by Carrie Elks
23
The temperature had been climbing all week, peaking on Saturday afternoon. Even once the evening arrived the air was still full of a dry heat that made Ember’s skin feel like a piece of tinder – only seconds away from igniting. She climbed out of Lucas’ car, taking his hand as he held the door open for her, and stepped out onto the sweltering road surface.
There was a breeze dancing in the air, but it brought no relief. Instead, it smelled of hot concrete and melting tar. It carried dry sand with it from the beach, leaving a fine layer of yellow on the surfaces surrounding them. She could feel it settling on her hair and eyelashes, causing her to blink to stop it from getting any further into her eyes.
She was still holding Lucas’ hand as he closed the door behind her and locked the car. There were a lot of vehicles parked along Paxton Avenue; enough to make them have to leave Lucas’ car around a hundred yards from the Martins’ house. But even from that distance she could hear the sounds of the party – a thrum of bass from the music, lifted by a higher pitched chatter that carried in the arid wind.
She glanced at Lucas from the corner of her eye, taking all of him in. He didn’t seem affected by the heat at all. In fact, he looked better than ever in a pair of tailored navy pants and a white button-down shirt, open at the collar where it revealed the faintest smattering of chest hair. The white of his shirt made his eyes look bluer, his jaw look sharper, and it contrasted perfectly with his closely-cropped dark hair.
He looked delicious, and she couldn’t help but feel proud that he was with her.
Ember hoped he felt the same way. She’d made a big effort to look good tonight. She’d bought a new dress – a dark navy shiny fabric that was tight on the bodice, then flared out to her knees, her hair flowing in waves down her back. Even her makeup was on point – thanks to Ally’s video tutorial earlier. She felt like a million dollars as Lucas led her up the street to her ex-fiancé’s parents’ house.
Maybe time really did heal everything, and what time didn’t heal, a hot date and an even hotter dress sure did.
They’d reached the Martins’ driveway when Lucas took her hands and swung her around, until they were behind the big palm tree at the corner of the lot. He curled his fingers into her shiny hair, his eyes hooded as he looked down at her.
“Before we go in, I want you to know how beautiful you look tonight,” he told her, his voice as gritty as the air around them. “I’m the luckiest guy in Angel Sands.”
“You look pretty good yourself,” she said, unable to keep a smile from rising up on her lips. She ran the palm of her hand down the back of his head, feeling his velvety-soft cropped hair against her skin before she curled her hand around his neck. He leaned into her and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, the hardness of his muscles against her soft curves.
Then his lips were on hers, hard and demanding, it was a kiss that held a promise of more to come. His tongue slid against hers, soft and cool, and his hands moved down to the small of her back, his fingers dancing across her bare skin.
By the time they’d parted she was breathless. Any nerves or worries about the party had disappeared; replaced by a hunger she wasn’t sure she could shake off.
“Shall we make this a quick visit?” he asked her, his voice thick and low. “I’m not sure I can wait too long before we do that again.”
She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” She wanted to be laying naked on his bed, her hair fanning around her as she stared up at him. It was impossible to get bored of looking at his beautiful face, even more impossible not to be impressed by his chiseled body. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get enough of that.
She slid her hand into his, threading their fingers together. “Let’s go and get this over with, and then it’s back to my place.” She grinned wickedly at him. “I much prefer a party for two.”
As soon as they walked through the wrought iron gates that led to the Martins’ beautiful beachfront back yard, Ember could feel the warmth of interested stares landing on them both. She kept her shoulders square, her back straight, and managed to curl her lips into a smile. Okay, so this time last year she’d been at this exact party with Will, but a lot could happen in twelve months, couldn’t it?
She was a different person. Stronger, maybe a little sadder sometimes, but she felt real. And she wanted everybody at this party to know that she was doing just fine.
“Ember, how are you?” an elderly lady called out to her. Dressed smartly in a red organza cocktail dress and holding a cocktail glass filled with what could only be a dirty martini, Ember recognized Will’s Great Aunt Natalie right away. Ember always had a soft spot for Natalie, loved hearing stories of her escapades during the fifties, when according to family legend she’d had a fling with Frank Sinatra and hung around with the Rat Pack for a few years. Whether it was the truth or not, Will’s aunt would never say.
“Natalie, how lovely to see you.” Ember reached out for her hands, squeezing them gently in her own. “This is my friend, Lucas. Lucas, this is the infamous Natalie Van Meyer.”
Lucas reached for her hand, shaking it firmly. “It’s good to meet you, ma’am.”
Natalie smiled coquettishly at Lucas, then leaned in to speak to Ember. “I was going to say it was a shame about you and Will, but I’m not so sure that’s true. Are those muscles beneath his shirt real?” she asked, inclining her head at Lucas.
Ember bit down a grin. “I can tell you from first hand that they are,” she whispered in the old lady’s ear.
Natalie laughed. “I’m so glad you’re here. When I heard about your split from Will, I thought this would turn out to be one boring party. But now I’m not so sure.”
“I aim to please.”
“Oh, you don’t have a drink.” Natalie clucked her tongue. “How rude of me. Go and grab yourself something before you die of thirst. It’s too damn hot out here. Make sure you come say hi later – I’ll probably be in the house soaking up the air conditioning.”
Ember leaned forward to kiss the old lady’s cheek. “We definitely will.”
It took them twenty minutes to reach the bar the Martins had set up at the border of their land, right where the grass lawn ended and the sandy beach began. Big enough to comfortably fit a three bar staff – or more likely cocktail mixologists – the roof of the bar was lined with straw, tiki-style, adding a tropical feeling to an already overheated night.
“You know a lot of people here,” Lucas said as they lined up behind some other party guests, waiting for the bar staff to be free. “And they all seem pleased to see you.”
“I guess I’ve known them for a while,” Ember agreed, nodding to yet another of Will’s uncles as he carried three cocktail glasses away from the bar. “I thought it might be strange seeing them all again, but honestly it’s really nice. The Martins know how to throw a good party.”
They’d reached the front of the bar, and Lucas leaned over to give their order. A Cosmo for Ember and a non-alcoholic beer for him. They watched, smiling, as the mixologist poured the vodka, cranberry, triple sec, and lime juice into a shaker, then mixed them all together, throwing the chrome container around the bar in a theatrical performance, before he finally caught it and poured Ember’s cocktail into a martini glass and embellished it with a slice of lime.
When she sipped it, Ember closed her eyes, feeling as though she’d gone to heaven.
The Martins definitely knew how to throw a party, and she was beginning to feel glad they came.
“Ember, Lucas, here you are.” This time it was Janice Martin calling out their names. She walked toward them, throwing her arms around Ember before rolling onto her tiptoes to give Lucas a kiss on his cheek. “You both look gorgeous. Thank you so much for coming. Having you here makes me very happy.”
“Thank you for the invite,” Ember said, smiling at the woman who she might once have been related to – even if by marriage. Now she was just a friend, but Ember couldn’t be happier with that. �
�And for letting me bring a plus one.” Ember squeezed Lucas’ hand.
“It’s an amazing party,” Lucas agreed, squeezing her hand back. “I’m happy to be here.”
“Um, Will is here too somewhere,” Janice said, lowering her voice. “I hope that won’t make you uncomfortable.”
So Will was here. Ember felt a shiver run down her spine. “Not at all.” She flashed Janice a smile, although it took a lot more work than her last one. “That’s all water under the bridge now.”
“Well I’m sure he’ll be over to say hello at some point,” Janice said, looking relieved. “Natalie has been telling everybody that you’re here, and brought the best looking guy in Angel Sands along with you.”
This time Ember’s laugh was easy. That was so typical of Natalie, she liked to stir up a little interest to make the party swing.
“I should go and see some of the other guests,” Janice said, sounding reluctant. “You both enjoy yourselves, you hear? And promise not to groan too loudly when Richard makes his annual speech. He’s been working on it for days.”
Richard Martin’s speech was all part of their anniversary party tradition. Usually a man of few words, he always liked to use the party as a chance to tell his wife how much she meant to him. As it was forty years since their wedding, it was no wonder he’d been working on it for a while.
“I’m sure it will be a wonderful speech,” Ember said.
Janice sighed. “I hope so. He’s promised to keep it to ten minutes or less.”
For the next hour, Ember and Lucas wandered around the party, refilling their drinks a few times, and dancing to the music from the band the Martins had hired to play old favorites. Every few minutes old friends and Martin family members would come up to say hello, their eyes raking her over as if to work out if she was still upset about Will leaving her. But the man himself remained conspicuously absent.
The band struck up a mellow version of The Beach Boys’ God Only Knows, and Lucas wrapped his hands around Ember’s waist, his fingers almost touching as they swayed together, singing the words they could remember. They hadn’t kissed once since that moment behind the old palm tree, but every time she looked into his eyes she saw a promise there, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
“Do you think we’ve been here long enough?” Lucas leaned in to whisper in her ear as the singer crooned about the world showing nothing to him if she left.
“You read my mind.” She grinned at the way their thoughts were so in tune. “I don’t think anybody will notice if we left.”
“Stay here, I’ll grab us another drink and we can walk along the beach to the car. It beats going back out to the road.” Lucas winked at her and headed over to the tiki bar. Ember waited by the band, still swaying to the music. She was so busy looking over her shoulder for Lucas that she hadn’t noticed the man standing in front of her until he cleared his throat.
“Will?” It came out like a question, though Ember was in no doubt it was her ex-fiancé standing in front of her. He looked exactly the same as he always did. His hair was brushed back off his smooth face, and his eyes were dark beneath the light of the moon and the string lamps that glittered all around the Martins’ backyard. He smelled the same, too – he must still use that same minty shower gel that he always did. If she closed her eyes she could imagine it was last year, and they’d be here at the party together, smiling and laughing at the guests.
“How are you?” he asked her.
“I’m great.” No thanks to him. He’d never know how hard she had to work to scrape what remained of her heart off their kitchen floor, or how many tears she’d shed when he left her without a warning. And that was a good thing. She didn’t want him to know. The ability to hurt somebody was a kind of power, and she wasn’t planning on giving anybody that kind of power over her anymore. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” He swallowed. “Um, I wasn’t sure if you’d come tonight.”
She gave him a fake smile. “Oh? Why not?”
He wouldn’t quite meet her eyes. His own were darting around, looking anywhere but at her. “Can we talk for a minute? Maybe back in the house?”
Oh, now he wanted to talk? She would have laughed if it wasn’t so sad.
“I don’t think so, no.”
Will looked shocked at her answer. “There’s something I need to tell you. I’ve tried calling but it says you’ve still blocked me. It won’t take…” he trailed off, looking over her shoulder. Ember immediately felt a shiver snake its way down her spine. She didn’t need to turn her head to know that Lucas was standing directly behind her, yet she did anyway.
“Lucas, this is Will. I think I might have told you about him?” The fake smile she’d offered her ex-fiancé turned into a real one when she looked at Lucas Russell. She was so glad to see him.
“Um, Will. Yeah. You work with Ember at the school, right?”
“No. I’m an accountant.”
Ember laughed as Lucas slid his arm around her shoulders, knowing exactly what he was doing. She let her head lean against his firm chest. “No, sweetie, Will and I used to date. But he left town a while ago.”
For a second she wondered if Will was going to correct her, and tell Lucas that their relationship had been much more than dating. Part of her was enjoying seeing him taken aback by how easily she’d moved on from him and found somebody new.
Somebody so much better.
“Can everybody hear me?” Richard Martin’s voice boomed out over the loud speakers. “If you’ll give me your attention for a few minutes I’d be very grateful. I just have a few words to say.” He held a microphone in one hand, a thick pile of crumpled paper in the other. From the size of it, Ember was certain there were more than a few words there.
“Already?” Will muttered, glancing at his watch. “I need to go.” He quickly weaved his way through the crowd, leaving Ember and Lucas standing there.
“Do you think they’ll notice if we make a run for it?” Lucas whispered.
She looked around. Everything at the party had come to a standstill. People had crowded onto the dance floor where she and Lucas were standing, and they were all looking at Richard. If the two of them wanted to escape to the beach they’d have to push their way out.
“I think they will,” Ember whispered back. “Let’s stay for the speech and then we can leave right after.”
Richard cleared his throat again, then lifted the microphone back up to his mouth and launched into his speech.
“As you know, and as a few of you remember, forty years ago today this beautiful woman agreed to be my wife.” He reached his hand out to Janice’s, pulling her beside him. She gave him a big smile, one that melted Ember’s heart.
“I said then, and I mean it even more now, I’m not just the luckiest man in Angel Sands, but the luckiest man in the whole world.”
A collective ‘aww’ came from the crowd.
“The year we married I’d just graduated from law school. I didn’t have much money to my name, and I definitely couldn’t afford to buy the kind of ring a woman like Janice deserves, yet somehow she actually said yes to me.”
“You bought me a better ring later,” Janice said, winking. “So I’ll forgive you.”
Richard smiled at her. “This woman has the patience of a saint. We both agreed to wait awhile before we started a family. I wanted to get my career started, and at the time, Janice was still in college herself. What we didn’t realize was that it would take ten years before we felt settled enough to have a family, and though we would’ve loved to have a big family, we felt very blessed to have our only child, William.” He nodded at his son, who was hovering beside the deck. “Will, come up here and bring Norah, too.”
Will’s new girlfriend was here? Ember swallowed hard. Lucas’ arms tightened around Ember’s shoulders. She stared at the stage, curious about what Norah looked like.
Will joined his father on the deck, holding the hand of a small brunette. She was smiling widely as Richar
d embraced her. Janice, however, hung back, then turned to her husband, a look of horror on her face. “Richard, I—”
“No, don’t worry, dear. I’ll be finished soon, I promise. Just let me get this over with.” The crowd laughed, as he lifted his piece of paper to his eyes, squinting at it through his reading glasses.
“As you know,” he continued, “Will has moved to San Francisco so Janice and I were delighted when he and Norah accepted our invitation to come down and join in our celebrations today. We were even more delighted when he told us he and Norah had a big surprise for us.”
Janice leaned in to whisper in his ear, but he shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, darling,” he said, giving her a bemused smile. “I just want to introduce Norah to the family.”
A low hum of chatter broke out across the crowd. Ember frowned, looking around to try and work out what people were saying. Will immediately took Norah’s hand and pressed his lips against her cheek.
“I know not everybody here has met Norah, but I’m sure you will in the years to come. Her name is currently Norah Davidson, but very soon she’s to become Norah Martin. Next month, she and Will are to be wed.”
Janice’s face looked pale, but she said nothing.
“What about the baby?” Richard whispered to Will, forgetting the microphone was still near his mouth. “Can I tell them about that?”
The chatter among the crowd got louder. Ember’s mouth turned as dry as the breeze surrounding them. Janice was staring at her husband, saying nothing, as though he’d struck her dumb with his sheer lack of propriety.
“I guess I just did,” he said, shooting his son a sheepish look. He never had been a man known for taking a hint. “Um, I’m absolutely delighted to share with you all that Will and Norah are also expecting a baby. In a few months’ time, Janice and I are going to be grandparents.”
It happened in slow motion. One second, Ember was holding on to the stem of her almost-empty cocktail glass, the next it was falling down to the floor, smashing in shards across the concrete. Ember’s lips parted, but she couldn’t form any words. All she could do was try to breathe, in spite of the pain in her chest. She felt like an island surrounded by a sea full of waves as people fussed around her, picking up the pieces of glass and making sure nobody stepped on them.