Chapter Thirty-One #3
Later that evening she recalled that moment and those fateful words.
It was a wonderful party with a five-course dinner and wine.
Em sat with Gerren, Jenna and Ruan, all smiles as she caught up with people she had not seen for many years.
Every new arrival had been welcomed with a cry of delight followed by a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Her great-aunt was truly in her element.
‘Look at her, she’s enjoying every moment of this,’ Jodie whispered in Cat’s ear, nodding toward Em’s table where she sat surrounded by well-wishers.
‘I think it’s great,’ she whispered back, ‘meeting all these old friends, catching up with news and, maybe, making arrangements to keep in touch. I’m hoping something worthwhile comes from this evening.’
‘In more ways than one,’ Jodie said, not taking her eyes off Em.
‘And what do you mean by that?’ Cat was instantly alert. Jodie’s tone spoke of something that had nothing to do with Em. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Luke. He’s here.’ Cat ignored her friend’s grin. ‘You didn’t think Em would leave him off the guest list, did you?’
‘What?’ Cat looked around the room, instantly alert. ‘Where?’
‘Over there in the far corner.’
Cat followed the direction of Jodie’s nod and could just make him out, tucked into a seat, his back against the wall, chatting to Benita. ‘I don’t see Mia.’ She turned back, confused. ‘Why isn’t she here with him?’
‘She is, look. Just to his left.’
‘You obviously know an awful lot more about the guest list for this party than I do, Jodie, but I’m afraid despite all Em’s carefully laid plans, absolutely nothing is going to happen this evening …
or any other for that matter,’ Cat announced, irritated by her friend’s enthusiasm.
‘I’m not interested and, even if I was, he’s with Mia, isn’t he? ’
‘Oh, Cat.’ Jodie rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t make it such a big issue. All Em wants is for you to say hello and make your peace with him. Is that too much to ask?’
‘And what about what I want?’ Cat bristled. ‘Doesn’t that count?’
After her chat to her grandmother yesterday she had thought long and hard about the situation.
She decided she would talk to Luke, but privately and at a time and place to suit her.
Now it appeared other people were trying to snatch that decision from her hands, scattering her thoughts and making her nervous.
No way was she prepared to do this in such a public place on the whim of someone who was currently testing the boundaries of both her patience and friendship.
‘Forget it, Jodie. He’s moved on, as I have,’ she said, trying to draw the conversation to an end.
‘Anyway, what makes you think he needs to make peace with me? Isn’t that all about revisiting the past?
That’s not what I want to do and I’m sure Luke doesn’t either.
Please, just leave it alone for this evening, will you? ’
Jodie pushed out a frustrated breath. ‘Right, if that’s what you want, Cat Trevelyan, I won’t mention it again,’ she said, giving a sulky shrug and picking up her wine glass.
Cat held back on her response. The last thing she wanted to do was lose a friend over a silly spat caused by misguided intentions. But why were so many people interfering? First Em, then her grandmother, and now Jodie.
She was dragged away from her thoughts as the DJ, short, dark and in his early twenties, settled himself behind his deck and picked up his mic.
He welcomed everyone, wished Em a very happy birthday to cheers and clapping, and then introduced his opening track.
Nathan materialised from nowhere, whisking Jodie away to dance.
Immediately, Cat checked to see where Luke was.
Relieved to see him out on the floor with Mia, she left her seat and made her way to the cloakroom.
Once there she paused for a moment to take a long hard look at herself in the mirror.
Her cheeks felt hot; a result, she expected, from her altercation with Jodie.
But there was another reason, too. He was here this evening.
Too close for comfort. Because it was still there, damn it.
That feeling of longing for the one man who’d once meant more to her than anything else in the world.
She scolded herself for having such foolish thoughts.
He was in a new relationship. And by choice, her life was over a thousand miles away.
This was the reality of the situation and there was no way she was going to try to change it.
Two days, that’s all that were left before she’d be getting on that plane.
After tonight she wouldn’t even have to come into contact with him.
It should be simple … and she had to be strong and think of the future, not this one night when memories of what they had once meant to each other were bombarding her from all directions.
After rinsing her wrists under the cool water, she reapplied her lipstick and stepped back into the corridor.
Returning to the banqueting room where the music had slowed, the dance floor was now full of couples, and she scooted back to her table.
As she was about to sit down, a warm hand closed around her wrist. She let out a little gasp of shock, turned, and then immediately relaxed as a pair of bemused, dark brown eyes stared down at her.
‘Raphael, you startled me.’ She gave a nervous laugh, relieved her first thought, that it had been Luke, had been incorrect.
‘Come and dance with me, lovely Cat.’
Ah, that Italian charm. Cat had to smile as he drew her out onto the dance floor and she settled comfortably in his arms, joining the others who were caught up in the spell of ‘Careless Whisper’.
‘Are you enjoying the evening so far?’ she asked as the glitter ball in the centre of the ceiling caught them in a shimmer of sparkling light.
‘Yes, it is very different though.’ He graced her with his perfect smile.
‘In Italy, our family events are mostly about food. My father has two brothers and a sister. I have nine cousins, five are married. My grandmother loves to have us all around for dinner. As you can imagine, the table is very large.’
‘And, don’t tell me, set outside under a vine covered loggia and full of amazing dishes.’ Cat closed her eyes and smiled. ‘Ah, Raphael, that is my idea of heaven.’
They passed by Em’s table, where Cat noticed her deep in conversation with two women who looked like sisters; it was good to see them with their heads together, laughing over some old memory.
‘I love your Aunt Em,’ Raphael said, nodding towards her. ‘She wanted to know all about me. She is very proud of you, I think.’
‘Yes, I think so too,’ Cat agreed. ‘I miss her very much.’
‘I think you must miss all your family. They are wonderful. I know I miss Sara.’ His brown eyes saddened. ‘I cannot wait to see her again in November.’
‘Yes, it must be difficult, living apart.’
‘Not for long though. When she graduates next summer we will marry.’ The thought of his forthcoming wedding appeared to cheer him up a little. ‘You will come to the wedding, yes?’
‘Of course, I’d love to.’
Before she could reply, George Michael’s voice gradually began to fade.
As she waited with Raphael in the dimly lit dance area for the DJ to announce the next track, she was aware of someone easing their way through the crowd towards them.
Moments later, Luke was standing in front of them, his grey gaze fixed on her.
‘Is this an appropriate time to cut in?’ he asked, turning his attention to Raphael.
Raphael looked at Cat and smiled, then stepped back and released her hand. ‘I think you need to ask my lovely, oh …’ He hesitated, his eyes widening as they moved from Cat to her new dance partner. ‘Sorry,’ he released a long breath, ‘yes, yes, of course.’
Cat’s first instinct was to refuse but she knew standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor there were too many people watching. So instead she gritted her teeth and nodded. Without another word, Raphael melted away into the crowd, leaving the two of them facing each other.
Having Luke standing so close made Cat feel hot and uncomfortable.
The music began again, another slow romantic song, and reluctantly she let him slide his arms around her, pulling her just a little too tightly against his body.
She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes.
Four minutes, wasn’t that the average time of a music track? Surely she could cope for that long?
‘I’ve missed you, Cat.’ She heard his voice, his breath soft against her ear as he pulled her even tighter.
‘I’m not sure you should be telling me this, Luke,’ she said quietly, glancing up at him quickly. ‘You’re with Mia now, remember?’
‘No,’ he corrected. ‘Jordan is with Mia, look.’ He swung her gently round and sure enough there they were only a few feet away, wrapped around each other, very much the loved up couple.
‘So what was all that about the other afternoon in The Smugglers? Why were you …? You called her, didn’t you?’ she said, suddenly realising what he’d done. ‘You asked her to come down, to make it look as if …’
‘I’d got over you, yes. I wanted to see your reaction. The truth is I haven’t, Cat. I doubt I ever will. And I don’t think you have either, have you? We need to talk …’ he added quietly.
‘What’s done is done and all the talking in the world won’t change a thing,’ she said, focussing on the whiteness of his shirt, knowing if their eyes met she’d be lost. Already her pulse was beginning to accelerate, the warmth of his fingers across her back sending those familiar shivers along her spine.
‘Look, you asked me to dance. I don’t want …
need this conversation.’ She took a deep breath.
‘In fact, I think it might be best if you took me back to my table.’
Luke pulled her gently to a halt. Taking her hand, he walked her to the edge of the dance floor.
‘I never had you down as a coward,’ he said, spinning her around to face him.
‘I’m really disappointed. The Cat Trevelyan I knew was always fair minded.
She weighed up all the evidence before making her decision.
You saw what Tanya wanted you to see and you believed her just like that.
’ He snapped his fingers. ‘Okay, I admit I did a stupid thing not telling you about Bali. And as I said, I should have made you listen, but the fact is you were so angry that evening I decided it was pointless trying to reason with you. So I gave us both some space and came to see you the next day. What I didn’t expect was to find you gone. ’
Cat hung her head. So much of what he’d said was true.
She’d done exactly as Em had, a knee-jerk reaction, packing her bags and leaving without giving him a chance to explain.
But he had no idea how hurt she was at the time.
Tanya had been so plausible and she knew if she’d stayed, her life would have been made a misery.
Because Tanya was the kind of woman who would have found it amusing to constantly remind her she’d been second best.
‘I’m sorry.’ She raised her eyes to his and found herself instantly trapped in their grey depths. ‘You’re right. I was unfair. Can we find somewhere to talk? I need to be back by ten though, that’s when Em is due to cut the cake.’
‘Sure.’ He nodded, and she saw the trace of a smile surface. ‘Lead the way.’