26 #2
The dinner was set in an enormous marquee at the rear of the house.
Dani had never seen anything quite like it.
The floor was carpeted and had a huge dance floor in the centre.
The tables were arranged all around the black and white dance floor.
There were chandeliers hanging and the ceiling was black, covered in fairy lights.
There was no way anyone would have guessed it was a marquee.
She looked around the dimly lit area noting that there were at least thirty tables.
“Oh my God Adam it’s amazing.” Dani looked around in awe.
“Yeah, we really go all out. Well we charge five hundred pounds a ticket so it has to be swanky,” he muttered.
“Five hundred pounds! Wow, you’ll raise loads of money,” hissed Dani. “The food had better be good then,” she giggled.
Adam laughed and offered her his arm as they walked towards the table plan. “Yeah, we should make over one hundred and fifty thousand. All for a good cause.” He beamed.
He stopped to talk to a number of people as they moved around.
He proudly introduced Dani to everyone, having to explain why he’d brought her instead of Chloe.
Everyone they spoke to openly gawked at her, as well as all the other guests.
Dani was glad the lighting was subdued so her flaming face wasn’t so obvious.
She could handle attention but in an environment she was familiar with.
This event was not something she was comfortable with.
She looked around the marquee and realised that the average age of the guests must have been around mid forties, making her achingly aware that she was one of the youngest as well as the most provocatively dressed guests.
Adam collected a couple of champagne glasses for them and they headed to their table.
Dani scanned the room sipping her champagne.
There were an awful lot of taffeta and silk dresses.
It looked like a showcase for bad bridesmaid’s dress of the year, only making Dani more conscious of her super sexy, slinky number.
Adam pulled out her chair and she sat down.
Their table had a total of ten seated at it.
There were the other two partners, Philip Cope and Thomas Baxter along with their wives, and another two couples, who were obviously top clients of theirs.
The whole table stared involuntarily at Dani as she took her seat.
Adam went around the table introducing Dani to everyone and yet again explaining why Chloe wasn’t able to come. Dani noticed that they all seemed to relax once the explanation was over. Adam took his place next to Dani and patted her hand.
“I think they all thought you were my bit on the side,” he whispered. Dani flushed and then snorted.
Dani started to relax as the evening wore on. Adam was attentive and included her in the conversation where ever he thought Dani would feel comfortable. She smiled to herself while she listened to him recounting a work related story. He really was a good man. The big brother she never had.
In the twelve years she’d known him he’d helped her through all her difficult times in her life.
When her father died he helped both Chloe and herself organise the funeral.
Their mother had been in no fit state. He’d also been with her when their mother died.
Chloe had been in her last week of pregnancy with Sophie when their mother passed away and had stayed up in Leeds.
Adam again arranged the funeral. When they decided to put the bed and breakfast her parents had up for sale, he’d arranged everything and advised Dani on what to do with her share of the inheritance.
He still managed the fund he’d invested it in, sending her monthly reports.
And now, he’d helped her to find her a job, sell her car and was in the process of recovering her half of the house she’d bought with Jez.
They were on the dessert course and Adam had done a good job of entertaining their table with another story.
The guests at the table all laughed at the amusing anecdote as he finished and Dani smiled along too but she hadn’t really been listening, lost in her own depressing thoughts of how her life had turned out.
The band was playing ‘You’ll Never Find another Love like Mine’ and the dance floor had a fair amount of couples dancing but Dani seemed mesmerised by her dessert fork.
“He’s not bad is he?” Adam asked Dani.
“Sorry?” the comment jolting Dani out of her daydream.
“The singer. He’s no Michael Buble but he’s good.”
“Yes, he is.” Dani’s eyes darted to the band.
“Come on, let’s have a dance.” He stood up and grabbed her hand. Dani’s eyes widened hesitating. He bent down and whispered in her ear. “Come on, let everyone have a good look at you in that dress.”
Dani giggled as he practically yanked her out of her seat.
Adam was a great dancer. He and Chloe had taken classes before they were married.
Both Chloe and Dani had taken ballroom dance classes when they were younger and Chloe wanted to be able to dance well with Adam at their wedding so he’d originally only gone to keep her happy.
But in the end he’d enjoyed it, so they’d carried on up until Ollie was born.
Adam dramatically swept Dani around the dance floor and exactly as Adam had predicted everyone’s eyes focus on them.
She couldn’t stop grinning at Adam, his constant joking with her, successfully rid her unhappy thoughts.
It really was quite thrilling and Dani felt giddy being twisted around and then back again when the song came to an end.
Adam bowed to her and she dipped into a small curtsy.
Then he guided her back to their seats beaming, glad to see her previous melancholy mood lift.
“A drink I think. What will you have?”
“A tequila gold, no ice, if they have it,” replied Dani lowering herself into her seat.
“Sounds good. I think I’ll join you. I’ve a feeling we’ll be leaving the car here.” He raised his eyebrows in mock horror. And with that he headed over to the bar.
Dani picked up her dessert fork and broke into her glazed lemon meringue tart with stewed blackberries. She took a mouthful and closed her eyes savouring the tangy flavour and crunchy texture. She let out a subdued moan. It was delicious. She just loved lemon.
“It must be good for you to be moaning like that.” A vaguely familiar voice interrupted her from behind.
Dani pivoted around to see who it was. There standing in full black tie, looking every bit the wealthy playboy, was Arsenio Ferretti.
His mouth twitched into a grin and his mischievous eyes twinkled. Dani gasped. Why on earth was he here?
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello yourself.” He slipped around and sat in Adam’s vacated chair. “What a lovely surprise to see you here.” His eyes travelled over her unashamedly appraising her.
The rest of the table watched on and Dani felt herself blush.
Arsenio turned to the rest of the table and greeted the two partners.
They seemed to know each other. Philip introduced Arsenio to the rest of the table while Dani sat awkwardly fidgeting in her seat, eating her dessert, which wasn’t anywhere near big enough.
“I didn’t realise you knew our competitors.” He smiled wryly at Dani.
“Adam’s my brother-in-law,” explained Dani.
“Adam Holmes?”
Dani nodded and Arsenio seemed to be pleased with her response.
“So you’re here with your company?” Dani asked, feeling like she should make some small talk.
“Yes, we come every year. We’ve a couple of tables on the other side.” He cocked his head to the side watching Dani take the last forkful of her dessert.
“I came to ask you to dance. You looked like you were enjoying the last one.”
Dani swallowed her dessert and stared at him.
“Adam’s a good dancer and he just made me look good,” she said quietly. Crap, she couldn’t dance with him!
“Oh, I don’t think you need anyone’s help to look good, Dani. You do a very fine job of doing that all on your own.” He stood swiftly and held out his hand for her to take it. Double crap.
She looked at it warily, then stood up and gently put her hand in his. He gripped it almost as though he was worried she’d change her mind, and led her to the dance floor. The band started up the next song and Dani swallowed.
“Oh, they’re playing our song.” Arsenio glanced over his shoulder and smirked, winking at her.
Dani furrowed her brow. Our song? Then she recognised ‘Sway’ and her face reddened remembering their dance in La Casa’s kitchen. Oh crap, now she was even more nervous.
Arsenio let out a laugh at her obvious embarrassment.
Jerome was sitting with Cosimo at the opposite end of the marquee.
They were on one of the tables Arsenio’s company had sponsored.
He hadn’t noticed Dani was there, mainly because there were so many people and he had come in late.
He’d been seated immediately as Philip Cope was making his welcome speech, thanking everyone for being generous and raising such a substantial amount of money for their chosen local charity, a safe house for abused women and children.
His attention was directed to the speaker and then to his table members once the dinner had started.