Knowing all the words he said were completely fake and his acting a role crushed me inside. The worst thing was I’d hit it off with Amelia, and Henry was a great guy. I could really have seen myself being friends with them for life and yet in another couple of week’s time I’d never see them again. Soon, I was moving on. I’d decided to study in New Jersey, to get away from here. A fresh start was needed. Somewhere I wasn’t likely to bump into Aidan or any of his friends.
I thanked the couple for a lovely evening and then Aidan had his driver pick us up and drop me home. I wanted so desperately to invite him in, to wrap myself around him and lose myself in his touch, but instead I put my walls up around myself. With my expression as cold as I could get it, I turned to him and said. “One date down, one to go. I think I fooled them.”
He didn’t reply with anything other than a goodnight.
Chapter 10
Aidan
The three months were up. It was my thirtieth birthday and Abandon was having a party in my honor. Eli, H and Amelia were coming along to the first part of the evening to meet me and Lori, and have a few drinks to celebrate. Then the charade would all be over. To say it was my birthday a low mood had descended over me. I’d sat in my bed staring around me and focusing on the fact that I was all alone as my thirties appeared. A few months ago this hadn’t bothered me at all. Why was it bothering me now? My mind flashed to Lori holding Lewis, her making cooing noises, and my heart thudded a little. Oh, for fuck’s sake. Now I wanted children? I needed to change the coffee I was drinking as it was obviously laced with something that altered brain chemicals.
Ridiculous presents had arrived from friends and relatives - new cars, designer watches and none of it meant anything. I found myself going to the gym to pump weights and take my mind off it all. I’d arranged to meet Ember tomorrow night, making out that I would be busy with my male friends at the club tonight having a guy’s night, but that I would see her tomorrow for dinner. To be honest, I wasn’t sure she bought what I was saying but neither did I particularly care.
So it was with a resigned and heavy heart that I arrived at the club. My assistant, Ashley, had refused to tell me the theme, and I arrived to find everyone decorated like The Moulin Rouge with cancan girls and people walking around on stilts, etc. It looked amazing, and I was truly touched by the efforts my assistant had gone to. There was a huge Moulin Rouge cake in the corner of the room. Because my birthday was near Christmas, I’d been worried that it would just end up a Christmas party. I’d underestimated Ashley, and I realized I took my assistant a little for granted. I’d need to change that in the new year.
Lori had insisted on meeting me here. When she walked in, she took my breath away. She wore a white dress with glittering jewels around the neckline and a matching headband. Her long legs were on show and her calves emphasized by the white high heeled shoes she wore. They had a staggeringly high heel, and I really did question how women walked around in such things. Her long, brown hair hung curly and loose. She looked at me and smiled. It was at that point I realized for real that tonight was goodbye, so I vowed to have the best time I could.
I walked over to her and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You look exquisite.”
“Happy birthday, Aidan.” She said to me. “Your present is coming later.”
“You didn’t need to do that.” I told her. “Listen, I know I made things awkward for us but I’m aware that this is our last date and I’m not sure where we go from here.”
“I’m going to New Jersey, to study.” She told me.
“Right.” I replied. My heart had dropped through to my shoes. “Well, I hope that tonight we can enjoy ourselves as friends and make it a fantastic goodbye.” I said, a question in my voice.
“I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time surrounded by your friends.” She said. “Now what does the birthday boy want to drink?”
Henry and Amelia arrived, and they were closely followed by Eli, who sat at the side of Lori and ask a million questions, all of which she answered without hesitation. She really had got to know me. Then she leaned over and whispered something in Eli’s ear and he guffawed with laughter.
“Okay, I admit I’m beaten, Aidan.” He yelled after me. “Looks like I will have to ask my assistant if she’ll accompany me to the dragon’s wedding.”
Lori laughed. “So you have fond memories of your ex then?”
They launched into a further conversation where Eli was no doubt bringing her up to speed with his dragon ex and demon daughter. I kept watching, Lori’s face glowed under the lights, sparkles being emitted from the jewelry around her.
“You’ve got it bad, haven’t you?” Amelia whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry, I can tell she feels the same.”
I smiled at Amelia. If only she knew the truth.
“Hey, I’ve not shown you these photos of Lewis yet.” H leaned over with his phone and when he saw me reach for the phone he went. “Ha, just joking. I remembered my side of the bet. Birthdays and Christmas only, though you’ve only ten days to Christmas so be prepared.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I totally get why you are so proud, my friend, and I apologize for being an ass. Show me the photos though maybe you could trim the forty down to twenty maybe for future reference?”
I sat and looked through H’s photos, aware of Lori’s stare burning through me the whole time.
When I gave the cell back to H, I stood up. “Dance?” I addressed Lori.
“Sure.” She smiled and headed to the floor with me where we threw some shapes. Lori laughed at my style of dancing, calling it Dad Dancing and I stuck my tongue out at her and exaggerated my moves making her laugh.
“So, I meant to ask you this the other day,” she whispered in my ear. “Why do you guys call Henry, H? I’m not sure what to call him, I’ve done both.”
“It’s a long story, but he lost his wife and then introduced himself to everyone as H. Then he met Amelia again, who was his deceased wife’s younger sister, and Henry came back to life. So, call him Henry.”
She nodded but then her face looked sad. “I guess it doesn’t really matter after tonight does it?”
“So tonight we party, remember?” I told her and we carried on dancing for hours.