She’s a goddess. Her fiery lipstick matches her dress, and the way she moves is graceful but sexy as hell. Her curls bounce as she tilts her head back and laughs with Sarah, full of life. She’s Venus personified. My own Aphrodite. I pause. My own. I want her to be mine, and mine alone.
She saunters to a table and pours herself a glass of champagne.
“What do you think, Cal?”
I turn my head back to the guys. I haven’t heard fuck all.
“We were saying it’s about time James popped the question.”
“Right? Yeah. Your turn next.” I raise my glass to him before taking another big gulp.
“Give it a rest. We’ve only been together a year.”
I need another drink before I talk to her. I order a double whiskey and another pint, needing to catch up with the guys plus calm my nerves. My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since she walked into the room. I knock the whiskey back in two big swigs and relish the burn as it goes down.
“I don’t know how you drink that shit straight.” Chris shudders and sips his pint, wiping the froth from his lip with the back of his hand.
“I’ve got some catching up to do, haven’t I?”
Jerry pats my back again. “When are you coming back to work for me?”
“I’m still in Oz. Just home for a few weeks.” I realise I just said home. I guess England will always be my home. Or is it her? I’ve travelled all over the world, yet I always end up back here.
“You know there’s a job for you when you want to come back, don’t you?”
Jerry must be more pissed than I thought. “Cheers man.” I scan the room for a fire engine dress. That colour always looked amazing on her, combined with her honey highlights. She’s fucking electrifying tonight.
My eyes stop when they come to her standing next to a table with a group of women. Only now, she’s holding someone’s kid, resting him on her hip. His tiny legs dangle under her arm as she bounces him up and down.
The women are fawning over the little tyke as women do, and she beams with her sweet smile and those cute fucking dimples. I lean against the bar, taking her in, and watch her smile fade as our eyes meet from across the room.
She freezes. Blood drains from her face like she’s seen a ghost.