Behind Every Cloud (25 page)

They ran on to the dance-floor where the band was playing a medley of Abba
songs.

“
You
’
re a bit young to appreciate this music
,”
Sam joked
as she gyrated around him, as if there were decades between them.

“
No, I lovvve Abba
!”
Ellie shouted so that he could hear her over the music.

“
You are full of surprises
,
Miss Ellie Moran,
”
he teased her.

“
I saw Mama Mia five times,
”
she said earnestly.

“
Oh, of course, that
’
s how you know them. I was wondering
,
because they were way before your time.
”

“
But not yours
!”
she countered.

“
Hey, I
’
m not that old,
”
he laughed at her and she laughed back as she swirled around him
.

The night was a roaring success. The band was as good as Rachel had promised and Ellie was on the dance-floor continuously. David still refused to dance and when she came back
,
breathless and exhilarated from jiving with Ronan, he suggested that it was time to go home.

“
Ah, David,
”
she wailed
, “
I
’
m having a great time. It
’
s only eleven and Rachel said there
’
s going to be fireworks at midnight.
”
She looked at him, eyes pleading.

“
I
’
m exhausted. I
’
ve had a tough week at work and this headache is getting worse. I would like to go home now.
”
He stood up.

Seeing the stricken look on Ellie
’
s face, Sam couldn
’
t resist interfering.
“
Look
,
David, Orla and I can drop her home if you want to go on ahead. What do you say?
”

Relief flooded Ellie
’
s face as she looked at David hopefully
.

“
Well, if it
’
s not too much out of your way,
Sam
?”

“
Not at all. It
’
s no trouble,
”
Sam assured him.

“
Thanks, darling,
”
Ellie said happily, giving David a kiss.

He called for a taxi and when he was gone Ellie relaxed and continued to enjoy the wonderful party. She danced with Marcus and with Sam again. Jade still hadn
’
t returned to the table
,
thank God
.
She had a long chat with Orla who told her that she was studying political science at Trinity. Ellie liked her a lot and wondered if she and Sam were dating seriously. They seemed very comfortable in each other
’
s company.

“
You and Sam seem very well suited
’
she couldn
’
t resist remarking.

“
We are!
”
Orla replied
,
leaving Ellie longing to ask when they
’
d started going out together.

Orla didn
’
t elaborate and Ellie didn
’
t want to appear nosy so she stayed mum.

Louise was knocking back gin and tonics like nobody
’
s business and Ronan was keeping a watchful eye on her. He hoped she
’
d last until midnight at least
,
because he loved fireworks.

The girls made their way to Madame Farah
’
s tent to hear their future
.
They all looked on it as a great lark. The men had refused to go
,
much to Rachel
’
s disappointment. Louise was thrilled when the fortune-teller
predicted that she saw lots of money coming her way in the near future but Ellie thought the old woman was talking through her hat when she told her that she hadn
’
t yet met her true love
.
Honestly, the things she
’
d said!
She didn
’
t believe in fortune-tellers or Tarot cards or any of that stuff but it was a bit of a laugh.

Zita didn
’
t believe in fortune
-
telling either but Rachel was so anxious for her to go that she did, just to please her. Madame Farah refused to tell her what the future held for her which made Zita angry. Try as she would
,
she could not get the silly old woman to open up. Marcus was dying to know what Madame Farah had foretold and when Zita told him she
’
d refused to tell her anything, he roared with laughter.

“
Ho, ho! What is it she sees that
’
s so bad it
’
s unspeakable?
”
he teased her.

“
Don
’
t be ridiculous.
”
She lowered her voice so Rachel wouldn
’
t hear her.
“
I told you, I don
’
t believe in it.
It
’
s all utter crap
!
I did it just to please Rachel
.”

Just before midnight Carl joined them and they watched the fantastic fireworks together. Afterwards, as Rachel was seeing Ronan and a drunken Louise into a taxi, Carl asked Zita to dance.

It was a slow number. She liked the feel of his muscular body next to hers and the way he held her close. She could feel his hardness against her and it gave her a sense of power to know that he wanted her
.
Yes, her instinct had been right. He would make a great lover. She looked forward to a romp in the hay with him. It wouldn
’
t take much to persuade him, she guessed.

“
You
’
re the most exciting woman I
’
ve ever met,
”
he whispered in her ear as the dance ended and he let her go.

She gave him her most seductive look.
“
Till we meet again,
”
she said coyly.

This time he did take her hand and bring it to his lips.

“
I can
’
t wait,
”
he replied, his eyes hot with desire.

The party continued into the early hours and it was a tired and happy Ellie who said goodnight to Rachel and Carl.

“
It was a brilliant party. Thank you so much for inviting m
e,
”
she said, hugging them both.

“
Same here,
”
Sam told them as he tried to keep a comatose Jade from falling down. She
’
d arrived back at the table after midnight, much the worse for wear. Seeing her unfocused eyes, Sam knew she
’
d been indulging in more than alcohol.

“
I
’
m coming home with you, Sam,
”
she announced.
“
That bastard can go jump
!”
She waved her hand vaguely at the bar.

Sam shrugged his shoulders and wondered who she was talking about. Had she come with someone or had she just met someone at the party? You never did know with Jade
!
He
sighed deeply and told her that would be okay.

“
Thanks for coming. I
’
m so glad you enjoyed it. See you next Monday night,
”
Rachel said as she hugged them
.
She was more than a little tipsy now.

Between them they manoeuvred Jade into the taxi.

“
Where do you live, Orla?
”
Ellie asked.

“
In Dalkey, but I
’
m staying with Sam tonight.
”

“
Oh!
”
said Ellie. Sam certainly had his hands full
.
They dropped her off first in Malahide and she stole into the apartment careful not to disturb David. She needn
’
t have worried. He was snoring loudly as she slipped into bed beside him. He probably hadn
’
t even missed her.

“
What a great night. You did a brilliant job, darling,
”
Carl said, putting his arm around his wife
’
s shoulders.
“
I really liked your new friends. They
’
re fun people.
”

“
Yes, they are. I
’
m really glad they came and that they enjoyed themselves,
”
Rachel replied with a big yawn.
“
Let
’
s go to bed. I
’
m bushed
.”

21

Ellie had to drag herself out of bed on Sunday morning, exhausted from the previous night. She felt a warm glow remembering what fun it had been. Whoever would have thought that a wine group would be so much fun? She
’
d really warmed to Rachel who had made such an effort to ensure they were all having a good time. The more she got to know her, the more
she felt sorry for her
.
Yes, she had the fabulous house and the gorgeous husband but Ellie felt that there was something missing in her life. She was sorry she hadn
’
t got to meet Rachel
’
s children.

David
’
s headache was gone and he wanted to go for a run which was the last thing Ellie wanted but
,
as he
’
d been so good as to let her stay on at the party, she thought she
’
d better make the effort to join him. It was a big mistake. She hadn
’
t gone half a mile when she started to feel ill and after a mile she was bent over throwing up, right there on the seafront in Portmarnock. She was mortified and David was furious with her.

“
That
’
s what you get for drinking so much last night and dancing your silly head off.
”

She glared back at him in between her retching. When she
’
d finished she sat down on a wall and told him to go on by himself, which he did. She was upset that he hadn
’
t been
more sympathetic. She waited for him while he ran to the end of the beach and back. She was feeling a little better by then.

He seemed to have softened a little.
“
Are you okay now?
”
he asked.
“
Do you want me to go and get the car?
”

“
No, I
’
ll be okay. I
’
ll follow you back.
”

He stopped running and walked back with her in silence.

They went back to his apartment where they showered and changed before going for brunch. Ellie wanted to go to their usual place in Malahide but David wanted to go
to Kitty O
’
Shea
’
s
,
which was across the Liffey, in Ballsbridge
.

“
But that
’
s miles away,
”
she objected.

“
It
’
s not far. It will be nice for a change. All the guys say they do a mean brunch there at weekends.
”

By
‘
all the guys
’
she supposed he meant his new friends at Buckley Steadman. She knew there was no point in arguing with him and she couldn
’
t eat a bite anyway as her tummy still felt off, so she agreed to go with him.