The Eleventh-Hour Groom

The lights dimmed and coloured strobe lights swept around the room, giving the illusion of a dark, smoky nightclub.

‘Come on, Elizabeth, come and dance,’ someone urged.

She looked around and saw Lucy beckoning to her by the edge of the dance floor. Glad of the reprieve, she handed Jay his gift back and with a polite smile headed towards her friend.

‘I’m really sorry, Beth.’ Lucy had to shout over the music. ‘But I honestly didn’t think he’d come.’

‘Doesn’t matter, forget about it,’ Elizabeth shouted back as she put her champagne down and followed her friend onto the dance floor.

Jay pocketed the gift again and watched Elizabeth from the shadows.

She’d lost weight since leaving him, he observed, his eyes moving over the long length of her legs in the black trousers to the silver of her top…a top that left little of her sensual curves to the imagination.

He felt desire stir within him, just as he had the moment he had seen her again at her office. She had always been an attractive woman, but now…now she took his breath away.

‘So, who’s the guy?’ Ruth, one of the secretaries, who had been speaking to Jay earlier, caught up with Elizabeth on the dance floor. ‘He’s gorgeous.’

‘Do you think so?’ Elizabeth didn’t need to ask who she was talking about.

‘I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,’ Ruth drooled. ‘Listen, do you mind if I ask him out, or are you and he…?’

‘No. Go ahead,’ Beth told her airily, and watched as Ruth lost no time heading off in Jay’s direction with a look of determination on her face.

The music changed and Lucy put her hand on Beth’s arm. ‘Shall we have another drink?’

‘Why not?’ Elizabeth shrugged, ignoring the warning bells inside her body. She still hadn’t eaten so the few drinks were having more effect than normal. She could feel them working their way through her system, making everything distant and a little unreal.

She watched across the room as Ruth caught hold of Jay’s arm and led him towards the dance floor.

‘Does it bother you?’ Lucy asked, following her gaze.

‘No, of course not,’ Elizabeth said brightly, too brightly, she feared, by the look of sympathy in her friend’s eye.

‘Why do you think he came here tonight?’

‘Because you asked him?’ Elizabeth ventured with a grin.

‘Yes, but only because I thought you were back together…it was a misunderstanding. I didn’t think in a million years he’d turn up tonight. I mean, it’s not customary, is it, for an estranged husband to want to be at his ex’s party?’

‘Jay’s never been one for observing social niceties,’ Beth murmured. ‘He probably thinks it’s quite logical to come to my birthday party, and assumes that if he can keep things friendly I won’t make the divorce difficult for him.’

‘What happened between you two anyway?’ Lucy asked curiously. ‘You’ve never really talked about why the marriage broke up.’

Elizabeth hesitated.

‘If you’d rather not tell me, I’ll understand,’ Lucy said quickly.

‘No…it’s all right.’ Elizabeth shook her head. ‘I’m over all that anyway.’ Despite the words, her voice wasn’t entirely steady. ‘I caught him with his secretary. Apparently they had been having an affair for some time.’

‘Ouch!’ Lucy grimaced. ‘I’m sorry, Beth. I shouldn’t have asked.’

Elizabeth shrugged as if she couldn’t care less. But, in truth, the memory of Lisa Cunningham entwined in Jay’s arms, her lips pressed against his, still had the power to make her feel sick inside. ‘Well…ours was never really a love-match in the first place.’ She tried to lighten her tone. ‘And at least I escaped with my pride intact. I was the one to finish with Jay. To this day he doesn’t realise that I know about the affair, or that I saw them together.’

‘So you managed to make a dent in his ego on your exit?’ Lucy smiled. ‘Good for you.’

‘I don’t think anybody could dent Jay’s ego,’ Elizabeth murmured.

‘Hey, Beth would you like to dance?’ Robert asked, sauntering over.

She was about to say no, until she noticed the way Jay was dancing with Ruth. Her arms were around his shoulders and he was holding her close. He’d got some nerve, she thought furiously, watching as he smiled down at the pretty blonde. Jay had always had a thing for blondes. Lisa was blonde.

‘Elizabeth?’

She looked back at Robert and found herself smiling. ‘Yes, why not?’ she said blithely.

The evening seemed to pass in a blur of people wishing her well, asking her to dance. Even chauvinistic Colin asked her for a dance, and some guy she’d never met before who said he worked in Accounts. Then Robert again.

‘I almost let the secret out today in the office,’ he said smiling down at her. ‘You looked sad and I wanted to say, Cheer up, nobody has forgotten your birthday—’

‘Thanks, Rob.’ She couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying because suddenly over his shoulder she had noticed Jay talking to Colin and her boss at the bar.

‘How about having dinner with me next week?’ Robert asked suddenly.

‘Yes, that would be nice,’ Elizabeth murmured. She frowned as there was a guffaw of laughter from the bar. What were they talking about?

‘Robert, would you mind if I sat down?’ she asked suddenly, deciding to go over there and find out.

‘No…of course not.’

‘Thanks. See you later.’ She pulled away from him and headed towards the bar.

Colin pulled a stool out next to him as he saw her approach. ‘Really good party, Beth,’ he said amiably. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’