‘Hugh?’ Louise asked.
‘I’d love an eggnog.’
‘Yay!’ Louise said. ‘Anton?’
‘No, thank you.’
‘Are you sure?’ Louise said. ‘I thought I owed you one.’
‘I’m fine,’ he responded, barely looking at her. ‘I think Saffarella is getting me a drink. Here she is …’
Here she was, indeedy!
Rippling black hair, chocolate-brown eyes, a figure to die for, and she was so seriously stunning that she actually made Louise feel drab, especially when her thick Italian accent purred around every name as introductions were made.
‘Em-il-ee, Loo-ease.’
On sight the two women bristled.
It was like two cats meeting in the back yard and Louise almost felt her tail bush up as they both smiled and nodded.
‘Sorry, I didn’t catch your name,’ Louise said.
Saffarella was already getting on her nerves.
‘Saffarella,’ she repeated in her beautiful, treacle voice, and then was kind enough to give Louise a further explanation. ‘Like Cinderella.’
With a staph infection attached, Louise thought, but thankfully Rory knew Louise’s humour and decided to move her on quickly!
‘I’ll come and help you with the drinks.’ Rory took Louise’s arm and they both walked over to the bar.
‘Good God!’ Louise said the second they were out of earshot.
‘No wonder you’ve got nowhere with him.’ Rory laughed. ‘She’s stunning.’
‘Oh!’ Louise was seriously rattled, she was far too used to being the best-looking woman in the room. ‘What sort of name is Saffarella? Well, there goes my fun for the night. I thought I’d at least get a dance with him. I don’t have anyone to fancy any more,’ Louise sighed. ‘And I’m going to look like a wallflower.’
‘Don’t worry, Louise.’ Rory smiled. ‘I’ll dance with you.’
‘You have to now,’ Louise said. ‘I’m not having him seeing me sitting on my own. I was so positive that he liked me.’
Louise returned with Emily’s virgin bloody Mary but then she caught sight of Connor and Miriam and excused herself and headed over for a good old catch up with ex-colleagues. It was actually a good, if not brilliant night—Rory was as good as his word and midway through proceedings he did dance with her.
Rory was lovely, possibly one of the nicest men that a woman could know.
In fact, Rory was the last really nice boyfriend that Louise had had.
There was absolutely nothing going on between them. Their parting, three years ago, had been an amicable one. Though most people lied when they said that, in Rory and Louise’s case it had been true. Just a few weeks into their relationship Louise had, while undergoing what she’d thought were basic investigations for her erratic menstrual cycle, received the confronting news that, when the time came, she might not fall pregnant very easily.
It hadn’t been a complete bombshell, Louise had known things hadn’t been right, but when it had finally dropped Louise had been inconsolable. Rory had put his hands up in the end and had said that, as much as he liked her, there wasn’t enough there to be talking baby, baby, baby every day of the week.
They were far better as exes than as a couple.
‘How’s Christmas behaving?’ Rory asked, as they danced.
‘Much better this time.’
‘You look so much happier.’
‘I’m sorry we stopped being friends,’ Louise said.
‘We never stopped being friends,’ Rory said. ‘Well, I didn’t. I was so worried when you were with him.’
‘I know,’ Louise said. ‘Thanks for being there for me.’ She gave him a smile. ‘I might have some happy news soon.’
‘What are you up to, Louise?’
‘I’m going to be trying for a baby,’ Louise admitted, ‘by myself.’
‘How did I not guess that?’ Rory smiled.
‘Please don’t ask me if I’ve thought about it.’
‘I wouldn’t. I know that it’s all you think about.’
‘It’s got worse since I’ve gone back to midwifery,’ Louise said. ‘My fallopian tubes want to reach out and steal all the little babies.’
‘It might end any chance of things between you and Anton,’ Rory said gently, but Louise just shrugged.
‘He’s the last person I’d go out with, he’s way too controlling and moody for my taste. I just wanted a loan of that body for a night or two.’ Louise smiled. ‘Nope … She had made up her mind. In the three years since she and Rory had broken up she had made some poor choices when it came to men. The news that she might have issues getting pregnant had seriously rocked Louise’s world, leaving her a touch vulnerable and exposed. She was so much stronger now, though her desire to become a mother had not diminished an inch. ‘I want a baby far more than I want another failed relationship.’
‘Fair enough.’
They danced on, Louise with her mind on Anton. She was seriously annoyed at the sight of them laughing and talking as they danced and the way Saffarella ran her hands through his hair and over his bum had Louise burn with jealousy. Worse, though, was the way Anton laughed a deep laugh at something she must have said.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen him laugh till now, and I know that I’m funnier than her,’ Louise grumbled. ‘God, why does she have to be so, so beautiful? What did he introduce her as?’
‘Saffarella.’
‘Did he say girlfriend when he introduced her?’ Louise pushed. ‘Or my wife …?’ She was clutching at straws as she remembered that his sister was a model. ‘It’s not his sister, is it?’
‘If it’s his sister then we should consider calling the police!’ Rory said. ‘Sorry, Louise, they’re on together.’
But then a little while later came the good news!
She and Rory were enjoying another dance, imagining things that could never happen to John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. Louise was thinking of Anton while Rory was thinking of a woman who couldn’t be here tonight. He glanced up and saw that Anton was watching them, and then Anton looked over again.
‘Anton keeps looking over,’ Rory whispered in Louise’s ear.
‘Really?’
‘He does,’ Rory said. ‘I don’t think he likes me any more—in fact, I’d say from the look I just got he wants to take me out the back and knock my lights out.’
‘Seriously?’ Louise was delighted at the turn of events.
‘Well, not quite that much, but I think you may be be right, Louise, Anton does like you.’
‘I told you that he did. Is he still looking?’
‘He’s trying not to.’
‘You have to kiss me,’ Louise said.
‘No.’
‘Please.’ Louise was insistent. ‘Just one long one—it will serve him bloody right for trying to make me jealous. Come on, Rory,’ she said when, instead of kissing her, he still shook his head. ‘It’s not like we never have