. Before I knew it, my eyes closed.
Two hours later I woke.
The sky outside the window had turned orange behind a veil of thin gray clouds. It looked like the clouds were burning.
I sat up and retrieved my phone from my pocket to see a text from Trent.
I dropped by your room but you didn't answer my knock. Will you be at dinner?
I quickly answered.
This place is beautiful. The long drive made me tired. Sorry I was asleep. Of course I'll be at dinner. I'm starved.
I checked the time. I had about 45 minutes to explore before dinner.
I changed my shirt, opened the door and went downstairs with the huge chocolate box in the hand.
I found my way to the dining room by following the kitchen sounds. A few people had gathered there. I didn't recognize them except for one. Trent. He turned as I walked up to him.
“Briar. Good to see you. I'm so glad you made it.” He embraced me warmly and kissed me on the mouth. That was how we comfortable we were with each other. We hadn't hung out in a long time, but he was like a brother to me. We’d even shared kink scenes when we were younger. That was a long time ago.
“How was the drive?” Trent asked.
“Long.”
We both chuckled.
“That's the point,” he said. “To have space far away from the city.”
I held out the box of candy.
Trent frowned, then took it into his arms. “You shouldn't have.”
“Hopefully, you can find a good use for it.”
“Oh, I certainly will.”
“Maybe you can share it with your significant other? When do I get introduced?”
“I suppose you couldn’t have known about him, but I thought I’d mentioned him to you before.”
I shook my head no.
“I guess the incident where Ozzy and I met happened on your night off.” He scanned the room, then motioned to someone.
A young man with big eyes and wavy brown hair made his way through the small crowd to Trent’s side.
“Ozzy,” Trent said. “I'd like you to meet my friend Briar. He works at the club.”
