Chapter Twenty-Eight
He hadn’t been quite sure what to expect of a school staff party.
He probably would have guessed on the venue.
The school hall. He also could have guessed there would be crackers, daft hats and even those stupid party blowers that whistled and unravelled when you blew into them.
Hilariously funny, but only when drunk. Of course there was turkey, too — courtesy of outside caterers — plus plenty of alcohol, because when you spent all term with kids who seemed determined to try your patience, alcohol was surely needed to celebrate a two-week break from the rascals.
What he wouldn’t have betted on was the DJ, or the crazy disco lights. And never, in a million years, would he have betted on Sid being a disco diva.
Right now he was strutting his stuff with Hayley, who kept encouraging him to be more and more outrageous.
‘How much has he had to drink?’ Dan murmured to Bridget, who was sitting next to him.
She studied Sid for a moment, and he didn’t miss the fondness in her expression. ‘Not as much as you’d think. I’m starting to realise he’s actually a natural showman, though considering his keenness for amateur dramatics that shouldn’t be a surprise.’
‘I’m guessing the death of his wife knocked all the exuberance right out of him.’ He winked at Bridget. ‘And that his ballroom dancing lessons, or more specifically his dance partner, have helped him find it again.’
Bridget blushed, and suddenly looked ten years younger. ‘If they have, then I’m glad. Because he’s helped me, too.’ She glanced sideways at Dan. ‘And don’t think I’m unaware of the part you played.’
‘I merely dropped the ideas. The rest was all Sid.’ Dan had to admit to a smidgen of pride at seeing a smarter, slightly trimmer, definitely sweeter-smelling version of Sid now. Even if he was currently doing a mad diva dance to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’.
‘When are you going to join your partner in crime on the dance floor?’ Anna slipped into the chair next to him, and gave him a mischievous look.
‘Never?’ He leant a little closer to her, inhaling her subtle scent while also taking a sneaky peek at her cleavage. The neckline of her sexy red dress was modest, but from this angle he could see the curves of her breasts. ‘Unless you’re prepared to go up there with me?’
A smile played around lips he wanted to kiss. ‘Maybe later, when I’ve had another glass of wine.’
Dan noticed Bridget subtly rise to her feet and move to chat to the group at the end of the table, leaving the pair of them alone. It gave him the opening he’d been waiting for. ‘So, what are your plans for Christmas?’
‘We usually go to my parents in Devon, or stay home with Val and Bob, but this year we’re off to the Lake District.’
Damn. That blew his first hope — that they’d come down to stay with him — out of the water. ‘Sounds good,’ he replied, trying not sound as disappointed as he felt. ‘Why the Lakes?’
‘My friend Faith owns a gorgeous hotel there, The Old Mill. The last few years she’s decided not to take bookings at Christmas so she can invite family and friends over.
It’ll be good to do something different.
Plus she has two dogs, Nip and Tuck, who Maisie adores, so I know she’ll be happy. ’ She turned to him. ‘What about you?’
‘Oh, you know, seeing Max at some point.’ He tried to act casual, but inside he wondered what it meant that while he’d been desperately hoping to see her, she’d been going off making other plans.
Then again, he could hardly expect her to turn down an invitation to the Lakes on the chance he might invite her and Maisie to London.
Cursing himself for not raising the subject earlier, he cleared his throat.
‘If I’m honest, I was hoping to see you and Maisie, too.
’ Her surprise was obvious, which confused him.
‘You didn’t think I’d want to see you? I thought I’d made my feelings clear.
This wasn’t just a fling for me.’ He nearly added.
I’ve fallen in love with you, but he was damned if he was going to spill his feelings for her in a school hall, at a staff Christmas party. He had more class than that.
Those warm hazel eyes held his, and he could see her delight, but also the hesitancy, the caution he knew she still felt about whether they could make this work. ‘It wasn’t a fling for me, either,’ she answered softly.
There was an unspoken but. Dan drew in a breath, reminding himself how far she’d come since that first night in London when she’d not been able to make love to him. Hell, she’d even bought herself a new bed and invited him to christen it. ‘So we need to make plans for when I can see you again.’
And damn, this wasn’t the right time for his bloody phone to go off.
Cursing the insistent buzzing in his jacket pocket, Dan gave her an apologetic smile.
‘Sorry.’ He was about to press decline when he noticed who was phoning.
‘It’s Pete. He doesn’t usually phone in the evening unless it’s important. Do you mind?’
* * *
Anna watched Dan stride off, phone to his ear, as the crazy butterflies that always came to life when he was around, flapped again in her stomach.
He’d been planning on seeing them. Logically she should have realised — he had, as he’d said, made it quite clear he wanted to carry on seeing her.
Yet Christmas was different, wasn’t it? It was usually family time, if you were lucky enough to have family you wanted to spend time with.
She only remembered seeing Chris on Christmas Day once they’d become engaged.
Once they’d known they were in love, and were planning a future together.
The words stuck in her head. Did she dare to think Dan felt like she did? Or was that absolute insanity, considering they’d only known each other a few months.
Should insanity stop her though? She knew what it was like to love, and to lose that love. Even having gone through the harrowing pain of bereavement, she would choose that over never having experienced the utter joy of loving Chris.
Maybe she could invite Dan up after Christmas? Or she and Maisie could go to London for New Year?
The Dan that returned to her a few moments later looked nothing like the relaxed man who’d left to take the call.
‘What’s wrong? Oh God, please tell me it isn’t Max?’
‘No.’ He shook his head and when she took another look at him she realised he wasn’t so much traumatised as dazed. ‘Nothing bad. Pete phoned to tell me I got the role.’
‘But that’s good, isn’t it?’ She wracked her brain, trying to recall the auditions he’d been to. ‘Oh, you mean the movie role? The one you went to Hollywood for?’
‘Yeah.’ He slumped onto the nearest chair, and she could see his hands shaking.
‘Christ, Anna, I can’t believe it. They’re sending a car round to pick me up from the hotel.
I’ve got to get on a flight tomorrow morning because they want to tie everything up contract wise before the Christmas shutdown.
They were let down by the first actor they chose for the part so everything’s in a rush now. Filming starts second week in January.’
‘Wow.’ She was happy for him, she really was. It’s just . . . she blinked, horribly afraid she was about to cry. Thoughts from a moment ago, inviting him to her humble home, inviting herself and Maisie back to London, all seemed a world away now.
The man sitting opposite her, surrounded by the tacky trappings of a budget staff Christmas party, was no longer Dan, the ridiculously good-looking but also funny, charming and kind man who’d helped with their Christmas play.
He was a Hollywood actor. And Hollywood actors didn’t end up with primary school head teachers.
Her struggling brain finally caught up with everything he’d said. ‘Did you say you were being picked up tonight?’
His expression was still one of bemused shell shock.
‘Apparently, yes. Well, they would have picked me up tomorrow morning, but to get to the airport in time, packed and ready to go, I’d have had to leave here at about three in the morning.
’ Suddenly he lurched forward, holding his head in his hands.
‘Shit, Anna. I can’t believe this is happening.
I’m so shocked, I’m numb.’ His bright blue eyes looked into hers.
‘Sorry to leave like this. There’s so much I wanted to say—’
‘It can wait,’ she interrupted, not wanting to hear him talk of future plans when his whole life was about to change. ‘You need to get back to the hotel.’ Diving into her handbag, she dragged out her phone. ‘I’ve got the numbers of a few local cab companies. I’ll give one a call.’
‘Yes, thanks.’
Walking into the corridor, it took less than a minute for her to arrange a taxi that might, very probably, take Dan away from her not just tonight, but for good.
Tears pricked and she shook them away. Damn it, no.
Crying was inevitable, but not now. Not in front of her colleagues and definitely not in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, she walked back into the hall, finding Dan with his head in his hands, exactly where she’d left him.
‘They’ll pick you up outside in ten minutes.’
His head shot up. ‘Okay, good.’ He reached for her hands, clasping them tightly. ‘This is not how I wanted the evening to end.’
She made herself smile brightly at him. ‘Are you kidding? You’re escaping a school staff party and jetting off to Hollywood.’
He huffed, part amusement, part incredulity. ‘True, but I’m missing out on another precious night with you.’
It was the moment to tell him there would be plenty of other opportunities, but the words died on her tongue. She simply wasn’t sure anymore.
‘Guess I’d better go and wait for him.’
Dan rose to his feet, and Anna could see that in his head, he’d already left. It didn’t stop her saying, ‘I’ll wait with you.’
‘You don’t have to.’ He nodded to the dance floor, where Sid was still strutting his stuff, this time to Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmas Time’. ‘I wouldn’t want to drag you away from that.’
As she forced a laugh, the music shifted and the soothing voice of Andy Williams echoed around the hall, singing ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’. Sid turned towards Bridget and held out his hand. She smiled and slipped into his arms.
Anna’s throat tightened as she watched them waltz. She was so happy for them, but God, she was so horribly jealous, too.
Dan gripped her hand. ‘Come on. We have time for one dance. The cab, the car, they can both bloody well wait.’
Before she had a chance to say anything, he tugged her onto the area of the hall they were using as a dance floor.
As he drew her against him, far too close for a classic waltz, Anna breathed him in, committing the glorious smell of his expensive aftershave, the divine feel of his lean, hard body, to her memory banks.
Just as she began to lose herself in him, Hayley tapped her on the shoulder. ‘Sorry, but there’s a taxi driver outside. Says he’s come to pick up Dan.’
Dan’s expression looked as crestfallen as she felt. ‘I’ll call you. I’m not sure of my schedule, when I’ll be back in the country, but I’ll let you know, okay?’
He sounded so earnest. ‘Don’t worry about me.’ She smoothed a hand across his cheek. ‘This is your big moment. Enjoy.’
‘I hate leaving like this.’ He looked so torn. ‘It’s too rushed. There’s too much we’ve not talked about.’
‘There’ll be other times.’ Maybe, hopefully, though right now this felt awfully like goodbye.
‘Yes, there will be.’ His eyes forced hers to look at him. ‘I’ll see you soon, okay?’ With that he kissed her cheek and walked away.
It wasn’t until she felt Bridget’s arm around her waist, leading her gently towards a chair, that Anna realised there were tears trailing down her cheeks. ‘Shit, sorry.’
‘Don’t be daft. You’re going to miss him.’ Bridget smiled gently at her. ‘But he’ll be back.’
Anna closed her eyes. ‘Maybe.’
‘I thought you said he wanted to continue to volunteer here next year?’
Anna shook herself. Now wasn’t the time for a meltdown. ‘He did. But he’s just been offered a part in a Hollywood movie, so I’m not sure Riddlescomb Primary is high on his list of priorities right now.’
Bridget looked more amused than surprised. ‘Maybe not. But from the look he gave you just now, I have a feeling the head teacher of that school won’t stray far from his thoughts. Now then.’ She stood up smartly. ‘We have a party to enjoy. Can’t let Sid hog the dance floor all night.’
Before she knew it, Anna was dancing again, this time to Shakin’ Stevens. As his lyrics, we’re going to have a party tonight, burst across the hall, she pushed her misery aside and let the spirit of Christmas take over.