Clara nodded and pulled a face. ‘I know, right? I always wonder what Gil makes of it all. Do you think he’s secretly watching everyone?’
Sam smirked. ‘Possibly. I’m glad he’s at the other table.’
The dinner arrived, and they all tucked into delicious meals. Having Clara next to him gave Sam a sense of peace and ease, but also an odd sense of strength. Strength not just within himself, but for her. His shoulders felt broader and his chest more open than usual. Even his arms felt powerful when they brushed against her.
‘Are we doing some dancing?’ Adele tossed up her hands and did a full body gyrate. For someone who was normally do calm and collected, she really knew how to let her hair down.
‘I’m not.’ Sam shook his head.
‘I bet you’ve got all the moves.’ Clara beamed at him.
‘Er, no.’
‘Well, Dunc is the king of the dad dance.’ Lissa tossed back more wine. ‘So, we’ll definitely have a few.’
Once dinner was over and the tables were shifted aside, music blared through the speakers. Sam leaned back in a chair, nursing his lemon and chatting with Matthew, a physics teacher, and Matthew’s wife, Nina.
The dance floor was already jumping. Kerr and Georgie were up with Eddie and Kenneth. Adele and Brenna had found a couple of the others and looked like they were at a hen party.
Clara and Lissa were with Polly, their arms up, moving to the beat. Sam smiled at the joyful look on Clara’s face. It was good to see her letting go of her worries and enjoying herself. She laughed as Lissa twirled her around, her hair catching the light each time she turned. It was hard not to notice her… but he reminded himself for the hundredth time that she was just a friendly colleague.
Mirren was dancing with Kerr and Georgie and a young man who was presumably her boyfriend – he had some very sharp dance moves compared to most of the others.
A loud laugh pulled Sam back to his conversation, and Lissa’s husband, Duncan, returned with a beer in hand, throwing himself into the chair next to Sam with a satisfied grin.
‘You given up dancing already?’ Sam asked.
‘I can’t keep up.’ Duncan gestured to the dance floor. ‘The ladies are tearing it up out there.’
‘They sure are.’
‘Uh-oh. Look out, they’ve got the target missiles in operation, and you’re on their radar.’
‘What?’ Sam looked up as Lissa and Clara danced towards him. Lissa tugged at his arm, grinning. ‘Come on, Sam. You can’t just sit there all night.’
‘Yes, I can.’
‘You’re going to a wedding, remember? You need to practise.’
‘I won’t be dancing there either.’
‘You could be.’ Lissa winked. ‘If you take your fake wife.’
‘Seriously, Lissa.’ Clara batted her arm, then reached out and took Sam’s other hand. ‘Come on, we’ll show you what to do. It’ll be fun, I promise.’
He shook his head, feigning resistance, but they weren’t having it. Duncan leaned in with a knowing look. ‘They’re not letting you off, mate. Better to go with it.’
Sam sighed and let himself be pulled to his feet. ‘Ok, ok,’ he muttered, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Lissa did a triumphant fist-pump, and Clara held his hand tight, leading him to the dance floor. ‘See? It’s painless, I promise. Here, all you’ve got to do is… this.’ She did a little twirl, holding up his hand so she went under it.
‘So, you want me to spin you around?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Um, are you ok with me like… moving you?’
‘Sure.’
