by Katey Lovell
“I got this from Debenhams.” Eve shrugged. She was wearing a psychedelic sixties-style mini-dress that suited her gamine figure. The bright colours were set off by a chunky bronze belt, the accent colour matching the pain-inducing heels. “Summer sale,” she added, unapologetically.
“It’s different when you’re engaged to the host,” Tawna insisted. “There are standards to meet. I’m not just representing myself, I’m representing Johnny and the business, and there are some big-name players coming tonight. I can’t turn up in high street fashion.”
I inwardly cursed my friend for her snobbery, whereas Eve just blurted out her thoughts.
“I don’t think fat-cats from South Shields are going to know Matalan from McQueen, to be honest. Last time I came to one of these events one told me I needed to put on a few pounds because I’d ‘look more feminine with curves’.” She shook her head. “He couldn’t have cared less what I was wearing, all he was bothered about was my body fitting his idea of what a woman’s should be.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re bloody gorgeous.”
Eve blew me a kiss of gratitude as we climbed the steps leading up to the entrance of the restaurant. Topiary pots flanked the entrance, bright white fairy lights flashing from among the green leaves. They were only thigh-high, unfortunately. Not big enough to hide behind if I needed to escape my ex.
A smartly dressed doorman welcomed us, checking our names off a guest list he guarded with his life, and a young waitress who was probably being paid a pittance to be at the beck and call of the guests offered me a glass of bubbly. I might have been thinking about the margaritas, but as I spotted Darius schmoozing with a glamorous raven-haired woman on the other side of the room, I decided it wasn’t the time to be fussy. I downed the drink in one, immediately placing the empty flute back on the round silver tray. The waitress looked bemused (and mildly impressed) as I immediately picked up another. Getting drunk from the off seemed to be becoming a habit at events, if mine and Johnny’s birthdays were anything to go by.
Tawna didn’t notice, being too busy hobnobbing with some big shot.
“If you carry on at this rate it’ll be you clinging on to me,” Eve whispered, heading towards a seating plan – a board that was placed on a large wooden easel near the cocktail bar. Names written in exquisite calligraphy were pinned around the circles that represented each table. “Take it steady, yeah?”
“I’ve seen Darius.” I cocked my head a fraction in his general direction, trying to be subtle.
Eve craned her neck.
“Don’t make it obvious.” I swatted her arm. “He might notice me.”
Eve thought I was hiding from him because of the past, rather than the present. She didn’t know about our recent contact. No one did. “It’s packed in here. You’ll be able to avoid him,” she said confidently. “Stay with me and I’ll keep watch, let you know if he comes this way.”
“I can’t avoid him forever though. The wedding of the year’s just around the corner, and in case you’d forgotten, he’s the best man.”
“Well, yes. You’ll have to face up to him then even if it is a tricky situation.”
Tricky? More like impossible.
“Maybe it’d be a weight off your mind if you did speak to him,” Eve continued, still staring in Darius’s direction, although her eyes narrowed when she noticed he was talking to a female. “Get it over and done with before the wedding.”
“Maybe,” I replied non-committally, although inside I was thinking no chance. Not until I’d made a firm decision about the money, and that would take time. I was already feeling decidedly tipsy, and in no fit state to consider giving financial handouts. “I had another dream about Max last night, you know. It made me think.”
Eve smiled, taking my glass from my hand and placing it on a ledge. “You really like him, don’t you?”
My cheeks warmed at the thought of him. “There was something between us, I’m sure of it, but I don’t want to have to go back to the charity shop to see him. If only the universe would find a way of throwing us together.”
“You’re an old romantic.”
“Hey, less of the old.” I laughed as Tawna deigned us worthy of her attention after mixing with some of the influential guests including Norma and Fred’s son, Bri, who ran one of the biggest building merchants in the area. The amount of air-kissing going on was ridiculous.
“Oh, you’ve seen the seating arrangements,” Tawna cooed. “I made sure the two of you were together, although I’m afraid I’ll be with Johnny for the main meal. You’ve got some interesting people to chat to on your table. Stuart from Riviera Travel is one of the most eligible bachelors around,” she added, looking meaningfully at Eve.
“How many times? I’m happy being single. Genuinely happy. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment without worrying about anyone else,” Eve huffed.
A wave of concern passed over Tawna’s face. “What’s on your plate? You never told me anything was the matter.”
“It’s nothing,” Eve answered, with a hollow laugh and a wave of her hand.
I frowned. She might be trying hard to play it down but I knew my friend, and her actions left me curious and concerned. I hoped her mum hadn’t gone downhill.
“It’s just work stuff,” Eve insisted. “And I don’t want to spend tonight thinking about it.”
A waiter passed by with a tray laden with cocktails. Perfect timing, because I was ready for another drink, and going by the significant look Eve shot at me, I guessed she was too. We eagerly reached for the tumblers, neither of us caring which of the colourful potions we came away with.
Eve sucked up the bright-green drink through a straw, pulling a face as the alcohol hit. When I tasted the concoction I understood why. These weren’t watered down jobbies, these were the real deal.
“Make sure you talk to Stu,” Tawna called over her shoulder, as she was intercepted by the Lord Mayor.
“I wish she’d take no for an answer once in a while,” Eve grumbled, taking another large sip of the eye-watering mixture. “All the time she’s on at me to find a man. It’s as though now she’s found her Mr Right we’re supposed to follow her lead.”
“She means well,” I said, and it was as though we’d switched roles. It was normally Eve sticking up for Tawna as I berated her actions.
I shifted position as I noticed Darius making a beeline for us. I ducked down, hoping the stocky gent to my right would hide me from his eyeline, but as I moved I managed to step on the man’s toe. He let out a high-pitched squeal that sounded more porcine than human, and I fawned apologetically as Eve dissolved into gin-induced giggles at my misfortune.
The incident had caused the man to spill his wine and a deep red stain seeped through his shirt (which was, typically, white). He looked like an extra in a low-budget zombie movie.
“I’m so, so sorry,” I repeated, as he wrung out – yes, he was that drenched – the burgundy from his shirt. “It was an accident, and I didn’t realise how close you were.” I wanted the ground to swallow me whole, but no such luck. A quick escape was the best I could hope for. Why not add to the “Hide from Darius” fun by finding someone else I needed to avoid for the rest of the night?
“Worse things happen at sea,” the man said. He was far more relaxed than I’d have been in his position. I’d be raging if someone had caused me to spill my drink over my outfit before we’d even sat down to eat, whereas he was positive and cheery. “Honestly, it’s fine. I’ll put my jacket on and no one will be any the wiser.”
He reached for a dark grey woollen blazer from the back of a nearby chair and shrugged it on. “See?” he said, when he’d buttoned it up. “No one will know.”
With the jacket on it was impossible to tell the shirt was soaked with wine.
“Let me get you another drink.” It was the least I could do, and although he didn’t seem perturbed, I felt dreadful.
“Waiter!” I attracted the attention of a man in a
dickie-bow who was serving the wine the man had been drinking. I retrieved the last glass from the silver platter and handed it over.
“Stop worrying,” the man said. “It’s fine. And even better now I’ve got another drink. There wasn’t much left in the other glass anyway.”
“Looked like a lot from the state of your shirt.” For someone so bright, Eve really did lack basic social skills at times. “You were soaked.”
The man seemed to notice Eve for the first time. His neck turned as red as his hidden shirt.
“Oh. Yes. Well…” the man spluttered, which made me even keener to escape the nightmare scenario. It was plain to see he fancied Eve.
“We’ll leave you in peace,” I said pointedly, trying to steer Eve away. “The last thing you want is two crazy ladies cramping your style.”
“Not at all. It’s a pleasure to meet you both, regardless of the circumstances.” His composure was fine when his attention was on me, but as soon as he looked in Eve’s direction, he became a gooey mess, like a Cadbury’s crème egg left out in the midday heat. “Stuart Burton,” he said, extending out his free hand.
“Stuart.” I fired a panicked look at Eve. “I have a feeling I’ve heard Tawna talk about you before. Are you in the travel business by any chance?”
“Why, yes,” he said, proudly puffing out his chest. “Riviera. We won an award the same night as Johnny did, and really hit it off. Think that’s how I got my invite, actually.”
“Congratulations.” Eve smiled, but I got the impression she didn’t make the connection that this was the eligible bachelor Tawna was trying to set her up with. “Do you travel much yourself?”
And then he was off, sharing the merits of the South of France, as though we were the type of people who could afford to gallivant around on a luxury yacht for the summer. I smiled politely, throwing in a few well-timed nods for good measure, but I’d already switched off, people-watching instead.
That’s when I noticed Max, looking animated as he talked to a man with his back to me. I was confused as to why he’d be at the event, because other than Johnny’s nearest and dearest, Tawna had led me to believe everyone invited was involved in the housing or leisure industries.
I excused myself from Eve and Stuart’s conversation and strode as confidently as I could in Max’s direction, walking straight past Darius and Johnny to get to his side.
For one horrifying moment I convinced myself he’d forgotten me altogether, but when a playful smile broke out on his face I found myself melting like Stuart had around Eve.
Thank you, Universe.
Although I was still aware of Darius’s presence in the room, the serendipitous meeting with Max set me alight from the inside.
“Sophie! It’s good to see you,” he said, pulling me in for an embrace before kissing both my cheeks. Not the pointless air kisses that everyone else seemed so fond of, but proper lip-plants where every one of his facial hairs bristled against my skin, setting free a swarm of tummy butterflies.
He introduced me to the guy he’d been talking to, who turned out to be his brother, Chris – invited because he works in housing like Johnny, but as a builder – and although I was paying attention, sort of, my focus remained on Max. The stubble on his chin was longer than it had been the last time I’d seen him, scruffier and rugged, but it suited him, and when he rubbed his hand over it I resisted the urge to reach out and touch it too. His eyes sparked behind his glasses as he picked up my gaze and I quickly diverted my eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sophie. Max has told us all about you,” Chris revealed.
Hearing that made me stupidly happy. He’d been talking to his family about me!
“All good, I hope.”
“All good,” Chris confirmed, but his eyes wandered beyond me. “I’ll catch up with you later, if that’s all right? There’s someone I really need to grab a word with over there.”
“Where are you sat for dinner?” Max asked, as I watched with interest as Chris tapped Darius on the shoulder. I guessed they knew each other through work. “I’ve not had a chance to look at the seating plan yet.”
He glanced at his watch, a steely silver band around his left wrist. The hands were showing it was eight o’clock. Tawna had mentioned food would be served at 8.15pm sharp.
“I’m next to Eve, but on a table with someone Tawna’s trying to set her up with. She can’t help herself when it comes to matchmaking.”
He laughed. “But she’s not tried to set you up?”
“I’m not on the lookout. And although the guy she’s trying to set Eve up with seems nice enough, he’s not my type.”
“What is your type?” There was a teasing lilt to his voice that suggested he was fishing for compliments.
“I don’t have one,” I replied, not biting on his line. “I’m looking for someone kind and thoughtful rather than a man with a certain look. I used to think I liked beefcake gym-addicts, but I’ve tried it and I’m not sure it’s for me.”
I silently hoped Max wasn’t the sort of man who lived in the scary bit of the gym with all the weight machines. He didn’t strike me as the type, but I didn’t know him well enough to be sure. Those biceps had to come from somewhere.
He bent down, his mouth near my ear, his breath warm on my skin as he spoke. “We should doctor the seating plan. Move it so our names are next to each other.” He moved away, giving a mischievous little nod. “Are you up for it?”
“Tawna would hit the roof.” I giggled. “She probably spent hours slaving over that seating plan.”
His eyes glinted again, testing me. “She’ll be too busy talking to all the important people to notice where we’re sat.”
“You’re probably right.”
Temptation ate me whole, the thought of sitting next to Max way more appealing than the prospect of making small talk with people who, other than Eve, I’d never see again in my life. Anyway, she was still talking to Stuart, the two of them engrossed in conversation. They were finding plenty to talk about even if there wasn’t going to be any romance between them. I doubted she’d even notice if I wasn’t sat next to her.
“So, what do you reckon? Should we do it?”
And before I had time to talk myself out of it, I stealthily swapped Max’s name with that of someone’s who I’m sure wasn’t on our table the last time I looked. Darius Welch.
Chapter 13
The food had, as expected, been mouth-wateringly good. The starters and mains had been deliciously spicy and flavoursome, but not hot enough to burn your mouth off, and the sweet pistachio Kulfi had rounded the meal off perfectly.
Max was ideal company, and we spent the evening making up wild stories about the other guests. The man to our right with the outlandish moustache was a ringmaster who’d broken with convention and run away from the circus. The Mayor made money on the side by posing as a life model for amateur artists. The woman Darius had been talking to earlier married her husband purely to stay in the country. It was all nonsense, of course, but highly entertaining and just the tonic I needed to take my mind off Darius’s presence.
I should have known my fun evening was too good to last. When my ex-boyfriend appeared at my side as the bowls were being cleared from the table it was impossible to get away from him. I’d been physically boxed in by serving staff.
“Nice to see you again, Sophie. You’re looking gorgeous tonight.” Darius smiled, but discomfort took over me. As he continued talking it became apparent why. “I was sure I was meant to be sat next to you.”
He threw a glance of disapproval in Max’s direction. Seeing the two of them side by side only highlighted their physical differences. Darius’s dark hair was slicked back, the tooth mark tracks of his comb visible in the hardened gel, where Max’s blond locks were brushed to one side but left to their own devices. Darius’s suit was well cut, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal a few curly tufts of chest hair. Somewhere, in what felt like a different lifetime, I used to fall asleep nuzzling again
st that chest, the wiry hairs acting as my pillow. Max wore a white shirt and smart navy cords, but everything about his look was relaxed in comparison to Darius. And that was without mentioning the difference in emotions that being near them instilled in me. When I’d been alone with Max I’d been laughing, comfortable in my own skin. Darius’s approach set me on edge.
“I saw. I assumed it’d been put there in error, which is why I moved it.”
His jaw dropped. “Didn’t you want to sit with me?”
I tried to remain patient but clear. “This is supposed to be a nice social event, and you’re my ex.”
At this revelation Max quietly slunk off to where his brother stood at the bar. Max said something to him and then, in unison, they looked over, both wearing stony expressions that made me feel uncomfortable.
“That’s no reason for us not to get along, Soph. We got on so well at the trampoline park. Summer’s been talking about how wonderful you are ever since. She’s still your number one fan. Speaking of that day, have you made a decision about the loan yet? Nadia’s breathing down my neck.”
His flattery wasn’t enough. I was annoyed that Darius coming over had pushed Max away when we’d been having such a fun night, and angry to be back on the subject of the money. It felt like days of old.
“I really don’t want to do this now.” The room was airless, and that combined with the mention of Summer sent my head whirring like a fairground waltzer. “I told you I’d think about it, but I need time.”
“I know you’ll do the right thing, Sophie. You’re a good girl.”
What with the patronising comment and my dizziness, I couldn’t be in the same room as him a moment longer. I pushed through the crowds of people mingling near the door that led to the rooftop terrace, using my elbows to move anyone in my path to the exit out of my way, desperate for freedom.
The sky was dark as an onyx but the moon hung full and low, just beyond the glitter ball armadillo of the Sage. Normally the view of my hometown would be enough to calm me – ground me – but I couldn’t relax for fear of Darius cornering me again.