Page 119 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

‘If you’re ready to tell me, I’m ready to listen.’ He thought about how Andie had read his mood so accurately earlier this morning—giving him breakfast when he hadn’t even been aware himself that he was hungry. She was thoughtful. And kind. Kindness wasn’t an attribute he had much encountered in the women he had met.

‘The first mistake I made with Tara was that she reminded me of someone else—a girl I’d met when I was living in the squat. Someone frail and sweet with similar colouring—someone I’d wanted to care for and look after.’ It still hurt to think of Melody. Andie didn’t need to know about her.

‘And the second mistake?’ Andie asked, seeming to understand he didn’t want to speak further about Melody. She leaned forward as if she didn’t want to miss a word.

‘I believed her when she said she wanted children.’

‘You wanted children?’

‘As soon as possible. Tara said she did too.’

Andie frowned. ‘But she didn’t?’

Even now, bitterness rose in his throat. ‘After we’d been married a year and nothing had happened, I suggested we see a doctor. Tara put it off and put it off. I thought it was because she didn’t want to admit to failure. It was quite by accident that I discovered all the time I thought we’d been trying to conceive, she’d been on the contraceptive pill.’

Andie screwed up her face in an expression of disbelief and distaste. ‘That’s unbelievable.’

‘When I confronted her, she laughed.’ He relived the horror of discovering his ex-wife’s treachery and the realisation she didn’t have it in her to love. Not him. Certainly not a child. Fortunately, she hadn’t been clever enough to understand the sub-clauses in the pre-nuptial agreement and divorce had been relatively straightforward.

‘You had a lucky escape,’ Andie said.

‘That’s why I never want to marry again. How could I ever trust another woman after that?’

‘I understand you would feel that way,’ she said. ‘But not every woman would be like her. Me...my sisters, my friends. I don’t know anyone who would behave with such dishonesty. Don’t write off all women because of one.’

Trouble was, his wealth attracted women like Tara.

He was about to try and explain that to Andie when her phone started to sound out a bar of classical music.

She got up from the sofa and headed for the kitchen countertop to pick it up. ‘Gemma,’ she mouthed to him. ‘I’d better take it.’

He nodded, grateful for the reprieve. Tara’s treachery had got him into this fake engagement scenario with Andie, who was being such a good sport about the whole thing. He did not want to waste another word, or indeed thought, on his ex. Again, he thanked whatever providence had sent Andie into his life—Andie who was the opposite of Tara in every way.

He couldn’t help but overhear Andie as she chatted to Gemma. ‘Yes, yes, I saw it. We were having lunch after the meeting that Friday. Yes, it does look romantic. No, I didn’t know anyone took a photo.’

Andie waved him over to her. ‘Shall I tell her?’ she mouthed.

He gave her the thumbs-up. ‘Yes,’ he mouthed back as he got up. There was no intention of keeping this ‘engagement’ secret. He walked over closer to Andie, who was standing there in bare feet, looking more beautiful in jeans than any other woman would look in a ball gown.

‘Actually, Gemma, I...haven’t been completely honest with you. I...uh...we...well, Dominic and I hit it off from the moment we first saw each other.’

Andie looked to Dominic and he nodded—she was doing well.

She listened to Gemma, then spoke again. ‘Yes. We are...romantically involved. In fact...well...we’re engaged.’ She held the phone out from her ear and even Dominic could hear the excited squeals coming from Gemma.

When the squeals had subsided, Andie spoke again. ‘Yes. It is sudden. I know that. But...well...you see I’ve learned that you have to grab your chance at happiness when you can. I... I’ve had it snatched away from me before.’ She paused as she listened. ‘Yes, that’s it. I didn’t want to wait. Neither did he. Gemma, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone just yet. Eliza? Well, okay, you can tell Eliza. I’d just like to tell my family first. What was that? Yes, I’ll tell him.’ She shut down her phone.

‘So it’s out,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘No denying it now.’

‘What did Gemma ask you to tell me?’

She looked up at him. ‘That she hoped you knew what a lucky guy you are to...to catch me.’

He looked down at her. ‘I know very well how lucky I am. You’re wonderful in every way and I appreciate what you’re doing to help me.’

For a long moment he looked down into her face—still, serious, even sombre without her usual animated expression. Her eyes were full of something he couldn’t put a name to. But not, he hoped, regret.