I’m suddenly seized by the image of Mia lying on a beach somewhere on the Mediterranean, topless, with her arm covering her face as she dozes in the sun. I imagine her long legs, bronzed and dusted with white sand.
“Dominic?” Charlotte’s voice interrupts those thoughts, right before I can dwell too much on what Mia’s nipples look like when they’re darkened by a sun tan.
Fodder for my next agony wank?
I give myself an internal slap, tell myself to grow up, and take a sip of whiskey before smiling and shrugging.
“I hadn’t decided yet. I guess it depends on how depressed I am at the end of the season.”
“Oh, look out.” Jordan chuckles into his glass. “It’ll be our fault he’s depressed and losing all his money in a casino in Monaco if we lose the season.”
I point a finger at him with a faux stern expression. “That’s right, son. Next year’s salary is mine if you lose.” I look over at Mia, who is giggling softly. “And you?”
“Me?” She presses her fingertips to her chest, her eyebrows raised. “Oh, who knows. Might just hole up in a cabin somewhere in the Swiss Alps and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”
“Sounds lonely,” Charlotte muses.
Mia shrugs, and her expression drops slightly. “Might be just what I need. Bit of loneliness.” She shakes her head and takes a large swig of her drink. “Good lord, listen to me. I look too good to be depressed tonight. Come on.” She jumps to her feet and drags Charlotte along with her. “I just saw Ricky and Ezra, let’s go say hello.”
Mia and Charlotte disappear across the ballroom just as Adedayo and Everest reach our table. They’re both in good spirits, laughing loudly and slapping Jordan on the back as they proclaim him the best captain they’ve ever had. I guess they’ve already been enjoying the fruits of the bar for some time, and smile to myself as I watch them.
Everest’s attention is snatched away for a brief second as someone sweeps past our table, and I follow his line of vision to see a swathe of pink encased around a rather lovely looking Joanne Murray. She stops as she looks down at me, smiling haughtily, one eyebrow raised.
“Don’t you look dapper,” she says, elegantly draping herself and her impressive gown over the seat beside me. “Lovely to see you, Dominic.”
“And you, Joanne. You look incredible.”
“Why thank you.”
“Can I get you a drink, Mrs Murray?” Everest asks, and Joanne glances over at him.
“Mrs Murray? Aren’t you charming?” Her gaze lands back on me. “Thank you. Had quite enough drinks to last me a while lately.”
The lads awkwardly murmur their excuses and leave the table in a rush.
“How have you been, Joanne?” I ask, and she lifts a shoulder with a sigh.
“My shame has become public now, so what else am I to do?”
I shake my head with a frown. “It’s not your shame. It’s Peter’s.”
Joanne’s face betrays her surprise, and she huffs out a small laugh. “Yes, well, unfortunately I have to carry the public face of it no matter what. So…” She shrugs, smoothing out the ruffles off her dress. “Maybe I should buy a farm in Berkshire and go hide away.”
“That would be a terrible waste.”
“Oh you old flirt,” she says, playfully swatting at my shoulder. “You really haven’t changed at all, have you, Dominic?”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Made you smile though.”
“You were always good at making the ladies smile.” She leans an elbow on the table, cupping her chin in her hand. “Mia looks lovely tonight.”
I clear my throat and nod. “Oh yes. Doesn’t she always?”
“She does, she does.” Joanne narrows her eyes at me, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “A woman always blooms when she’s in the company of people who see her for what she is, and value her for it.”
My brain races to think of a response that sounds benign, that doesn’t sound like I’m gagging after my daughter-in-law. Joanne’s intent gaze tells me she’s searching for the answer to something I’ve made stupidly obvious all evening, and that I definitely should not be pursuing.
But even my silence seems to confirm Joanne’s suspicions, and she gives me a knowing smile. She sweeps her dress along with her as she gets back to her feet, leaning down to put a hand on my shoulder.
