Behind Every Cloud (22 page)

“
And I don
’
t think she
’
s weird,
”
Ronan informed his wife.
“
She just dresses uniquely.
”

“
You can say that again!
”
Louise sneered.

Ellie was amazed. She
’
d thought Zita didn
’
t give a damn about how she looked but she
’
d certainly pulled out all the stops tonight. Men were turning their heads to look at her admiringly.

Rachel led Zita over to them
. “
Ronan, could I ask you to make the introductions? I have to get back inside to greet some more guests
.”

“
Of course
.”
Ronan proceeded to introduce Zita to David and Louise as Rachel hurried away.

“
This is Marcus, my friend,
”
Zita said
,
introducing him
to everyone.

“
Hi
,
guys! This place is hot, isn
’
t it?
”

“
Don
’
t tell me he
’
s not gay,
”
Louise whispered to her husband who glared back at her
,
hoping that no one had overheard her.

“
It certainly is,
”
Ronan replied to Marcus
. “
It
’
s actuall
y won some architectural prizes.
”

“
Not surprised. It
’
s something else!
”

The place was beginning to fill up and Ellie looked around at the glamorous guests who were filing onto the terrace now in a steady stream. She recognised some faces from the television and newspapers
.
There were actors and TV people and lots of politicians. She even spotted an
international rugby player
.

“
Oh my God, there
’
s that American actor who was on the Late Late Show
last week
,”
she exclaimed, as she saw the famous face chatting to some people nearby. She wished that she could remember his name.

“
I must go and get his autograph,
”
Louise cried, opening her bag to find a pen and paper
.

Ronan grabbed her arm and pulled her back
. “
You
’
ll do no such thing,
”
he hissed.
“
This is a private party and he won
’
t want to be bothered by autograph hunters.
”

Louise made a face but stayed put. She thought it was most unfair as she had noticed some other famous faces from TV too
.

“
My goodness, half the government is here,
”
David observed, looking around.

“
Yes
,
we are partying in exalted circles tonight,
”
Zita remarked in an ironic tone. Working in television, she was used to mixing with all these famous people and it always amused her to see how impressed normal folk were by them. They were no different really to everyone
else but your average Joe Soap couldn
’
t see that. Celebrit
y was a curse, she thought grimly, as she finished her champagne.

“
I
’
m going for a decent drink,
”
she announced.
“
One glass of this stuff is enough for me.
”

She headed for the bar but it was packed. She looked around and spotted Carl walking towards the sun-deck. She ambled over after him. He was standing alone at a bar in the corner.

He saw her walk towards him. God, she was sexy. There was something erotic about a woman dressed in a man
’
s suit and she certainly knew how to wear it.

“
Hello there,
”
she said, her eyes looking him up and down.

“
Well
,
hello,
”
he replied, surprise in his voice.
“
I see someone else has discovered my secret haunt.
”

“
Yes, I thought I
’
d seek out a decent drink
.
One glass of champagne is all I can stomach.
”

“
Me too,
”
he smiled at her, asking her what she
’
d like
.

“
A whiskey
,
please. On the rocks
.”

“
A girl after my own heart,
”
he smiled and nodded to the barman who took a bottle of Lagavulin single malt from under the counter.

“
My private stash
.”
He grinned like a guilty schoolboy as the barman poured it for her
.

“
I
’
m honoured,
”
she said sarcastically.

“
Sláinte
!”
Carl raised his glass to her
.

She nodded and raised her glass to him
,
regarding him from under her half-closed eyes
.

“
I
’
ve seen you before,
”
he said, the memory stirring in his mind
. “
In the Four Seasons, I think
.”
He couldn
’
t really remember the location but remembered locking eyes with her and feeling the chemistry between them.

Zita was secretly pleased that he had remembered her but feigned that she had no memory of it.
“
I don
’
t think so,
”
she remarked.

“
I
’
m Carl Dunne. And you are?
”
He extended his hand to her
,
knowing instinctively that kissing her hand would not impress her. It irked him that she hadn
’
t remembered seeing him. That didn
’
t happen to him often.

“
Zita Williams
.
I
’
m on the wine course with Rachel.
”
She took his hand in a firm handshake.

He held it longer than necessary.
“
You look very distinguished. A nice change from all the girly frocks here tonight. I like your style.
”
She was certainly different, he thought, as he looked into her eyes. They could have belonged to an exotic cat such as a leopard or panther. They were a most unusual colour and she certainly knew how to use them. Her body also had a feline grace about it. God, but she was exciting
!

She surveyed him coolly, her gold-flecked eyes half closed and her long, black lashes making her look sultry and dangerous. She was aware that she had aroused his interest
.
This was what she had intended of course, why she had dressed as she had
.
She had obviously succeeded!

“
I work in television,
”
she told him.

“
Interesting,
”
he said.
“
I
’
d better keep in your good books so.
”
He looked at her sexily over the rim of his glass.

He really was the most outrageous flirt. She threw back her head and roared with laughter.

“
I
’
ll keep you in mind when I come to do a programme I
’
m planning
.
It
’
s about Irish success stories.
”

She had appealed to his ego. She watched as he puffed his chest out and visibly preened
.

“
I
’
d like that,
”
he said, flashing that devastating smile of his.

God, but he was sexy. Once again she found herself wondering what he would be like in bed. She had no doubt that he knew how to please a woman. Well, she hoped she
’
d get to find out soon.

“
Do you have a card?
”
she asked.

“
Not on me but I
’
ll get one for you. Give me an excuse to talk to you again.
”

“
Never off
duty, I see,
”
she observed, raising her eyebrows and giving him a mocking smile.

He laughed.
“
You
’
re something else! I like you. Don
’
t you have your card on you?
”

“
Of course,
”
she replied, taking one out of her pocket and handing it to him.

“
Mmmm
. . .
more than just a pretty face, I see.
”
He smiled lazily at her after reading the card.

She
laughed and raised her glass to him.

Turning her back on him she went back to the table, adrenalin coursing through her body. Carl Dunne would be a piece of cake. She would play him like a cat with a mouse. Yes
,
sir! It would be a thrilling game. She was looking forward to it.

20

Zita rejoined the group. There was still no sign of Sam
although the place was heaving
.
There must have been close
on eighty or ninety people there.

“
Does anyone know if Sam
’
s coming?
”
she asked the assembled group.

“
He said he
’
d be here
,”
Ellie said as she looked to the others for confirmation.

“
I spoke to him today,
”
Ronan told them,
“
and he said he might be a little late.
”

“
I hope he makes it before supper or he
’
ll miss that delicious pork,
”
Ellie remarked, as she watched people start to move down into the marquee.

David sniffed the air.
“
That smells so good. I can
’
t wait to taste it.
”

“
I love spit-roast pork. That crackling . .
. yummy . . .
”
said Ellie.

“
Speak of the devil – here comes Sam now
,”
Zita
said and they all looked towards the upper terrace of the house where Sam had appeared
.

Rachel
was leading him down the steps towards them, a pretty dark-haired girl following
.

“
Look who
’
s here
,”
she cried, smiling happily around the group
.

“
Hi
,
guys,
”
said
Sam.

Rachel then introduced him to those he hadn
’
t met yet and he shook hands with them.

“
This is Orla,
”
he said, bringing the girl forward
to meet them.

Ellie was surprised. Sam had told her that he
’
d just
recently broken up with his long-term girlfriend
.
He certainly
hadn
’
t wasted any time replacing her
.
Unless, of cours
e, this was her and they had made up again.

A ringing cry came from behind him.
“
Sam, I don
’
t belie
ve it!
”