Barney had grown round and was losing his hair, but his blue eyes twinkled and his smile was genuine and welcoming. ‘Hey, Eva,’ he said. ‘Great to see you again.’ He clasped her hand and gave her a friendly kiss on her cheek. ‘I’m going to have to get your autograph for my daughter, Sophie. She’s just started to learn ballet.’
‘How lovely. Good for Sophie.’ Eva gave Barney her smiling, super-focused attention. ‘How many children do you have now?’
‘Two and a half. A boy and a girl, with another on the way.’
‘Barney’s working on having enough kids to field a football team,’ commented Tim as he shot his mate a cheeky grin.
Eva laughed. ‘I hope your wife’s in on that plan, Barney.’
Tim gave her a kiss, too. He told her that he worked in a bank and that he and his wife had just one child at this point, a little boy of two called Sam.
All too soon, it was Griff’s turn to greet Eva and the light-hearted atmosphere noticeably chilled, as if someone had flicked a switch. The sudden tension was palpable—in everyone—in Tim and Barney and herself. Eva’s heart was beating so loudly she feared they must hear it.
Griff smiled at her. It was a tilted, lopsided effort, but to the bystanders it probably passed as affable and casual. Eva, however, saw the expression in his eyes. Cold. Unfathomable. Cutting.
‘How are you, Eva?’ He went through the motions, giving her a casual hug and a peck on the cheek.
Ridiculously, her skin flamed at the contact, and she lost her breath as his big hands touched her shoulders, as his arms brushed, warm and solid, against her bare skin. Then his lips delivered a devastating, split-second flash of fire.
She took a moment to recover, to remember that she was supposed to answer his simple question. How are you, Eva?
‘I’m very well, thanks, Griff.’ Thank heavens she was able to speak calmly, but she hadn’t told him the truth. She wasn’t feeling well at all. She felt sick and scared—scared about the secrets she’d never shared with this man, that she’d hoped she would never have to share.
And her hip was agony. She’d foolishly, in a fit of vanity, worn high heels, and now she was paying the price. She prayed that she didn’t blush as Griff’s glittering grey gaze remained concentrated on her.
‘And how are you?’ she remembered to ask.
‘Fighting fit, thank you.’
With the conventions over, an awkward silence fell. Tim and Barney looked at their shoes, and then at each other.
‘We should grab a drink,’ Tim said.
‘Sure,’ Barney agreed with obvious enthusiasm. They both turned to head for the bar, seeming keen to get away. ‘Catch you two later.’
Griff remained still, watching Eva in stony silence and making her feel like one of his guilty criminals in the dock. This time her face flamed and she knew he could see it.
‘You haven’t changed,’ he said quietly.
She shook her head. Of course she’d changed. They’d all changed in so many ways, both on the outside and, undoubtedly, within. But she played the game. ‘Neither have you, Griff. Not really.’
At this, his smile almost reached his eyes.
She wondered if he was about to say something conciliatory. It would be helpful to at least share a few pleasantries to bridge the wide chasm of years. Of silence.
And guilty secrets.
‘I hear you’ve been very successful,’ he said. ‘You’re world-famous now. Congratulations.’
Receiving this praise from Griff, delivered in such a chilling tone, she wanted to cry.
But she swallowed the burning lump in her throat, squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. ‘You’ve been very successful, too.’
He responded with the merest nod and only the very faintest trace of a smile. ‘I imagine we’ve both worked hard.’
‘Yes.’
People all around them were chatting and laughing, waving and calling greetings, sharing hugs, enjoying themselves immensely, but Eva couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Griff said, ‘If you’ll excuse me, Eva, I’ll head over to the bar and grab a drink, too.’
‘Of course.’
‘I’m sure we’ll run into each other again during the weekend.’
‘I...I...yes, I’m sure.’
With another nod, he dismissed her. As he moved away, she felt horribly deserted, as if she’d been left alone on a stage with a spotlight shining on her so everyone could see her. She could almost hear the music that accompanied The Dying Swan, the sad notes of a lone cello.
Oh, for heaven’s sake.
Eva blinked and looked around her. The reunion was gathering steam. The balcony and the large dining room inside the clubhouse were almost full now with chattering, happy people and no one was staring at her.
She drifted, clutching her warming glass of champagne. She looked at the corkboard covered with old photographs. There were class photos, sporting teams, the senior formal, the school camp on Fraser Island. She saw a photo of herself in the netball team, Griff and his mates in striped football jerseys and shorts. Another photo showed her in a ballet tutu and pointe shoes, performing a solo for the school concert.
The old photographs conjured memories—the school disco when she and Griff danced together for the very first time, the dates when he’d taken her to the movies and they’d snogged each other senseless in the popcorn-scented dark, the barbecue for his eighteenth, the bonfire on the beach. And afterwards...
The memories were beyond painful and the urge to cry wouldn’t go away.
‘Would you like something to eat?’
Eva turned. A young girl was offering her a tray laden with canapés.
‘Prosciutto crostini with dried cherries and goats’ cheese,’ the girl said. ‘Or potato cakes with smoked salmon.’
Eva wasn’t hungry, but she took a potato cake. Anything was better than staring miserably at those photos. She even managed to smile at the girl, who was rather interesting-looking, with dark hair cut into a trendy asymmetrical style. She had a silver nose stud as well, and there were purple streaks in the long fringe of hair that hung low, framing one side of her pretty heart-shaped face.
The girl returned Eva’s smile. ‘You might like a napkin.’ She nodded to the small pile on one side of her tray.
‘Thanks,’ Eva said.
The girl was staring at Eva and there was something intriguing, almost familiar, about her clear grey eyes. ‘You’re Eva Hennessey,’ the girl said. ‘The ballet dancer.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
The girl’s eyes widened. ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘You live in Paris, don’t you? How amazing to meet you.’
Eva smiled, feeling calmer. This was familiar ground. ‘It’s great to be back in Australia,’ she said. ‘Are you from the Bay?’
The girl gave a small laugh that might have been nervous. ‘Kinda. But I’m studying at university in Brisbane now.’ Then she must have realised she was spending too long in one place. ‘Better get going,’ she said, and she hurried away to offer the platter to a nearby group.
Before long, Eva was absorbed into another group of schoolmates and was once again fielding friendly questions or listening to their stories about their old teachers,