As they sat nextto each other at the top table of the reception Steph felt that there had been another, more subtle shift in things between them, but wasn’t sure how. The speeches were predictable with lots of references to how beautiful the bridewas, how lucky Charlie was and what a wonderful day it had been. Jon’s speech had included lots of anecdotes about their college and uni days with summaries of some of the scrapes they had been in, then he said that the bridesmaids were beautiful and finally made another toast to the bride and groom before retaking his seat.
Once everyone had madetheir way through to the ballroom of the country club where the reception was Charlie and Lindsay took to the floor for their first dance to applause and a chorus of oohs and ahs.
“How embarrassing,” commented Steph with a cringe for good measure.
“But how romantic,” said Jon in response making her laugh.
The disc jockey said something inaudible and then said more clearly, “The dance floor is now open to everyone.”
“Shall we?” asked Jon.
“I didn’t think you danced?” she responded making reference to his own comment in the club.
“Maybe I should reconsider, I’m doing a lot of that today.” He smiled as he led Steph onto the dance floor where he spun her around.
He could certainly dance. Maybe he only usually danced with his wife. Steph couldn’t get that out of her head.He had a wife. They moved around the floor together with ease, as though they each knew the other’s body, how they each fitted together, physically and rhythmically. At the end of the song, Jon dipped her resulting in applause that made him laugh. Something that made him even more attractive to her. More attractive and more dangerous.
“I do hope that wasn’t too embarrassing.”
She shook her head at him. “I think you lie too easily and too convincingly.”
He shrugged, offering no defence or denial before they both noticed Lindsay heading towards them. Without a word being exchanged, Jon pulled Lindsay into his embrace and danced back across the floor making the bride giggle at him.
The day turned into night and by eleven o’clock the bride and groom had left and Steph thought that she should go too. Although she was perfectly sober she was tired and at the same time she didn’t want the day to end because she was unlikely to see Jon again and that saddened her, even if she kept telling herself it was for the best.
She had just caught up with The Walters family and kissed them all goodbye and was at reception asking them to call her a cab when Jon appeared behind her.
“Are you running out on me?” he asked seriously.
She laughed. “Hardly, but I don’t fancy being a fling or a one-night-stand, so I am going home in case I do something slutty.”
“Let me take you home at least.”
She shook her head firmly and as the receptionist disappeared he took her hand to pull her through a doorway that she realised led to an office.
“What are you doing?” she asked warily.
“What do you want me to do?” He moved closer to her, making her resolve to leave, to leave him weaken considerably.
“Nothing.”
“You are lying, Stephanie,” he accused. “You want this as much as I do.” He moved even closer until he was backing her against the wall, like in the lift.
She was almost panting now as his lips lowered towards her where he briefly teased her with them again, but then with his gently pressed against hers she responded to him immediatelyand as his arm wrapped tightly around her waist he pulled her towards him while he withdrew his lips and smiled.
“You want this, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she replied, trying, but failing to reach his lips with hers.
“I want to strip you bare and spread your legs and touch you everywhere,” he said as his hand suddenly found its way beneath her dress and made its way up her bare legs, then between her thighs, making her moan as he reached her warm, damp core. “Oh God, you really do want this, don’t you?” he asked as breathlessly as her now.
“Yes,” she panted.
“Then let me take you home.”
She was ready to give into him completely, regardless of his marital status and her own feelings on infidelity when the door burst open revealing the receptionist. The other woman looked almost as embarrassed as Steph felt . . . that wasn’t true. Steph felt ashamed to have been caught in this compromising position and felt sure it was obvious that this man was not hers. The intrusion brought her back to the real world, the one where Jon was married, causing her to free herself of him.
“Sorry,” she said to the receptionist. Then she turned to Jon. “Thank you for today and I will probably see you at the christening in about a years’ time knowing Lindsay.”
