The Reunion Lie

by Lucy King

  Oh, who was she kidding? Her resistance had begun to crumble the second she’d stepped out of lift and seen him standing there, somehow looking rumpled and disorientated and way less sure of himself than usual. She’d seen the dark circles beneath his eyes, the stubble on his jaw and caught the uncertainty written all over his face and, despite agreeing with Lily that she was better off without him, her heart had begun to melt while her brain had threatened to capsize.

  And she might have just about stopped herself throwing herself into his arms by focusing on staying frosty and aloof and reminding herself that he was in the wrong here, and that she wasn’t giving in any more, but the moral high ground was a lonely place to be and it was so good to see him when she hadn’t been sure she ever would again.

  ‘We’re OK.’

  Dan blew out a breath and grinned, his face transformed into looking a lot brighter than he had five minutes ago. ‘Thank God for that.’ He yanked his hands out of his pockets and shoved them through his hair. ‘I’m so sorry for being such an idiot.’

  ‘That’s OK. And you don’t have to keep apologising.’

  ‘I’m sort of getting used to it.’

  Zoe found herself smiling too. ‘You can stop.’

  ‘Fine. But you were right about one other thing too.’

  ‘What other thing?’

  ‘I think maybe I have been a bit of a coward.’

  ‘Ah, about that...’ she said, her smile fading as she briefly winced. ‘Now I have a feeling it’s my turn to apologise. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it. I was out of order.’

  Dan waved a hand. ‘Don’t be. I don’t think you were. And I think I needed to hear it.’

  ‘Really? I mean, I’m hardly one to be lecturing about failings.’

  ‘Doesn’t matter. You did and it’s fine because I now have plans to change that.’

  Zoe looked at him quizzically. ‘How?’

  ‘There’s something I’d like to ask you.’

  For some reason her heart began to thud. ‘Fire away.’

  ‘I have a wedding a week on Saturday.’

  ‘That’s nice.’

  ‘And I was wondering, would you like to come?’

  As the invitation sank in the first thing to hit her was disappointment, although why she should be disappointed she had no idea. The second thing was surprise because by inviting her to a wedding where presumably he’d be introducing her to friends he was showing her he was ready to take what they were doing to a whole new level. The third thing that she felt was a delicious warmth precisely because he seemed to want to take what they were doing to a whole new level.

  And then she panicked.

  She didn’t like weddings. Or any social occasion much for that matter, but weddings especially because there were always so many people and so much small talk and so much potential to screw up. If social occasions were like crossing the Atlantic in a dinghy weddings were minefields, and this one would be no different, even with the reassuring presence of Dan at her side.

  ‘A wedding,’ she said, trying not to let the panic show in her voice.

  ‘Yes. Next Saturday. If you’re free.’

  She was as it happened, but it would be so easy to say she wasn’t. To say thanks but no thanks, and spend the whole of next Saturday holed up at home with her phone switched off.

  For a moment she was tempted to do exactly that, but only for a moment because for one thing it would be an outright lie, and, quite apart from not wanting a repeat of the mess that had ensued the last time she’d tried it, lying outright didn’t sit well with her. For another, with Dan standing so close and watching her so intently she’d never be able to do it convincingly. He’d see through her in a second, and then she’d be in an even worse position.

  But how was she going to get out of it? she wondered and racked her brains for a suitable excuse.

  ‘Isn’t it a bit late to let them know?’ she said, hoping that perhaps this aspect of wedding planning might have escaped him.

  ‘It’s a family wedding—it’ll be fine.’

  ‘A family wedding?’ Was that worse or better?

  ‘On my mother’s side. My second cousin. He’s marrying an actress.’

  ‘Big or small?’

  A flicker of amusement momentarily eased the serious expression on his face. ‘The bride or the wedding?’

  ‘The wedding,’ she said, thinking that this was not the time for humour.

  ‘Huge. Unfortunately. He’s an earl and there’s a lot of family.’

  Yup. Worse than her worst nightmare. ‘I don’t know...’ she said, shifting her gaze to the revolving door, which was beginning to spin with a couple of people making their way in. ‘Would it really be all that appropriate to take a fling to a family wedding?’

  At the ensuing silence Zoe looked back at him and thought she saw him pale a little. His jaw tightened and his smile faded and any hint of amusement had vanished. ‘Forget it,’ he said flatly. ‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

  And then it struck her that what with the edginess and the abruptness and everything this was a big deal for him. Well, of course it was. He was asking her to a family wedding, and presumably, if it was so close as to take place a week on Saturday, he hadn’t originally intended to ask anyone.

  For a man who didn’t do long-term and shuddered at the idea of commitment, it was a big deal. And so maybe she shouldn’t be resisting it quite so stubbornly, at least not without some kind of explanation.

  ‘You’re probably busy anyway,’ he drawled as if it didn’t matter one way or another, and Zoe dragged her attention back to him.

  ‘No, wait,’ she said, giving her head a quick shake and pulling herself together. ‘Let me explain.’

  ‘You don’t have to explain anything,’ he said, his expression utterly inscrutable. ‘I just thought the afternoon would be more fun if you were there, but if you don’t want to go with me that’s fine.’

  ‘It’s not that.’

  ‘Then what is it?’

  God, where to start? ‘I’m just not very good in social situations.’

  Dan frowned. ‘I hadn’t noticed that.’

  ‘No, well, that’s because you haven’t seen me in very many. But generally I’m rubbish. I don’t do well at parties and things. Great crowds of people make me panic so I tend to lurk in the background and run if anyone so much as looks in my direction. And I never ever say the right thing. Why do you think I spend so much of my time at work?’

  He regarded her thoughtfully for a second then said, ‘This is the self-esteem thing again, isn’t it?’

  ‘Very probably.’ But who cared why? The fact was that if she went, apart from it completely stressing her out, he could well end up regretting asking her and even maybe ruing hooking up with her in the first place. ‘Look, what I’m trying to say is that if I went to this wedding with you I’d either be skulking round the edges of the marquee trying not to be noticed or I’d say something idiotic. Either way I’d ruin it for you.’

  ‘Given that my mother will be there it’ll be pretty much ruined anyway.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Whenever there’s a wedding in the family there are bets on how long it’ll be before I’m the one heading up the aisle.’

  ‘And you’re not planning to do that any time soon?’

  ‘Certainly not.’

  Zoe ignored the dart of whatever it was that shot through her at that. ‘Then why don’t you just not go?’

  ‘I’m the best man.’

  ‘Oh. Well, yes, I can see how that might require your presence,’ she said with a nod. ‘But don’t you think that turning up with me might fuel the speculation and make things worse?’ Not to mention the fact that presumably he’d be otherwise engaged a lot of the
time so she wouldn’t even have his reassurance to keep her on the straight and narrow.

  ‘Undoubtedly, but I’ve discovered I don’t particularly care any more. Let them speculate.’

  ‘You’ve given this a lot of thought.’

  He shrugged. ‘Some. It had also occurred to me that your presence would have helped fend off the chief bridesmaid, but I dare say I can manage on my own.’

  That grabbed her attention. Who the hell was the chief bridesmaid? ‘The chief bridesmaid?’ she said, feeling her eyes narrow.

  ‘She came up to me at the engagement party and told me how much she was looking forward to me fulfilling all of my best-man duties. Then she kissed my cheek, muttered something about there being copious amounts of mistletoe on order and gave me a wink that I can only describe as lascivious.’

  The strength of the jealousy that scythed through her took her so by surprise that Zoe scowled. ‘That’s such a cliché.’

  ‘I don’t think she particularly minded about that.’

  ‘Did you?’

  His eyes darkened and his expression turned serious. ‘I’m not interested in her. Or anyone for that matter at the moment, apart from you. But like I said, if you really can’t stand the thought of coming with me then I’m sure I’ll be able to manage.’

  Zoe bit her lip. Maybe she was slightly overreacting about this. Maybe she was being a bit too uncooperative, a bit too stubborn. OK, so weddings weren’t her favourite way of passing the time, but it wouldn’t be the first she’d ever been to. Couldn’t she get by, the way she usually got by, by going on body language and making sure she thought before she spoke?

  Besides, she was trying to get out of her rut, wasn’t she? And hadn’t she originally thought that she should watch and learn and maybe pick up a few interpersonal skills from him? She could hardly do that within the four walls of a bedroom, could she?

  And if this was what Dan had meant by changing his ways, then perhaps she ought to support him in his endeavours. And if he was making an effort to overcome his issues, then shouldn’t she?

  ‘I suppose I could come with you,’ she said eventually. ‘I mean, with all those celebrities floating around no one’s going to be interested in me anyway, are they?’

  Some of the tension eased from his body and his mouth curved into the beginnings of a smile. ‘Probably not.’

  ‘That chief bridesmaid sounds like she could be rather tenacious.’

  Dan grimaced. ‘She makes a terrier look like a poodle.’

  ‘And if anyone asks I could always tell them I’m just using you for sex, I suppose.’

  ‘That would certainly liven up the proceedings.’

  Zoe grinned and, checking that no one could see, reached up to give him a quick kiss. ‘Then I guess I’d better dust off my hat.’

  ELEVEN

  This might very well be the wedding of the century, thought Zoe, sliding into a pew halfway back on the right and clutching the order of service as she gazed around at all the beautiful people beginning to fill the church. She wasn’t really all that much into celebrity gossip, but already she’d spotted two TV personalities and a supermodel, and given that there were four hundred people at this wedding and the high-profile nature of the Oscar-winning bride and the aristocratic groom, presumably there were dozens more she didn’t have a hope of recognising.

  Darkness was already falling outside despite it being only mid-afternoon and hundreds of candles flickered around the cavernous space, casting warmth and shadows everywhere. A huge tastefully decorated Christmas tree stood in the entrance, holly trailed from the window sills, arrangements of spiced oranges sat on every available surface giving off a scent that reminded Zoe of mulled wine.

  She sat down and tried to make herself comfortable on the hard oak bench. Talk about diving straight in at the deep end. Here she was at probably the biggest, most spectacular event she’d ever attended and not only did she not know a soul apart from Dan, she was all by herself. As the stag night had been last night he’d driven to Somerset yesterday lunchtime—with some reluctance as he hadn’t wanted to leave her to come alone—while she, having insisted she’d be fine, had hopped on a train first thing this morning, and he’d been so wrapped up in best-man duties that she hadn’t seen him yet.

  Logically she ought to be terrified. She ought to be sweating and panicking, swallowing back a bundle of nerves and scouring the place for the nearest exit. But oddly enough she wasn’t.

  Perhaps the wobble she’d had last night over supper with her sister had covered it, she reflected, absent-mindedly flicking through the order of service. Lily had been Googling the impending wedding and devouring the gossip surrounding it, and as the enormity of what she’d taken on had sunk in Zoe had begun to hyperventilate. But her sister, who’d clearly been expecting something of the sort, had calmly thrust a paper bag into her hand followed by an enormous glass of wine and talked her down from the ledge. She’d then stayed the night, stuck to her like glue all the way to the station and had practically got on board the train with her.

  Perhaps the lack of nerves was down to the fact that Dan seemed to think she could handle it. Or perhaps she was feeling largely all right because she’d been right in her assumption that no one would be interested in her. None of the millions of air-kisses flying around were aimed at her, no one tried to engage her in conversation, and there were none of the speculative sidelong glances that she’d half-anticipated.

  Whatever it was, she was feeling surprisingly at ease and actually glad that she hadn’t chickened out, so maybe her self-esteem was on the up after all.

  While her head swam slightly at this heady thought something flickered in her peripheral vision, and as her skin began to prickle and her heart began to thump she looked up and was even gladder she hadn’t chickened out because there was Dan. Standing at the top of the aisle with the man she presumed was the groom, looking breath-stealingly handsome and remarkably relaxed for someone who’d previously considered attendance at a family wedding a fate worse than death.

  At the sight of him, so tall and upright and gorgeous in a morning coat that emphasised the breadth of his shoulders, her heart lurched and she sighed softly. It had only been forty-eight hours since she’d last seen him but what with the way she was beginning to ache with sheer desire it might as well have been a decade.

  His head was bent as he adjusted the cream rose in his buttonhole and she could see him frowning in concentration. Then he went still, and, as if aware of her eyes on him, he turned and looked straight at her. His frown cleared and he gave her a faint smile, and then mouthed a ‘hi’ at her. On the point of melting into a giant puddle of lust, Zoe mouthed a ‘hi’ back while she was still capable of rational thought, and nodded when he seemed to be asking if she was OK.

  For a moment she wondered whether he was going to come over, and if he did how she’d be able to refrain from hurling herself into his arms and dragging him off into the vestry. But then his gaze flickered to her left and as the groom muttered something in his ear he shook his head and turned away from her and then disappeared from view.

  Feeling oddly cheated by the loss of the sight of him, Zoe took a few moments to realise that it wasn’t just Dan that had disappeared from view. Everything had, and the only thing filling her vision right now was a bright royal blue.

  She blinked a couple of times in case her eyes were playing tricks on her but the blue remained. Then it moved, and she lifted her head to see a slim elegant middle-aged woman standing in front of her and looking down at her with avid curiosity.

  Zoe’s first thought was that her dark hair and dark eyes were so familiar the woman could only be Dan’s mother.

  Her second, more depressing thought was that if only she hadn’t been so wound up by the idea of a wedding of this magnitude she’d have devoted a substantial amount of mental
energy to figuring out how she might handle actually meeting Dan’s mother. Which with hindsight would have been an excellent idea because if she had she’d have run through a couple of possible conversations in her head and planned something charming and insightful to say instead being unprepared, off-balance and tongue-tied.

  As it was, however, she hadn’t done any mental preparation, and now all she had to rely on were her wits, and as the sight of Dan had comprehensively scattered those they weren’t all that great a resource.

  Swallowing back the knot of nerves that was lodged in her throat, Zoe reminded herself about the progress she was making and the faith Dan seemed to have in her, and got to her feet. ‘Hello,’ she said and remembered to smile.

  ‘And who might you be?’ asked Dan’s mother with an imperious arch of her eyebrow and none of the self-doubt that was part of Zoe’s make-up.

  ‘Zoe Montgomery.’

  ‘Catherine Forrester.’

  She held out her hand and Zoe shook it. ‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ said Zoe politely.

  Catherine Forrester tilted her head and regarded her thoughtfully. ‘You too,’ she murmured, before frowning as if racking her brains for something. And then her expression cleared and her eyes lit up. ‘Wait a moment. Zoe Montgomery, did you say?’

  ‘I did.’

  ‘The fake fiancée?’

  Under any other circumstances, Zoe might have appreciated Dan’s mother’s forthrightness. She might even have sensed a kindred spirit. However, in these circumstances all she could do was inwardly cringe, and blush. ‘That’s right.’

  ‘I see.’ Her eyes dropped to Zoe’s left hand. ‘Still fake?’

  ‘Still fake.’ And then thinking she’d better clarify just in case his mother had them walking up the aisle as Dan had suggested she might, she added, ‘Not even fake, actually.’