“I won’t be in my office properly until Friday. I’ll be elsewhere. It’s quite clear, Sara” Then realising his words had come across as terse, Jim expanded. “I thought I’d spend some time with Tasha before she flies home on Friday.”
“Wonders will never cease.” His ex-wife sounded less than impressed and was staring at him now as if she barely recognised the man before her. “You almost missed Philip’s birth because you were in a meeting.”
“But I didn’t. I was there, wasn’t I?”
“Gay or straight?” asked Philip, suddenly causing Tasha to choke on her wine.
Parker took the opportunity to spring into action by gently patting her back and managed to make everyone laugh at his words, everyone except Jim. “Doctor in the house.”
Once she’d stopped coughing, Philip clarified his statement. “Club. Gay or straight?”
“Oh really.” Lenny’s muttered words were heavy with disapproval.
Tasha simply laughed. “Either. I’m comfortable in both, but I do like to dance.”
Juan nodded as he joined in with conversation. “Cool. Phil’s not much of a dancer so just takes photos and videos of my drunk dancing to torture me with the following day.”
“Then he can torture us both the next day because I will dance just about anywhere; podiums, cages, tables, anywhere.”
She could feel Jim was staring at her but focused on Juan. “Then I know just the place, Tasha.”
“Should I be worried?” Jim asked Philip.
“Dad, trust me. I’ll look after Tasha.”
Jim looked slightly more concerned rather than less so. “Hmmm. You struggle to look after yourself never mind Tasha.”
Parker decided this was the moment for him to join the discussion when he turned to Rosa. “Do you fancy it?”
Tasha could feel Jim bristling next to her as her own stomach churned. If Parker was going out, she knew she wouldn’t be, and she was looking forward to a night of dancing and getting to know Philip and Juan a little better.
“Not really,” replied Rosa. “Philip and I have different ideas of a night out.”
Relief washed over Tasha as she sensed Jim relaxing a little.
Nobody even considered contradicting the fact there might be different ideas of a good night, especially not Philip who was already launching into a new conversation with Tasha. “Have you met the oldies?”
A confused expression spread across Tasha’s face as she tried to decipher who or what the oldies were.
“My son is referring to my parents,” explained Jim with a wry smile at the fondness in Philip’s tone when making reference to his grandparents.
Tasha shook her head before Lizzie chipped in. “They are dying to meet you. I have told them all about you.”
“Loose Lipped Lizzie,” muttered Jim in Tasha’s ear before his phone’s ringing caused everyone to glance in his direction.
He retrieved it from his pocket and immediately turned it off before returning it to his pocket, much to everyone’s amazement.
“Did I just see correctly? Jim Maybury actually turned his phone off.” Marcia’s tone conveyed amazement and a little amusement, too.
“Tasha doesn’t like phones at the table, it’s rude.” Everyone turned to Lizzie now who clearly thought her words had offered a sufficient explanation for her father’s actions.
With a flush of embarrassment creeping up her face, Tasha suddenly felt self-conscious to be under the scrutiny of others, people she didn’t know and there was no mistaking the questioning glances being exchanged between her fellow diners.
As they dispersed from the table, Lenny took the opportunity to show them all a new addition to his art collection that hung in pride of place in the centre of a large wall.
It was an obscured image of the naked female form lying stretched out on a bed with knees bent and back arched, but faceless. Reds, oranges, creams with a white hue where the face should be and a fading black aura framed the piece.
“Very nice.” Parker didn’t sound convinced but was obviously trying to impress. “What do you think, Tasha?”
