She shook her head to clear it and peered into the restaurant, before spotting what looked like a brightly-coloured parrot hopping up and down. She squinted, then realised that Dot was wearing a bejewelled bird attached to a headband and was jumping and waving to get her attention. She looked like a very glamorous pirate with her red striped dress and blue underskirt. Only Dot could manage to make an outfit like that look remotely sexy. Maud would have to ask her for tips later.
She clasped Tom’s hand again and pulled him towards the heaving table. Maud realised that, far from the intimate gathering Dot her had told her about, with a quick calculation, it seemed that about twenty people were now staring their way. Nate was halfway down the table and was in conversation with his Amazonian companion, but he turned and saw her. A wide smile broke on his face before he noticed her fingers enclosed in Tom’s and his hand at her waist as he guided her towards the table. Fire burned in Nate’s eyes as he cocked his head and once again began to listen to his date’s words.
Maud’s stomach clenched and she tried not to yank her hand away and break Tom’s fingers. Her step faltered and she felt confusion cloud her mind. Why was Nate angry? He had seemed so pleased, a fraction of a second before. Maybe he hadn’t realised it was her and when he did, he was displeased she was hanging around his family like a bad smell? Embarrassment made her stand still before Dot bounded over and hugged them both, dragging them towards the table and making introductions to expectant faces.
Maud blushed profusely when she was introduced to Dot’s famous parents, although Tom seemed in his element and was ecstatically shaking their hands. Maud couldn’t look Nate in the eye for some reason, but he was pointedly staring at her now and ignoring his date, who was gently touching his arm. Maud noticed the spidery silver burns running along his arm again, as the woman pulled at his shirt, and she wondered what had happened. She felt shocked to see the imperfections marring his skin and appalled that something had hurt him, before realising she was staring, and he was staring back. She quickly looked away. She recalled Dot telling her about his ex-girlfriend killing herself and trying to take him with her, and paled slightly.
Dot’s parents enveloped her in a warm embrace and their daughter’s friend was immediately placed next to them and everyone was told to make room. Maud wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She was mortified to make these glamorous people change seats for her. Tom happily squeezed in beside her and stroked her leg to let her know he was fine, which made her jump and bang her thigh on the underside of the table, before he turned to speak to the stunning redhead on the other side of him.
Maud took a steadying breath and wished for once that she had worn something more sophisticated and adventurous than the cream lace blouse and pretty but uninspiring black skirt she had chosen. She wondered if anyone would mistake her for a waitress, then realised all the servers were dressed like supermodels, so no worries there. She grimaced, whilst trying her best to smile. She had worn her sexy black shoes with the roses painted on them to give her courage, but even they were failing her now. Dot was positively glowing, probably at finding someone interesting that her parents hadn’t met yet, and they were now practically clambering all over each other to find out what was so intriguing about her that Dot had brought her into their family sanctum.
Cosmo propped an elbow on the table, effectively blocking his wife’s view, and gave the new arrivals a warm smile. Maud was mesmerised by his dark eyes and could see where Nate got his smouldering gorgeousness from. Dot’s mother was one lucky woman! She was currently trying valiantly to join in the conversation by leaning over her husband’s arm, but he was skilfully preventing her in a manoeuvre that had probably taken years to perfect.
Cosmo took in every detail of Maud’s appearance and she blushed under his leisurely scrutiny. She was very nervous and hoped he would reassure her and not dissect her personality, but Dot had explained that it was difficult with this family, as they all tried to outdo each other, gobbling people up and expressing their feelings so openly, that outsiders sometimes took it the wrong way.
‘How did you meet Dot?’ Cosmo asked with interest.
‘We met through a love of art,’ said Maud quietly, looking wide-eyed and breathless.
Cosmo seemed genuinely interested in her but looked surprised that she appeared fairly timid and restrained. He patted her hand with affection. ‘You seem a little nervous. I know from experience that the quietest of women can be complex creatures underneath, although there don’t seem to be any of those in my family, unfortunately!’ he sighed as he body-blocked his wife again. ‘You paint?’
Maud smiled at his interest and warmed to his friendly nature. He had such charm that she felt instantly at ease. ‘I try to.’
Cosmo was surprisingly candid. ‘I know Dot has an amazing eye for talent and I’ve been worrying that she is feeling constrained by us and will want to break free soon. It isn’t a pleasant thought, but was one Camille and I have talked about more and more recently. Do you exhibit your work?’
Maud blushed and stared at his jaunty cravat and the black and grey hair that was still thick. She met his gaze and shyly smiled as if the sun was shining on her and she’d just woken up. ‘I’ve been painting since I was very small, but I’m not very good. I’m enthusiastic, though,’ she tried a feeble joke.
‘That’s what Dot always says,’ he said with a sigh of frustration. ‘You shouldn’t beat yourself up. Art is so subjective.’ His eyes twinkled with mischief, ‘although in my daughter’s case,’ he glanced at his offspring with obvious affection, ‘it seems that it’s true. I think it’s because she tries so hard that her frustration appears in her work. It’s slightly painful to see, to be honest.’
Maud grimaced in blatant sympathy with her friend. ‘Perhaps that’s why we became friends so quickly. A mutual inability to paint the work we feel in our hearts.’
Cosmo leaned forward and gave her a quick hug, which made her skin flush dark pink. ‘I’m sure you’re both better than you think and that your own unique style will find you one day,’ he sympathised.
‘I have a definite style,’ said Maud, cringing a little. ‘My parents think my work is rubbish too,’ she said without thinking.
‘Ouch!’ he laughed heartily as Maud’s face flamed red.
‘I’m so sorry!’ she said, horrified at her own lack of tact. Tom turned to see what Maud was talking about and saw Cosmo with tears running down his face and laughter in his eyes, whilst Maud was hiding her burning face in her napkin.
Maud smiled at Camille, who looked as though she was becoming increasingly bored with being shut out of the conversation. Maud could see she had been watching her son with interest, as he had been ignoring his date and straining his ears to hear his father’s conversation too. Camille’s eyes were alight. ‘Dot bringing a new couple to the table is now doubly interesting…’ she indicated with a nod of her head towards her son, as Cosmo looked across the table with interest, ‘even if my husband is rudely hogging the guests,’ she joked, poking him in the ribs and making him jump. She leaned forward to catch a passing waiter’s attention to order more wine and food, as Dot stood up and motioned for Maud to tell Tom she was leaving the table and follow her to the ladies’ powder room to freshen up. Camille smiled at Maud conspiratorially. ‘Dot will be desperate to find out what amused her father so much. Tell her to mind her own business and to stop ignoring the wonderful man we introduced her to earlier. He’s a sculptor and a real catch.’ Maud jumped up gratefully when Dot drew nearer, and Camille saw her opportunity and sprang into Maud’s vacated seat with a victorious glare at her husband and skilfully began grilling Tom on his credentials.
Chapter Fifteen
Dot ushered Maud through a set of delicate archways that were subtly lit, so that they felt that they were walking into something out of a posh interiors magazine. The bathroom was an oasis of calm, with grey granite sinks and mirrors perfectly placed above them. More sparkling bowls
were bursting with softly-coloured flowers, adorning every surface and scenting the air with blossom. Toiletries were on the glossy surface of a dressing table, which sat next to the furthest wall and had a little stool tucked underneath it, in suede matching the restaurant seats. Maud gasped in pleasure and ran her hand along the walls, covered in more illustrations. This time they depicted people dancing with flowers scattered around them and in their hair. She was sure she could live in here and die a happy woman.
Dot pulled out the stool and slumped onto it, which made the petticoats of the striped dress she was wearing bunch up around her like a colourful cloud. ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,’ she apologised. ‘I guess I wanted to show them all that I can meet my own interesting friends, not just ones they have vetted first and foisted on me. I shouldn’t have dragged you into it.’
Maud pressed her lips together in a grimace and was slightly offended that Dot had so obviously only asked her there to annoy her family. To be fair, Maud had insulted her parents, upset her brother in some way just by being there and she hadn’t even ordered any food yet, so perhaps Dot did have a point.
Dot slumped even further on the stool, which must have been difficult as it was so small, and Maud had a feeling that it was just the voluminous skirt that was holding her up. ‘I wanted to show them that I’m big enough to control my own life and I can pick nice friends.’ Maud felt her cheeks flush again and she felt happy this time that Dot had chosen her, so she decided not to nudge the stool to one side, as she had been debating.
‘They should stop organising me,’ said Dot in frustration. ‘I practically run their whole lives for them, but they still keep foisting strange people on me. They bought two extras tonight,’ she ranted and threw her hands up in exasperation when Maud looked blank and continued, ‘The redhead next to Tom and the token bloke they always sit next to me, as if I’m a spinster, or just desperate.’
Maud pictured the face of the ‘friend’ Dot’s parents had picked out for their daughter and sympathised. He was about ten years older than her and, although he looked quite nice in a lanky, beardy sort of way, he had halitosis when he had said hello to Maud, and no front teeth either.
Dot was raging now, her face scrunched up as though she was sucking lemons. ‘Apparently he’s having his teeth replaced at the dentist in the morning, but knowing my mother’s friends, they will probably be blue with a pattern on them. Where on earth do they find these people? He’ll likely be living with us all and under my parents’ watchful patronage by the end of next week. They adore impoverished artists and find them everywhere!’
Maud tried to smother a laugh and Dot sent her a very cross stare, so she perched her bottom on the surprisingly comfortable edge of the dressing table, wishing she didn’t have quite so much padding of her own. ‘Your family are wonderful, but they are slightly unusual…’ she said, carefully choosing her words. She walked over to the tap and tried to smooth out a stray kink in her hair and topped up her neutral lipstick, making sure the gloss was even.
‘Tom seems nice,’ said Dot absently. ‘I’m still mad at my parents and trying hard not to waltz back into the restaurant and strangle them both with my father’s stupid cravat.’ Maud thought that was hilarious as Dot was still wearing a parrot on her head, but it had slid down and was nestled just above her ear, with its beak in her hair. Maud’s eyes started to water as she tried to supress her mirth, as Dot was visibly upset and she was being a bad friend.
Maud wiped her eyes and sighed, before pulling up a spare stool from along the wall and trying to sit near Dot, but the skirts surged forward as Dot moved to make room and there was little space. Maud stared in awe as Dot puckered up and applied bright orange lipstick to her lips before smacking them together, checking her face for imperfections and straightening the parrot on her head. She looked perfect to Maud. Remembering what Dot had said about Tom, she paused for a moment and pictured his face. ‘I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to him yet. On the way here he grilled me about Nate and you guys.’
Dot shrugged sympathetically. ‘My family to tend to hog the conversation.’
Maud stared at her reflection in the mirror and wished her flushed cheeks would stop being so embarrassing and showing her up, and that her clothes weren’t so boring, for once. ‘I’m not sure Nate is thrilled to have me here either.’
Dot slapped her palm to her forehead and rolled her eyes. ‘I forgot about him. That’s my fault too,’ she explained apologetically.
‘It is? Maybe you’re right and you shouldn’t have invited us, although Tom’s having a blast.’
‘I should have just invited you,’ sighed Dot theatrically, waving her feet around in circles, as her funny square-toed shoes with buckles were pinching her toes.
Maud looked confused. ‘Don’t you like Tom? I think he’s gorgeous,’ she said defensively.
‘He looks nice... I haven’t had a chance to speak to him yet, but if you like him, I’m sure I will too.’ Maud looked even more confused now, but Dot carried on. ‘It’s just that I was a bit fed up with Nate for giving our work number to random women and then expecting me to field his calls, so when he asked me who you were, I promised to try and remember where we met. As I told you, I don’t often forget a name.’
‘So…?’
‘I looked you up and arrived on your doorstep, as a favour to him. Then when you said you had a boyfriend, I thought it was good that someone could show him not every female on the planet fancies him and will fall at his feet because he asked them to.’
Maud was horrified, and she saw the realisation dawn on Dot’s face that her big mouth had gotten away with her again. ‘You used me!’
‘I’m really sorry, and for what it’s worth I feel like a complete bitch,’ said Dot, looking contrite. ‘I didn’t mean to drag you into this. I really like you and was surprised that we got on so well. I didn’t want you to be another notch on his bed post.’
Maud sat back in shock. ‘You really don’t like him, do you?’
Dot looked astounded at this thought. ‘I adore him. It’s just that he’s used to everyone fawning over him, and for a little sister it can become tiresome. He’s so good at everything and everyone worships him, even me. Once I found you, I wanted you for my own. Plus, you already had Tom. Nate seduces all my friends.’
‘I’m not a pet, Dot,’ said Maud, fury creeping into her voice. Dot tilted her head in interest at this new fiery side of Maud, before hanging it in shame. ‘Why would Nate want to know who I was anyway?’ Maud was really stumped by this. Maybe he wanted to advise her on art or something?
Dot shook her head in exasperation, as if Maud could be really thick sometimes. ‘Because you’re gorgeous.’ She looked at Maud’s glorious chest and small waist and was frustrated that all Maud could see was plainness. ‘You’ve had been hiding your assets for so long that you don’t see them, including your talent as a painter, if the competition piece is anything to go by. Your parents have a lot to answer for, but then,’ Dot sighed, ‘so have mine.’
Maud was still confused. ‘Surely Nate doesn’t fancy me?’ Then it dawned on her and she wrinkled her pretty little nose in disgust. ‘Does he just chat up anyone with breasts?’
Dot threw her hands up in the air in surrender. ‘He only picks women he finds interesting and wants to sleep with. They are all gorgeous and boringly in awe of him. Why do you think Tom fancies you? He’s a good-looking boy.’ Dot tapped her long fingernails, which had tiny bulldogs painted on them, against the marble sink, while she waited for Maud to think about it. ‘For a smart girl, you’re incredibly thick.’
Maud scratched her head. ‘Well, almost everyone else at work is either married or seeing someone, so I guess he didn’t have too much choice.’ Anger blazed in Dot’s eyes and she strode over, grabbed Maud’s hips and swivelled her to face her reflection in the tall gilt mirror over the sink. As Maud tried to turn away, Dot held her still, then on impulse reached in front of Maud’s blouse and hea
rd her gasp in shock as she undid the top three buttons. Maud’s chest surged forward and then settled comfortably into the deep V shape of the fabric. The effect was immediately sensual and changed her look completely from tight-lipped to pouty. Maud’s eyes went wide in surprise and embarrassment and she quickly tried to do the buttons up, but Dot slapped her hands away, which made her skin blaze red.
Dot grasped her hand and was about to leave, when she plainly had another idea and rummaged in her handbag for a red lipstick, slicked some onto Maud’s protesting lips, ran her hand under the tap and scrunched her hair into soft demi-waves and stood back to admire her work. Maud’s jaw dropped in horror, as Dot knew her hair had taken ages to tame earlier, but she clearly didn’t care about someone else’s time. Refusing to acknowledge the fury rising in Maud’s eyes and grabbing her hand once again, Dot ignored her dragging feet and pushed her friend towards the door. ‘It’s an experiment,’ she said breezily. ‘I bet Tom talks to you now, however famous my parents are.’
As they approached the table, which was by now heaving with fragrant dishes of mouth-watering food, Maud hesitated as she hadn’t ordered anything, didn’t have a clue what the choices were and everyone had moved seats so that the only spaces left were next to Nate and the cute blond man beside him. She glanced sideways and noticed Dot enjoying the look of surprise on both Nate and Tom’s faces when they saw her transformation. Tom stood up when they arrived, but then sat down again when he realised he was penned in. He gave in with good grace and a shrug in Maud’s direction. She was happy to see he was enjoying himself and returned his smile as the redhead to his left touched his arm and leaned in to hear more about his teaching career.
Nate’s eyes turned almost black as Maud approached and he stood and pulled out a seat so that Dot had to sit next to Elliott, who happily poured them both a huge glass of rich red wine and drew Dot into a conversation as soon as her bottom, and voluminous skirts, touched the seat.
If You Love Me, I'm Yours Page 8