I excused myself and gave Chris’s arm a squeeze to say ‘wait for me I’ll be right back’, then I made my way back towards the main hall where I knew the ladies’ bathroom was. I kept my blinkers on determined not to be distracted from my destination by a certain set of sparkling predatory grey eyes.
I reached the ladies room and was just about to push the door open when I felt a familiar arm snake through mine and pull me down the corridor.
“Do you plan on ignoring me all night Ella?” Joe said starkly into my ear as he part walked part dragged me along with him.
“I don’t want to cause a scene Joe, I’m here for work nothing else. Just let me go please.” I tried to yank my arm out of his grasp and slow him down. I didn’t appreciate being dragged along by him like a naughty child.
“No, Ella. I won’t let you go. You walk out on me, I don’t hear a word from you for over two months and you think you can just walk back in like nothing has happened and forget I even exist. We were supposed to get married a few weeks ago or did you forget that too?” He stopped in his tracks and turned me to face him, but his grasp on my arm didn’t ease up.
“Of course I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget all the shit you’ve put me through either. How is Anna by the way?”
I spat that last comment out with as much venom as I could muster, making sure to glower at him with my most evil piercing stare. He lent down to meet my scowl with his own grey stormy eyes, pinning me to the spot.
&n
bsp; “That was bullshit just like I told you but as usual you didn’t believe me, you never believe me. I’ve never laid a finger on that woman and I never would. It would be nice though if the woman I love had some faith in me. I do have self-control Ella, I have never and will never cheat on you. Why is that so hard for you to accept?”
I broke eye contact with him in mock exasperation, hoping to break the spell he was attempting to put me under. Looking into his eyes and losing my sense of self was always my downfall.
“Maybe because you haven’t stayed faithful to a single woman in your whole life.”
He lifted his hand to touch my chin and move my head so I was facing him. The feel of him touching me again sent my senses into overload.
“That’s because I’d never met the one until I met you. You know how I feel about you Ella. Nothing has changed. Not for me anyway. I still love you and I still want to be with you. Please just come and sit with me in my office and let’s just talk. We can sort this out, we can get things back on track, I know we can.”
“No Joe we can’t...you seem to forget she had photos of you, naked photos from her bed. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten that part.” I pulled away from him, I needed to create distance between us.
He crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels, clenching his jaw tight in irritation. He was getting annoyed that the conversation wasn’t going his way I could tell.
“I don’t know how I got in that bed I wasn’t conscious that night. She probably drugged me to get me there for all I know. Why won’t you believe me?” he snapped.
“Because I’m tired. I’m tired of the dramas and scandal that being with you brings. I can’t deal with it anymore. I want to be by myself.”
He sighed and hung his head down.
“I know we’ve had a rough ride, but I’ve tried in every way to show you that you come first with me always. I can’t help my past but I never meant for it to hurt you so much. Please at least talk to me. What we have, it’s too strong to ignore. You need me Ella. You need me as much as I need you. Admit it, you felt it as much as I did in that marquee. We are drawn to each other, we are meant to be together.”
“If that’s the truth then you can give me the space I need. I need to be by myself Joe. I can’t be drawn into your world again and lose myself like I did before. I have things I need to work through.”
“What things? What’s so important that we can’t work through them together?”
“Nothing.”
I turned to leave and headed back to marquee to get away. I couldn’t get into a fight here with Joe I still felt too raw and I couldn’t trust myself not to blurt out things I needed to keep to myself for the time being. I needed to laugh and let myself go tonight; keep things superficial and frivolous not deep, dark and depressing. I knew Chris could give that to me so I made a beeline for him and dragged him onto the dancefloor.
9
A few glasses of champagne later and we were officially owning the dancefloor. Frank and Eric had very graciously done the rounds networking with all the big wigs in the building, then made their excuses and left about an hour ago, taking Marge with them. The dancefloor was now packed solid and the DJ was back in the 21st century playing today’s latest tunes. Robyn was dancing with a hot bouncer who had obviously clocked himself off for the night and was busy guarding Robyn’s body from the rest of the men on the dancefloor. Chris and I were in the zone doing our thing with the occasional addition of Max showing us his Dad dancing moves. Dancing was not Max’s forte but he didn’t care as he let loose with us. Joe was nowhere to be seen and to be completely honest I was glad, maybe some of what I’d said had actually hit home and he was giving me the space I needed.
“Let’s go into the main hall baby girl, there’s a cocktail bar we haven’t been to yet and I want to try sex on the beach.” Chris shouted above the music, sliding his arm through mine and almost pulling me to the floor as he stumbled towards the exit.
“Too much sand, way too messy.” I laughed back as we headed out and Chris smacked my ass playfully.
We were staggering about all over the place, the straight path to the hall didn’t help us as we zig zagged our way across the lawns at the back of the club almost falling on our asses more than once. I looked up confused at the path we’d taken that had put us further away from the main hall than nearer to it.
“What are you doing? You’re pissed.” Joe was walking towards us, he must have been somewhere in the grounds taking a walk or had found a quiet spot to hide and avoid us all.
“We are pissed and we are off to get cocktails!” I nodded proudly to myself and grinned up at Chris who was swaying and struggling to focus on anything, he was squinting like a mole trying to decipher where we were and how we’d managed to get so lost.