Chapter 16
There is only a faint glow left in the open fire when Filippa looks around. It is almost one o’clock in the morning; everyone is pretty drunk. The coffee table is sticky with the residue of spilled drinks, and the floor is littered with empty chips packets and dropped cheesy puffs.
Only Emil has gone to bed.
Filippa reaches for her pink cocktail and finishes it off. She has certainly proved that she can party tonight.
She smiles at Amir, who is looking appreciatively at her.
“You’re really going for it,” he says, pointing to her empty glass.
“That’s the kind of girl I am!”
Filippa spreads both hands wide, and the movement almost makes her lose her balance. She thinks about that stupid old man again, and starts laughing. He looked like such an idiot, standing there red in the face and yelling at William.
“That old fucker from next door,” she half gulps, setting Amir off too. Filippa can’t stop laughing. She laughs and laughs until her mascara is running, and she almost throws up. In the end she flings her arms around Amir in a spontaneous hug.
“I think I might be a little bit drunk,” she gasps, wiping her eyes. “Very drunk, actually.”
Then she gives him a wet kiss on the lips. She would never have dared to do that before dinner, but now it feels perfectly natural. When she pulls back she sees that Olivia is looking disapprovingly at her. Almost as if she is trying to tell her to slow down.
But Filippa doesn’t care. There is no need for Olivia to get involved when Filippa is having so much fun. She’s already suggested they should go back to the guest cabin, but that sounds very, very boring.
Filippa giggles. For once she is the fun party girl, the one who is keeping things going.
She picks up her glass and looks around.
“I need another drink!”
“Maybe we should go to bed?” Olivia says again.
Jesus, what’s wrong with her? It was Olivia who wanted them to have a good time and relax—why is she trying to spoil things now?
Filippa turns to Amir. “Would you like to go to bed?” she asks, deliberately imitating Olivia.
It is hard to get the words out; she stumbles over them a bit, but she thinks it sounds okay.
“That depends . . . ,” Amir replies with a grin.
There is no mistaking the invitation. Somehow his arm has found its way around her shoulders, and they are sitting very close together. He is bare-chested; she can feel his warm skin against hers, the hairs on his chest tickling slightly.
Amir’s bedroom is in the loft, one floor up.
Filippa feels a flush of heat; this is what she has wanted all along. She parts her lips, smiles seductively at him, only for Olivia to pipe up yet again.
“It’s late—shouldn’t we head back to the cabin?”
That’s the last thing Filippa wants to do. She pushes away her friend’s arm. Olivia is not her mother; Filippa has the situation under control.
She waves her glass in the air again. “Is the bar closed, guys?”
Pontus picks up a bottle and pours her a generous measure. He’s okay tonight. Filippa can’t understand why she thought he was so useless yesterday, or why she got annoyed on the train.
Life is amazing.
“You’re so nice!” she tells Pontus. She can hear that she is slurring her words, but she doesn’t care. “Unlike her!” She points to Olivia. “She’s a pain in the ass. She wants me to go to bed.”
Olivia shrugs. “Fine. Do what you want. I’m going to the cabin right now.”