Having a Ball (19 page)

Tom muttered something under his breath. "Right. Yes. I'd forgotten. She
was going to drop her dress off here tonight, so that she could come straight here
from her client meeting tomorrow."

He set off back to the house. At the edge of the roses, he paused and half
turned, as though he was about to say something. He seemed to change his mind
and stomped off, taking the metal steps two at a time.

Stevie watched him go, torn between annoyance and relief. She really
couldn't afford to fall for Tom. Clearly, for all his talk of non- commitment, Vienna
clicked her fingers and Tom responded. She sighed and sat down next to
Evelyn.

"I wish he'd get shot of that girl," said Evelyn suddenly.

"Pardon?" She looked at Evelyn in surprise.

"That Vienna girl. She's not good for him. As long as he's got her at his
beck and call, he's never going to find himself a proper partner. It's almost the
opposite problem to Dan. He married Laura as soon as they finished their degrees
and he was just starting his PhD when Alice was born." Evelyn sighed. "It's all
worked out in the end. Dan doesn't spend as much time with Alice as he should, but
she seems not to mind."

Stevie continued to stare. Evelyn had always seemed disinterested in her
sons' lives. To the point that Tom thought she found him a disappointment. She
wondered if she should mention the nervous breakdown.

"Don't look at me like that," said Evelyn. "I may be scatty, but it doesn't
mean I don't care." She gestured toward the library, where Vienna was visible,
talking animatedly. Tom was out of view.

"Dan was lucky. He found his calling at first attempt. Poor Tom. I know
he's good at his job and he works hard at it, but I don't think he loves it. And it does
so make a difference to love your job."

Not knowing what to say, Stevie remained silent.

"What makes it even more of a shame is that he seems to have put his
personal life on hold to devote himself to his job. It's a thankless way to be. He's
going to burn himself out soon, if he's not careful." She stopped and looked at
Stevie. "What do you think?"

"Me? About Tom?" Obviously she couldn't say what she really thought.
Not to his mother. "I think..." she began carefully. "You're right that he's too
obsessed with work and it doesn't make him happy."

"Poor Tom."

"Evelyn," said Stevie. "I know it's none of my business, so tell me to butt
out if you want to, but have you tried talking to Tom about it? I think it would mean
a lot to him if he knew what you think. That you are proud of what he's achieved so
far."

Evelyn looked astonished. "He knows I'm proud of him. I don't need to
tell him that, surely?" She shook her head. "I don't hold with that sort of touchy
feely, 'Let's talk about our feelings until everyone's sick of hearing about them'
nonsense."

"Ah," said Stevie. "I see. Sorry."

"You young people watch too much American TV." Evelyn patted her arm.
She looked round at the gazebo. "Tom and Alice have done a lovely job with the
garden, haven't they?"

"Yes, they have. It looks wonderful." She had trouble feeling anything but
depression.

"Ah well. Best get back to the house. Paperwork to do, you know." Evelyn
sprang up and headed off. "Coming?"

"I'll be along in a minute." Stevie looked at her twinkling, dreamlike
surroundings. What had seemed like such a beautiful and romantic setting a few
minutes ago was now reduced to mere rose bushes and fairy lights. Yes, it was
lovely. But it was no longer special.

She shook her head and sighed. She had done her best not to fall for Tom
Blackwood, but it looked like it was too late. The best she could do now was accept
that she'd made a mistake and keep a lid on her feelings until this ball was
over.

Making her way back to the house, she paused at the top of the stairs. She
could easily see into the library windows. Tom had moved close to Vienna and
appeared to be picking something up. He straightened up and Vienna reached up to
tuck a stray curl of his hair behind his ear. It was such an intimate gesture that
Stevie felt like she'd been punched. She willed Tom to move away. He said
something, turned and moved out of view and Vienna, flicking her hair over her
shoulder, followed him.

Stevie reached the conservatory door in time to see Tom, carrying a
garment bag over his arm, open the door leading to a staircase she'd never
explored. He said something to Vienna. Her laugh tinkled as she followed him up
the stairs. No prizes for guessing where they were going. Stevie hadn't realised her
heart could sink any further, but it did.

Feeling unbearably depressed, she went back to the kitchen to gather her
things. She made her excuses to the ladies and, pleading exhaustion, took herself off
to bed before Tom returned from his tryst with Vienna.

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

How did the surprise go?
Did she love it?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

She did love it. She was so
pleased it seemed to fill the whole of her body. Like little kids do when
they're happy. I think she even gave a little hop of delight. Seeing her so
pleased made me feel like I'd achieved something wonderful. It was
quite a buzz. I could get addicted to seeing that look on Stevie's
face.

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

Oh my God. You're in love.
Finally. After all these years of breaking hearts, you've lost yours. To a
twenty two year old!
That's so sweet, I don't know whether to
laugh or throw up!
What happened after that? Did you try to kiss
her again?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

No. I didn't get the chance.
Vienna turned up and Mum came to find me.
I was pissed off at
first, but I guess it's best that nothing came of it. I can't give Stevie the
sort of commitment she needs and I don't want to hurt
her.

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

You keep saying that, but
what's stopping you? Don't tell me it's work. Only an idiot would give
up on love because of work.

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Well, it is work, sort of. If I get
the Doha job, I'll be leaving in the next couple of months. I'd bring her
hopes up and then dash them. That would make me a total shit. I know
I'm not great boyfriend material, but I like to think I'm not a total
shit.
Before you go off on one, my work is important to me. I need
to succeed at it. This job in Doha is exactly the right next step for my
career plan.

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

Fine. It's your life.
So,
what did the delightful Vienna want then?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Vienna was just dropping her
dress off so that she didn't have to bring it round
tomorrow.
Actually, she was coming on a bit strong this evening,
even for Vienna. She's normally so laid back. Not sure what's going on
with her. Ordinarily, I'd have been more than happy to oblige, but I just
couldn't muster up any enthusiasm. Probably just tired from all this
work I've been doing.

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

PS: Did I really just say that?
Jesus, I must be getting old!

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

LOL!
Laid back?
Vienna? You mean 'laid often'. She's one of the most ruthless women
I've ever met.
As to what's up with her, could it be that she smells
competition from a certain young party planner?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Vienna's not like that. We've
always been totally open about the fact that there is no commitment
involved in our relationship. Obviously, if either of us started dating
someone, we'd stop seeing each other, but until then, it's just as and
when. That was the deal. No questions asked.

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

But you did have a
relationship involving commitment with Vienna once, remember?
Maybe she wants that again? Or, now that she's sensing her regular
shag slipping away, it's starting to bother her.

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Vienna and I were a terrible a
couple. We're not really the relationship type, either of us. When we
weren't in bed, we just bickered the whole time. It was only after we
decided to split up that we started to get on.

##

From: Olivia Gornall

To: Tom Blackwood

It amazes me that someone
so bright can be so DENSE.
Let me spell it out for you. You love this
Stevie girl. She may even love you. Vienna is being a jealous bitch.
So, what are you going to do about it?

##

From: Tom Blackwood

To: Olivia Gornall

Oh shut up. Even if you're
right, which you aren't. Vienna hasn't got anything to worry
about.
I'm going to go turn those lights off and go to bed. Alone
(before you ask).

The day of the ball Stevie did little but rush around tying up loose ends,
calming down a panicky Evelyn and curtailing annoying phone calls from Lady
Beryl.

At five that afternoon, she was still in her jeans and flip-flops. She had
spent the last half hour minding things in the kitchen while Priya went home to
shower and change. Now that the cooking was finally done, she was washing pans
so they could be put away, making the space available for laying the trays out. She
really needed to have a shower and do her hair before the guests, or worse, before
Lady Beryl turned up.

Alice burst into the kitchen. "Stevie. I can't do the nails on my right hand
properly! I've done these, look." She waved a purple painted left hand. "But the
other hand keeps going wonky."

Stevie sighed. A party organiser's job seemed to entail a huge range of
duties. "Give me a minute and I'll do them for you." She pointed to the pile of
dripping dishes. "If you could dry those and put them away, that would make my
life easier."

Alice glanced dubiously at the dishes and then at her hand.

"It won't damage your nails." Stevie fought to keep the impatience out of
her voice. "It's not like you're washing up." Unlike me, she thought, looking at her
own hands, which were submerged past the wrists.

Alice picked up a tea towel. "What are you going to do with your
hair?"

"I was going to put it up." Stevie dunked the last of the pans in the sink.
"I'm not sure I'll have time though. I have to go have a shower in a minute."

"What colour's your dress?"

"Blue. Yours?" Her mind was only half on the conversation. Most of it was
occupied with ticking things off a mental checklist.

"I'm wearing this hipster skirt and a sparkly top," said Alice. "The top's
the same colour as my nails."

Stevie let her talk without actually listening.

Evelyn raced in. "What do you think?" She was wearing a red floaty
summer dress and linen jacket, with pearls. She looked neat and tidy and every
inch the retired academic.

"You look lovely," said Stevie. "Very elegant."

"You look amazing Gran." Alice sounded impressed.

"Thank you, both. Now then, I'm going to make a start on laying out these
trays. Oh, nearly forgot." She tossed a small box onto the table. "If Tom passes
through, tell him that's his father's bow tie. He's forgotten his." With that, she swept
out.

Stevie and Alice finished clearing up and sat at the end of the long table.
Stevie was busy concentrating on applying even strokes of nail varnish when Tom
appeared.

"Have you seen Mum?"

"She's in the wine cellar," said Alice. "She left you a bow tie. She said to
say it's Gramps'."

"Right."

Stevie felt a prickling between her shoulder blades as he walked behind
her to pick up the box. She forced herself to concentrate on Alice's fingers.

"Damn," Tom said. "It's one of those real ones. I've only ever used clip on
ones."

There was silence. Stevie didn't look up. She finished the last nail.

Tom was standing barely a foot away from her shoulder and she was
trying not to look at him. He was bound to look gorgeous in a tux. He looked
gorgeous enough in jeans.

"I don't suppose you know how to tie a bow tie, Stevie?"

As it happened, she did. One of her ex-boyfriends had chatted her up by
showing her how to tie one. Did she really want to admit to that? It would mean
being closer to Tom than she really wanted to be. She had to concentrate on the ball
this evening. She was, after all, a professional.

Tom took her silence to be a denial. "I wish I'd thought of this earlier. I
could have gone out and bought one. What am I going to do now?"

Stevie sighed. "I'll do it. Give it here." She finally looked at him and all
thoughts fled from her head.