‘She is, look. Just to his left.’
‘You obviously know an awful lot more about the guest list for this party than I do, Jodie, but I’m afraid despite all Em’s carefully laid plans, absolutely nothing is going to happen this evening … or any other for that matter,’ Cat announced, irritated by her friend’s enthusiasm. ‘I’m not interested and, even if I was, he’s with Mia, isn’t he?’
‘Oh, Cat.’ Jodie rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t make it such a big issue. All Em wants is for you to say hello and make your peace with him. Is that too much to ask?’
‘And what about what I want?’ Cat bristled. ‘Doesn’t that count?’
After her chat to her grandmother yesterday she had thought long and hard about the situation. She decided she would talk to Luke, but privately and at a time and place to suit her. Now it appeared other people were trying to snatch that decision from her hands, scattering her thoughts and making her nervous. No way was she prepared to do this in such a public place on the whim of someone who was currently testing the boundaries of both her patience and friendship.
‘Forget it, Jodie. He’s moved on, as I have,’ she said, trying to draw the conversation to an end. ‘Anyway, what makes you think he needs to make peace with me? Isn’t that all about revisiting the past? That’s not what I want to do and I’m sure Luke doesn’t either. Please, just leave it alone for this evening, will you?’
Jodie pushed out a frustrated breath. ‘Right, if that’s what you want, Cat Trevelyan, I won’t mention it again,’ she said, giving a sulky shrug and picking up her wine glass.
Cat held back on her response. The last thing she wanted to do was lose a friend over a silly spat caused by misguided intentions. But why were so many people interfering? First Em, then her grandmother, and now Jodie.
She was dragged away from her thoughts as the DJ, short, dark and in his early twenties, settled himself behind his deck and picked up his mic. He welcomed everyone, wished Em a very happy birthday to cheers and clapping, and then introduced his opening track. Nathan materialised from nowhere, whisking Jodie away to dance. Immediately, Cat checked to see where Luke was. Relieved to see him out on the floor with Mia, she left her seat and made her way to the cloakroom. Once there she paused for a moment to take a long hard look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks felt hot; a result, she expected, from her altercation with Jodie. But there was another reason, too. He was here this evening. Too close for comfort. Because it was still there, damn it. That feeling of longing for the one man who’d once meant more to her than anything else in the world. She scolded herself for having such foolish thoughts. He was in a new relationship. And by choice, her life was over a thousand miles away. This was the reality of the situation and there was no way she was going to try to change it. Two days, that’s all that were left before she’d be getting on that plane. After tonight she wouldn’t even have to come into contact with him. It should be simple … and she had to be strong and think of the future, not this one night when memories of what they had once meant to each other were bombarding her from all directions.
After rinsing her wrists under the cool water, she reapplied her lipstick and stepped back into the corridor. Returning to the banqueting room where the music had slowed, the dance floor was now full of couples, and she scooted back to her table. As she was about to sit down, a warm hand closed around her wrist. She let out a little gasp of shock, turned, and then immediatelyrelaxed as a pair of bemused, dark brown eyes stared down at her.
‘Raphael, you startled me.’ She gave a nervous laugh, relieved her first thought, that it had been Luke, had been incorrect.
‘Come and dance with me, lovely Cat.’
Ah, that Italian charm. Cat had to smile as he drew her out onto the dance floor and she settled comfortably in his arms, joining the others who were caught up in the spell of ‘Careless Whisper’.
‘Are you enjoying the evening so far?’ she asked as the glitter ball in the centre of the ceiling caught them in a shimmer of sparkling light.
‘Yes, it is very different though.’ He graced her with his perfect smile. ‘In Italy, our family events are mostly about food. My father has two brothers and a sister. I have nine cousins, five are married. My grandmother loves to have us all around for dinner. As you can imagine, the table is very large.’
‘And, don’t tell me, set outside under a vine covered loggia and full of amazing dishes.’ Cat closed her eyes and smiled. ‘Ah, Raphael, that is my idea of heaven.’
They passed by Em’s table, where Cat noticed her deep in conversation with two women who looked like sisters; it was good to see them with their heads together, laughing over some old memory.
‘I love your Aunt Em,’ Raphael said, nodding towards her. ‘She wanted to know all about me. She is very proud of you, I think.’
‘Yes, I think so too,’ Cat agreed. ‘I miss her very much.’
‘I think you must miss all your family. They are wonderful. I know I miss Sara.’ His brown eyes saddened. ‘I cannot wait to see her again in November.’
‘Yes, it must be difficult, living apart.’
‘Not for long though. When she graduates next summer we will marry.’ The thought of his forthcoming wedding appeared to cheer him up a little. ‘You will come to the wedding, yes?’
‘Of course, I’d love to.’
Before she could reply, George Michael’s voice gradually began to fade. As she waited with Raphael in the dimly lit dance area for the DJ to announce the next track, she was aware of someone easing their way through the crowd towards them. Moments later, Luke was standing in front of them, his grey gaze fixed on her.
‘Is this an appropriate time to cut in?’ he asked, turning his attention to Raphael.
Raphael looked at Cat and smiled, then stepped back and released her hand. ‘I think you need to ask my lovely, oh …’ He hesitated, his eyes widening as they moved from Cat to her new dance partner. ‘Sorry,’ he released a long breath, ‘yes, yes, of course.’
Cat’s first instinct was to refuse but she knew standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor there were too many people watching. So instead she gritted her teeth and nodded. Without another word, Raphael melted away into the crowd, leaving the two of them facing each other.
Having Luke standing so close made Cat feel hot and uncomfortable. The music began again, another slow romantic song, and reluctantly she let him slide his arms around her, pulling her just a little too tightly against his body. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. Four minutes, wasn’t that the average time of a music track? Surely she could cope for that long?
‘I’ve missed you, Cat.’ She heard his voice, his breath soft against her ear as he pulled her even tighter.
‘I’m not sure you should be telling me this, Luke,’ she said quietly, glancing up at him quickly. ‘You’re with Mia now, remember?’
