Alberta Clipper (27 page)

“Yes.  That's what I say.  But we'll see.”

Mark guessed looking across the coffee table that Robert wouldn't be able to say no to his wife for very long.  She was gorgeous.  And he
appeared
smitten.  He doubted that anyone had ever looked at himself and Jennifer together and thought how much in love they
were
.  He envied Robert.  He would give all he had to be able to put his arm around Christine right now as she sat close to him on the sofa.  Just to put his arm around her, and for her to turn and look at him like Sandra looked at Robert.  And call him darling.

Then s
he stood suddenly, startling him
.

“Excuse me,” she said quietly, and left the room.  He stared at the pale pink imprint of her on the rim of her champagne flute, left behind on the coffee table.

“So banking must be a whole heap of fun at the moment.”  Laura's remark dropped like a stone into the heretofore gentle banter of the evening.

“Ah well,” Mark sighed.  “We just have to keep working through it.  It'll get better.  Slowly, most likely, but it'll get better.”

“Absolutely,” Robert added, raising his glass very slightly towards Mark. 

“Everyone.  You're all here.
” 
Nina
burst into the room and hugged them all in turn.  “
I'm so sorry I've been hiding.  Had a minor mishap with the dessert, but it's all sorted now.  Have you all got a drink?  I hope
Shay
has been taking care of you?”

“
Nina
, you have the place looking fabulous,” Sandra looked around her.  “How can
you
make it look like a palace, when our identical home looks like a toyshop exploded in it?”

“Well, after the kids left for
Shay
's Mum's this morning, I had a little help, I must admit.  I borrowed Mark'
s cleaner
.  She is such a star, Mark.
” 
Nina
touched his shoulder.
 
“
She had the place shining in three hours.  She even did some ironing for me.  I might just have to have her over here on a regular basis.”

Shay
threw his eyes to heaven.  “Here we go.”  He handed his wife a drink.

“Thanks,
Shay
.  So,” she raised the glass.  “Whenever you guys are ready, you can go on in.  Bring your drinks. 
Shay
, you get everyone seated, and come help me with the starters.” 
Nina
disappeared back towards the kitchen.

“Right so.  You heard her.  Into the dining room.  Chop chop.”

Mark stood back and let Laura and Fitz follow Erica.  Robert and Sandra left next, Robert carrying both of their drinks.  Mark remembered Christine's champagne, and he took it from the table to bring it in to her.  He had to stop himself taking a clandestine sip from where her lips had
touched the glass
.

“Okay there, Mark?”
Shay
looked at him with a small measure of guilt in his eyes.

Mark wasn't quite sure what to say.  “Is she here alone?”  He hoped
Shay
would just understand.

“It's over.  She dumped him,”
Shay
whispered.  “
Nina
called
her
by chance
yesterday, and when
Christine
told her
,
Nina
felt bad
for her
and invited her along
without thinking
.
I was going to tell you,
Mark,
but
Nina
made me swear not to.  She thought you'd cancel if you knew.”

“Yeah.” 
Nina
was probably right.

“Anyway, it's a good thing, no?” 
Shay
glanced out the door to make sure no one was listening.  “Erica's a nice girl too.”

Mark looked at him.  “It's a feast or a famine,” he laughed.  Other than noticing her legs, he realised he hadn't given Erica a second thought.

“And even after all of that,”
Shay
ushered him out in to the hall, “the one you really need to watch out for is bloody Laura.”

~

The dining room seemed to twinkle with festive exuberance.  The dim pendant light
hanging from the ceiling
allowed the flickering candles to throw a party glow over the
table
, which sparkled with cut crystal glasses and shining silverware.  The room was a similar shape to the sitting room and the table was set to the backdrop of floor to ceiling windows painted black by the night outside.  When Mark and
Shay
walked in, everyone else was hovering around the dining chairs, remarking on the beauty of the setting.

“Right,”
Nina
came in from the kitchen and stood at the head of the table.  “Laura, you sit next to me.”  This sounded more of an order than a request.  “And Fitz can sit by you.  Erica, you sit in the middle there.”  She paused, as if unsure whether to impose any further seating plan on her guests.

“Rob, you and Sandra sit
either side of
me
,
”
Shay
continued
.  “We can't have you sitting next to each other, holding hands all night.”  He pulled out the chair just left of the top of the table, and Sandra eased herself gracefully into it.  Robert set her drink down before her, and went to sit opposite.

“It's all so beautiful,
Nina
,
”
Sandra smiled.

Mark watched it all, observing how
Nina
and
Shay
worked as a team.  They seemed almost telepathic.  There were only two seats left, so he set the glasses he was holding down and pulled out the seat next to
Nina
's for Christine.

“Thanks Mark.”

“I left your champagne there.”

“Oh great, thanks.”

Mark saw
Nina
look over at Erica out of the corner of his eye, but she was busy unfolding her linen napkin and placing it across her lap.  He took his place directly opposite her, and she looked up and smiled at him.  He began to understand that he had a particular role to play at this party. 
Nina
had invited him and Erica, knowing they were both single. 
And now, seated around the table, it was clear that she had
meant for them to meet
, hoping that they might get along.
 

But now
she
was here. 

Alone.  

The whole situation began to feel somewhat complicated and a little stressful.  But then Mark looked around him.  He was sitting in a beautiful room, with good friends and interesting strangers on New Year's Eve, about to be served a lovely meal.  He lifted his own napkin and shook it out.  He was going to enjoy himself.  That was it.  Just enjoy himself, and see where the evening went.  He lifted his wine glass which
Shay
had just filled with a good Bordeaux and smiled around the table.

“Cheers everyo
ne,” he said.  “Here's to a great
night.”

~

She shouldn't have come.  It was painfully obvious that she was the odd one at the table, the one without a partner, or the suggestion of one.  She should have realised that
Nina
would have planned her guest list with precision and for
ethought.  It had been naive
of her to just assume that it would be okay to come
along at the last minute
.  She had thrown the dynamic of the party.  Even the table setting had been skewed because of her. 

But the alternative had been too much to consider.  She couldn't have asked Emily and Jack not to spend their first New Year's Eve together, but there was no way s
he was going to go out with the two of them together
.  She didn't blame Jack for what had happened, but she didn't really want to talk to him either.  Just for the moment.  And her Dad was going out with Grace, and Christine had no intention of messing up his plans.  And she couldn't bear the thought of spending New Year's Eve alone in her apartment.  She had come so far over the past six months.  She had improved so much.  A night at home alone like that could set her back months.  Coming here h
ad seemed like the obvious thing
to do. 

But she hadn't thought it through properly. 
Nina
had clearly thought that Erica and Mark might hit it off.  The rest of them were couples, although by the manner in which Fitz was leering at her across the table, she doubted how serious a partnership he and Laura were.  She was the awkward extra place on one side, the unnecessary appendix, the fifth wheel. 

But it was too late now to stand up and leave on some lame excuse.  She would just upset everyone's evening, and she couldn't do that to
Nina
.  And everyone was being so friendly, no one seemed to have noticed her very single status.   So as
Nina
set a colourful salad plate before her, Christine smiled up at her in thank
s, resolving to stick it out. 

She drained her champagne glass. 

And Mark didn't seem to be completely in Erica's pocket, yet.  He seemed to be more engaged with the exotic Sandra to his right.  He was in good form, she observed.  He had been a little cold with her after the Christmas party.  She was glad that seemed to be all forgotten about. 

“So, black pudding, chorizo and scallop, with a salad of dressed lambs lettuce,”
Nina
held her glass aloft.  “Enjoy, everybody.”

“Looks great
darling
,”
Shay
beamed at his wife from the other end of the table.

The room fell silent but for the sounds of scraping cutlery and satiated taste buds.  Christine watched Mark tuck into his plate with vigour. 

“Laura, is yours okay?” 
Nina
peered over into her sister's plate. 

“Great, thanks.”

“Laura is a vegetarian,”
Shay
condoled.

“I eat fish,” Laura said.  “I'm just not that big on fried blood and intestines.”

“Laura,”
Nina
gestured to her own plate, “this is some award-winning pudding.  And chorizo is not made from intestines.”

“Well,”
Shay
began.

“Oh stop
Shay
,”
Nina
squealed.  “Well, I don't care.  It's tasty.”

“It's amazing,” Mark and Erica said together.  They looked at each other and laughed.  Christine shot a glance across at her.  She could see in an instant what Erica was thinking.  She clearly approved of
Nina
's choice of blind date for her.  And why wouldn't she?  Mark was good looking, success
ful, and
single.  Christine sliced through a golden buttery scallop and regarded Mark as she put her fork in her mouth. 
At that moment, she struggled to think of a reason not to like Mark.  She had just always seen him as her boss.  And he had been with Jennifer.  And then she had been with Gavan.  There had just never been a time to think of him
in any other way
.

But sitting there at the table, she tried to see Mark from Erica’s point of view. 
His dark hair was sprinkled with silver over his ears.  A very light stubble coloured his skin where it moved up and down as he chewed.  Christine smiled at
Nina
as she related an amusing food prep related incident to the table, but inside she was trying to remember something else
Nina
had once said to her.  She had implied that Mark had liked her.  What had she said?  She remembered not really paying attention, having been too bewitched by
Gavan
at the time to care.  But then
there had been
the Christmas party.  Of course he had been so inebriated it hadn't made much sense, but he had hinted at something. 
And wasn’t there something else?

Christine reached for her wine, and sat back in her chair.  Erica was relating some evidently amazing story to Robert, who was listening intently. 
Nina
was talking animatedly with Laura, and
Shay
and Sandra were discussing something related to one of the crystal wine glasses.  Christine's head began to feel fuzzy.  She had better go easy on the wine
.  Then she remembered
.  The Dorchester.  That had been such a lovely evening.  Of course, she had
wasted
much of it secretly
thinking
about
Gavan
, and how she would love to have brought him there. 
What a fool she had been.