Scott smiles. “She was a great help even if she popped more than I could blow up.”
“So, you’re telling me you didn’t do all the decorating yourself yet you’re happy to take the credit. I see how this goes.” Angie winks my way.
I raise my brow again at her. “Um, excuse me? You’re a fine one to wink. I noticed you dodged a bullet. How did you get out of the decorating committee?” I tease.
“I told you to join the catering team. It’s a breeze. All I had to do was chips, dips and nibbles. After a trip to Costco first thing, I knocked up a bucket of guacamole and sour cream selections, then Bobs your uncle. I had the afternoon free. I told you not to take too much on,” she says, scowling ever so slightly.
Angie has a shortcut for everything. When we first met, we were just twelve and both late for PE. She showed me a shortcut to the gym through the window of the girl's toilets. Inearly fell down the bloody bowl on the way in, causing us to laugh so hard, we couldn’t get ourselves together and were late anyway.
The DJ warms up playing a selection of 90s classics as the room fills with chatter. I’m looking forward to this evening, but probably for all the wrong reasons. We still keep in touch with a few of our former school friends, but there were some snobbier kids we just never gelled with. A lot of them will be here tonight. Part of me will take great delight in telling them about my incredible family, especially as my mum had the worst reputation amongst the other parents. I’m not sad to say I don’t hear a thing from my mother anymore; it’s her choice. After I told her I was pregnant, she gave me a lecture and said I should get rid of the baby.
“It will only ruin your life,”she said when I called to let her know the joyful news.
“Is that how you see me? Did I ruin your life too?”
“Let’s put it this way, Greg might still be around if you weren’t.”
It was the last nail in the coffin for me. Clearly, I was the one that hadruined her life.I’m over it now. Nanna and Gramps have shown me what real parenting is all about, although having Vivienne Bryson as my mum has also taught me so much. My daughter has parents who love her for a start.
I watch my gorgeous brother and sister-in-law burn up the dance floor, making me a little sad. I look to my silver bracelet and gently hold the small clam charm between my fingers. God, I miss my man so much it hurts. I wish with everything I have; he was here.
I wish I could have brought Zoe with me tonight, just to keep me company. She loves to dance and has music in her bones. I’d be lying if I said I don’t know where she gets itfrom. Right at this very moment, my daughter’s daddy is strutting his incredibly sexy stuff, together with his equally sex-alicious bandmates, on a giant stage across the pond in the Staples Centre. No doubt, he’ll be surrounded by adoring, bra-less rock chicks, convinced he only has eyes for them, while their equally smitten other halves rock out as if there’s no tomorrow. I made peace with these facts when I was pregnant with Zoe. I had to be sure I could handle everything that came with being Ash Chambers’ wife before I agreed to marry him. We haven’t actually had time to tie the knot yet, but we’ve finally bought a home together, right here in Braebeach, together with an apartment in New York.
The evening is going well, and I can actually relax now everything is in place. We have a fully stocked paying bar. A bit stingy, you might think, but less hassle in the long run. A few of the guests can go a little overboard if everything is free, so making them think twice about paying for their drinks is a good thing. It also comes with bar staff. We’ve instructed them to add a shot or two more of soda water or ice to spirits if anyone gets out of hand. We might be the wrong side of twenty, but maturity hasn’t reached many of our old classmates just yet. They are convinced they’re still teenagers and we can do without injuries. There’s bound to be someone trying to crowd surf by jumping off the stage and onto a waiting dance floor. That can’t happen. Not on my watch. The other bonus of having a paying bar is we can afford catering staff. Apart from the bucket load of nibbles made by Angie, the food is all taken care of. A three-course dinner with coffee and waiting staff comes as part of the package, which is handy as it means us organisers get to enjoy the event.
I catch up with old faces and reel at how grown up some of us have become. Stories of home, family, successfulbusinesses fill the conversations. Of course, everyone wants to know about Ash and if he’s coming tonight. I’m about to explain to one group how he’s on tour in the States, but I’m whisked away by Scott, who swirls me onto the dance floor. He’s always been a mover, and I love dancing with him. It’s not long before Angie joins us and I’m just the right amount of relaxed to swish my royal blue cocktail dress around the dance floor. My dark hair flies around my face as I now spin in Angie’s arms, and we act out the lyrics toWe Are Family. More familiar faces join our expanding group while the music changes to Black Eyed Peas,I got a feeling.We carry on intoJump Aroundby House of Pain, but I find the jumping part just too hard.
The lights flash, music pumps, people laugh. Everything is going brilliantly until our little dancing crowd slows, then stops. There’s a change in the atmosphere as a familiar energy surrounds us.
Some kind of distraction is happening by the main doors, but I’m unable to see what’s going on. The music continues as the poor DJ optimistically continues his set, although everyone is leaving the dance floor.
My first thought is a fight. There’s bound to be some old grudge resurrected by a couple of idiots who should know better. I barge my way to the front of the crowd, excusing myself between bodies. Finally, I get past the last line of mainly female spectators. My eyes fall to the one person I didn’t expect to see tonight as my heart skips a beat.
His eyes gaze across the now gathered crowd like some kind of Grecian God with the body to match. A body so familiar and committed to my memory. A simple white t-shirt enhances his athletic frame and his faded blue jeans cling to the bulge of his upper thighs and muscular legs. I capture his full slim physique, yet his eyes are the biggest distraction.Nobody else I know has such captivating ice blues. They are unmistakable and belonged to the man I fell for in this very building, too many years ago. He should be entertaining twenty thousand people at one of LA’s most iconic music venues, but he’s here, right in front of me.
“What the hell?” I breathe out and shake myself too. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.” My legs still turn to jelly at the sight of him, even after so much time together. I’d jump into his arms, but I might knock him off his feet. I’ve put on a little weight recently. He sweeps me up regardless, not seeming to notice.
“Hey baby. Surprise.” His deep, calm tone sends a spark of electricity down my spine before his lips take mine, and I’m lost in their soft caress. It’s not until a forced cough brings me back down to earth and the realisation that there are around three hundred pairs of eyes staring at us right now. We break apart and Ash sets me down, clearly not taking notice of the surrounding crowd.
“I’ve missed those lips,” he says, and the female spectators openly gasp at his words.
“Hey ladies,” Ash waves.
I playfully push his chest. “Oh please,” then turn to the crowd with his arm still firmly around me. “Give it a rest, you lot,” I joke while Ash turns a lighter shade of pink. My man might get on stage and perform in front of thousands of people, but he’s still the shy boy I met at school underneath it all.
Scott strides forward and takes his outstretched hand. “How are you, mate? You made it at last.” Ash immediately brings him in for a man hug while Scott continues, “I told you, I could have met you at the airport.”
“You knew he was coming home?” I question Scott.
“He swore me to secrecy.” Scott shrugs. “Why do youthink I’ve kept you busy all day? The last night of their tour being cancelled has been all over the news.”
“It was cancelled. What happened?” I ask, turning to Ash.
“They made an announcement yesterday morning. There was some kind of technical fault so we couldn’t go ahead.”
“What about the fans? They’ll be so disappointed,” I say to Ash and he smiles.
“Typical Cal, always worrying about others.” He hugs me closer. “But it will be okay. We’re re-organising the last gig to go ahead in a month or so, just for the current ticket holders. It will be one hell of a party.”
