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 before and I do it all the time when I’m modelling. It doesn’t mean anything.’
‘No,’ Rory said.
‘I got off with you a couple of years ago when Gina got drunk and was making a play for you!’ Louise reminded him.
Gina was an anaesthetist who had had a drink and drug problem and had gone into treatment a few months ago. A couple of years back Rory had been trying to avoid Gina at a Christmas party. Gina had tended to make blatant plays for him when drunk, so he and Louise had had a kiss and pretended to leave together.
‘Come on, Rory.’
‘No,’ he said, and then he rolled his eyes and reluctantly admitted the reason why not. ‘I like someone.’
‘Who?’ Louise’s curiosity was instant.
‘Just someone.’
‘Is she here?’
‘No,’ Rory said. ‘But I don’t want it getting back to her that I got off with my ex.’
‘Do I know her?’
‘Leave it, Louise,’ Rory said. ‘Please.’
It really was turning out to be the most frustrating night! First Anton and Saffarella, now Rory with his secret.
Hugh and Emily watched the action from the safety of the tables, trying to work out just what was going on.
‘Anton is holding Saffarella like a police riot shield,’ Hugh observed, but Emily laughed just a little too late.
‘Are you okay?’ Hugh checked, looking at his wife, who, all of a sudden, was unusually quiet.
‘I’m a bit tired,’ Emily admitted.
‘Do you want to go home?’ Hugh checked, and Emily nodded. ‘But I promised Louise a lift.’
‘She’ll be fine,’ Hugh said, standing as Louise and Rory made their way over from the dance floor. ‘We’re going to go,’ Hugh said. ‘Emily’s a bit tired.’
‘Emily?’ Louise frowned as she looked at her friend. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Can I not just be tired?’ Emily snapped, and then corrected herself. ‘Sorry, Louise. Look, I know that I said I’d give you a lift—’
‘Don’t be daft,’ Louise interrupted. ‘Go home to bed.’
‘I’ll see Louise home,’ Rory said, and Hugh gave a nod of thanks.
They said their goodnights but as Hugh and Emily walked off, Rory could see the concern on Louise’s face.
‘Louise!’ Rory knew what she was thinking and dismissed it. ‘Emily’s fine. It isn’t any wonder that she’s feeling tired. She’s six months pregnant and working. Theatre was really busy today …’
‘I guess, but …’ Louise didn’t know what to say. Rory didn’t really get her intuition where pregnant women were concerned. She wasn’t about to explain it to him again but he’d already guessed what she was thinking.
‘Not your witch thing again?’ Rory sighed.
‘Midwives know.’ Louise nodded. ‘I’m honestly worried.’
‘Come on, I’ll get you a drink,’ Rory said. ‘You can have two eggnogs.’ But Louise shook her head. ‘I just want to go home,’ she admitted. ‘You stay, I can get a taxi.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ Rory said, and, not thinking, he put his arm around her and they headed out, followed by the very disapproving eyes of Anton.
Rory dropped her home and, though tired, Louise couldn’t sleep. She looked at the crib, still wrapped in Cellophane, that she had hidden in her room, in case Emily dropped round. It was a present Louise had bought. It was stunning and better still it had been on sale. Louise had chosen not to say anything to Emily, knowing how superstitious first-time mums were about not getting anything in advance.
Emily had already been through an appendectomy at six weeks’ gestation, as well as marrying Hugh and sorting out stuff with her difficult family. She was due to finish working in the New Year and finally relax and enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Louise lay there fretting, trying to tell herself that this time she was wrong.
It was very hard to understand let alone explain it but Emily had had that look that Louise knew too well.
Please, no!
It really was too soon.
ANTON WAS RARELY uncomfortable with women.
Even the most beautiful ones.
He and Saffarella went back a long way, in a very loose way. They had met through his sister a couple of years ago and saw each other now and then. He had known that she would be in London over Christmas and Saffarella had, in fact, been the date he had planned to take to the maternity Christmas evening.
‘Where are we going?’ Saffarella frowned, because she clearly thought they were going back to his apartment but instead they had turned the opposite way.
‘I thought I might take you back to the hotel,’ Anton said.
‘And
