Andante, Andante: Please Don't Let Me Down

Chapter Eighteen

Wine was flowing, scotch was tossed back, the children were giggling, Italian and English were meshing together as one while Christmas music swarmed all around us. The holiday cheer was contagious and every single person was submitting to the wonderful feeling that warmed our hearts and souls.

Everyone was in hysterics, laughing uncontrollably at the game my in laws purchased for Noah this year. Telestrations is an entertaining game that is a mix between telephone and Pictionary. One person would draw what the word was, the next person would guess what the drawing was and the following person would draw what the person had guessed until the board is passed around the entire group. Our family was still in stitches over Cora's confusion as to why my oldest son would draw a banana and a hammock for the word speedo.

"I just think that it's a silly name," Cora defends as she avoids everyone's tear soaked eyes and wipes her board clean.

"You get it though, right Nana?" Henry presses on, his cheeks still tinged a bright red from either embarrassment or his insistent giggles.

"Draw a card, Henry," she hastily orders, her voice void of any enthusiasm.

During the outbreak of laughter Regina's foot has managed to slither its way up my legs and set up camp between my thighs. After dessert I asked myself why she chose the seat opposite of me instead of her regular chair beside me, but now I am quite aware of her evil plan.

Her cold toes brush against my warm center and I can easily feel the icy sensation through my thin leggings. Her naughty big toe wiggles mischievously over my clit, cranking up the heat in my system to boiling point. I stifle a groan by biting down hard on my bottom lip and avoid her eyes at all costs.

Regina leans back in her seat, lazily lifting her wine glass to her lips and sipping all while managing to appear bored. She slides her foot up my clit in a tantalizingly slow manner until her heel presses down against my throbbing bud and I choke on nothing but air.

"Ma? You okay? Need a refill on wine?" My oldest kindly offers, but I shake my head and fake a smile. "Alright then, let's start the next round," he happily concludes, silencing everyone in the room to focus.

With one hand I pick up my maker and begin drawing, with my free hand I slip it beneath the table and latch onto Regina's foot. I feel the way her body stiffens, terrified as to what may come, but I simply press my thumb into the sole and gently rub her foot. We continue to play the game until the round is over and I'm slowly placing her foot to the ground without too much movement.

I slowly slide my chair back and gather up the glasses to refill in the kitchen. "Ma, can you get some chips or something?" Noah whines before I leave the room.

"Of course bud," I smile and exit the room.

I stroll through the kitchen overly ecstatic with the way this day has been going and set down the three wine glass on the counter. I pop the cork from the bottle and slowly pour the mulberry wine carefully into each glass as I hear a small ping echo through the room. I glance around wondering if I'm not alone, but come up empty. I shrug to no one but myself and finish pouring.

The ping rings again and that's when I notice Regina's phone that Cora confiscated earlier this week. The screen is glowing lightly, slowly drawing me in. Despite my mind screaming that it's not acceptable to look through my ex wife's phone, my eyes are still fixated on the device. I swallow thickly as I feel my will power seeping out my pores and sliding through my fingertips. The light is shining bright, demanding that I focus on it and nothing else.

The ping rings again and that's when I notice the name Fiona. Instantly, my blood runs cold, my stomach flip flops, my heart plummets into the abyss and a wave of nausea wracks my body angrily. My muscles clench painfully together and begin quivering uncontrollably as my eyes subconsciously read the messages before me.