“Are you sure about this?” I asked when we reached the bar. “We won’t stay long, and if it gets too much at any point, then just say you’ve got a headache and I’ll take you straight back to mine by taxi.”
Darcy nodded but didn’t speak. I took a deep breath as I pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.
It wasn’t even nine yet, but the bar was packed. While I was basically a recluse whose happy place was on my sofa with a book, Bianca was an extrovert who’d always known how to throw a great party. The dance floor was already crowded with bodies, gorgeous waiting staff walked around serving platters of canapés and shots, and every table was packed with guests drinking cocktails and chatting over the thumping dance music. I glanced at Darcy to see if he was having a panic attack at all the people and noise, but to my surprise, he was looking around the room with curiosity as opposed to terror.
“Zoe!” I heard my name being called, and a second later I was scooped up into a bear hug and swung around.
I grinned, squeezing Bianca’s fiancé back. I was a huge fan of Steve, a six-foot-five Scot who was a total cinnamon roll guy. He and Bianca had met seven years ago when Steve had spotted her across a sticky dance floor. It had taken Bianca six months before she agreed to go on a date with him, four years before she took up his offer to move in together, and six before she finally accepted his marriage proposal. He’d been her adoring lapdog the entire time.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Steve said as he released me. “I’ve spentthe past hour refereeing between Bianca and her mum. Femi thinks there’s not enough canapés and has been threatening to go home and cook for everyone.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry, just give her a couple of gins and she’ll chill out.”
Steve turned to look at Darcy, who was standing stiffly next to me. “Hey, man, I’m Steve. You must be Will.”
He reached his hand out to shake Darcy’s, and I watched in horror as Darcy started to lower his head in a bow. Thankfully, he stopped himself just in time and shook Steve’s hand instead.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Steve. And congratulations on your impending nuptials.”
“Thanks! Bianca tells me you two met at Cake Expectations?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” I cut in before Darcy could speak. “Will came in as a customer and we got to chatting.”
“Nice! Tell me, Will, do you play rugby? Because you’ve definitely got the build of a prop.”
Had rugby even been invented in Darcy’s time? I glanced at him, but if he had no idea what Steve was talking about, his face gave nothing away.
“I am more of a cricket and fishing man.”
“Oh, I love a bit of salmon fishing,” Steve said. “I’ve not done much since I moved down here, but I used to go with my dad on the River Tay when I was a kid.”
“I, too, have been salmon fishing in Scotland,” Darcy said. “It is a most beautiful country.”
I realized I’d been holding my breath this entire time, but I let myself exhale slowly. Darcy was doing it—conversing like a normal human!
“Why don’t you come and meet some of the lads, Will?” Steve said. “Maybe we can even talk you into joining our rugby team.”
“It’s all right, I was going to introduce Will to—” I started, but Steve had already grabbed Darcy’s arm and was leading him over to a group of men sitting at one of the tables.
Shit! I’d been determined to keep him by my side all night so I could jump in if anyone asked any awkward questions, but I’d managed to lose him within the first three minutes. I considered following him over, but before I could move, one of Bianca’s uncles turned around to greet me and I was trapped.
It was several minutes before I managed to extricate myself, by which point Darcy was sitting at the crowded table with Steve’s friends. I watched closely, looking out for any signs of panic in Darcy’s eyes, but he appeared to be following the conversation, and at one point he said something and I saw the man sitting next to him laugh. I felt a swell of pride. If Darcy could blend in at this party, then there were so many other fun things we could do together, like go for drinks with B and Steve or have Sunday lunch with her family. Maybe Darcy and I really could be a normal, happy couple—albeit one who didn’t have much physical contact.
Reassured he was OK, I turned and made my way through the crowd toward the bar. There was a tight row of people with their backs to me being served, but finally the tall man standing in front of me turned around to move away from the bar. As he did, I took one look at his face and my heart stopped.
Oh fuck.
Chapter Fifteen
“What the hell areyoudoing here?”
Not a very polite opener, I know, but bear with me. Standing in front of me, holding a pint of something dark and staring back at my face in equal shock, was Nick Baskerville. Thank Christ Darcy was on the other side of the room, safely out of the way.
Nick opened his mouth to speak, but then I saw his eyes flick down to take in my outfit, and words apparently failed him. For some reason I felt my face flush, which was completely ridiculous, given this was a man who hated my favorite genre of books and thought Mr. Darcy was emotionally manipulative. Still, I couldn’t deny Nick was looking pretty cute himself, dressed in jeans and a box-fresh white T-shirt that showed off his toned chest and arms.
He stared at me for a moment longer, his eyes dark.
“If it isn’t my number one shoplifter.” His deadpan words didn’t quite match the color in his cheeks.
