One Day in December(56)

He looks down at me, surprised. ‘Saucy.’ He squeezes my waist. ‘You should probably stay out here though, hostess with the mostest and all that.’

Sarah wades in to help, on the ball as ever. ‘You two sneak off for five minutes, no one’ll notice. I’ll create a punch-related diversion if anyone asks where you are.’

I don’t give Oscar time to say anything else, just tug him round the edge of the room and into the hallway. Before I open the door I whisper, ‘Close your eyes.’ Heroically, he just goes with it, probably expecting some kind of sultry surprise. I lead him by the hand into the bedroom. ‘Keep them closed,’ I warn, shutting the door and edging round him so I can see his face when he opens his eyes. ‘Okay, you can open them now.’

He blinks, looking at me first, shocked perhaps that I’m still fully clothed. God, I hope he’s not disappointed. I smooth my hands down my heavy skirt. I fell in love at first sight with this dress, it makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn.

‘Not me,’ I say, nodding my head towards the painting as he starts pulling off his tie. ‘That.’

He turns to stand at the end of the bed and his eyes settle on the vivid scene in pride of place. It’s like looking through a window to the other side of the world, and for a few seconds we stand together, hand in hand, and gaze at it. He squeezes my fingers, and then he climbs on to the bed so he can study it closer.

‘Who did this?’ he asks.

‘A friend.’ I kneel alongside him. ‘Do you like it?’

He doesn’t answer me straight away, just stares at the painting, then runs his fingertip over the raised oils.

‘Let’s go back,’ he whispers.

‘Okay.’ I smile, wistful. ‘We could be there by this time tomorrow.’

I slide my hand inside his unbuttoned shirt and lay it flat over his heart. ‘You make me so happy, Oscar,’ I tell him, and he puts his arm round my shoulders and kisses my hair.

‘I mean to,’ he says. ‘This is the second-best gift you could ever have given me.’

I look up at him. ‘What’s the first?’ Maybe I should have gone for racy underwear instead.

He puffs a breath out, and out of nowhere I feel nervous, because his eyes are intense and he’s moved from kneeling beside me to facing me.

‘I know I’ve asked you this a hundred times before, Laurie, but this time I’m not joking or laughing or messing around.’ His dark eyes are damp as he holds my hands. ‘I want to take you back there. But this time I want it to be with you as my wife. I don’t want to wait any longer. I love you and I want you with me for ever. Will you marry me?’

‘Oscar …’ I’m reeling. He kisses the backs of my hands and then looks at me fearfully.

‘Say yes, Laurie. Please say yes.’

I look at him, and there in front of me, on his knees, I see my next stepping stone. Oscar Ogilvy-Black, my husband-to-be.

‘Yes. I say yes.’





Jack


‘Why did he think Luke was your “boyf”?’ I make twatty air quotes round the last word, my back against the fridge.

Sarah shrugs it off. ‘I don’t know. It was just a mistake, Jack. Forget it.’

I look away from her, nodding. ‘Maybe it was. But let’s face it, Sarah, you and my Aussie hero have become pretty pally of late, haven’t you?’

She sighs and looks at the floor. ‘Not now, okay?’

‘Not now?’ I half laugh as I parrot her words, turning them over out loud for consideration. ‘What not now, Sarah? Let’s not argue at Oscar’s party or let’s not talk about the fact that you’re spending so much time with some random bloke who picked my phone up while I was unconscious?’

I’m not proud of how ungrateful that made me sound or how seedy it probably made Sarah feel.

‘I’m not.’ Her chin comes up, but her eyes tell me she’s not being completely honest, with me or with herself. ‘Get down off your high horse, will you?’ she says. ‘I haven’t done anything with Luke or with anyone else and you damn well know it. I wouldn’t do that to you. But, Jack …’ Her eyes fill suddenly, unexpectedly, with tears. ‘This isn’t the time or place for this conversation. It’s too important.’

‘Sure,’ I say, but I’m not ready to let it go, because that text did not sound innocent. ‘Would you like me to leave the room so you can reply?’

I know I should leave it, but we’ve been tiptoeing around the truth for a long time now and, for whatever reason, tonight seems to be the moment it’s finally going to trip us up. It’s not just about the text, it’s everything.

‘You know something, Jack? I will reply to him. I’ll reply because, unlike you, he actually takes the time to message me.’

‘I message you,’ I say, although I know I’m on shaky ground.

‘Once in a blue moon if you want a shag or you’ve forgotten something at work,’ she says.

‘What do you expect, love notes?’

I know I sound like a cock, but surely she realizes I don’t have time at the moment? She’s hardly much better.

‘You know what? Fine. You want me to be honest, I’ll be honest. I’ve thought about it, about Luke, in that way. He makes me laugh and he listens to me. He notices me, Jack. You don’t, and you haven’t for a long time now. All you notice is yourself.’