Page 51 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
As the final strains of the song drifted across the floor, Matt put his mouth to her ear.
“Do you want me to dip you?”
Daisy shivered deliciously. That she was dancing with Matt rather than James tonight had to be a sign. She and Matt had spent the night together at her last big birthday – now, here they were again. Maybe in years to come, she’d understand why it had happened this way. She nodded, gasping as she felt the ground slide away from her feet, her head and upper body thrown suddenly backwards.
Matt held her tightly and moments later she found herself upright again.
As she and Matt pulled apart, people around them began to clap. Daisy gave a tiny, self-conscious bow but, as she started to leave the dance floor, the first strains of Bruno Mars’ ‘Justthe Way You Are’ began to play over the sound system.
She looked at Matt. “You didn’t ...”
Matt’s eyes glinted. “It was our favourite song, remember?”
An invisible string was pulling every nerve-ending into the pit of her stomach, as she allowed Matt to lead her back into the middle of the floor. Around her, friends and family were dancing, their arms wrapped around each other. Beside her, her aunt and uncle were managing to do an old-fashioned waltz.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart!” her aunt called out as they danced by.
Daisy gave them a little wave, her pulse picking up as Matt clasped his hands behind her back. Tentatively she put her hands on his shoulders, relaxing as he maintained a small gap between them. If she closed her eyes, it could just be the two ofthem. It could be her twenty-first again, when she and Matt were young, invincible and deeply in love. It was nine years ago. It was yesterday.
“I can’t remember if they even played this at my twenty-first,” she said.
“You still look twenty-one.”
She gave a wobbly smile, clutching on tighter to Matt as she lost her balance.
“I think I’ve had too much to drink.”
Matt grinned. “Never.”
The song came to an end, and reluctantly Daisy dropped her hands to her sides. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she noticed James’ name flash up on the screen.
“Excuse me, I have to –” She swiped to answer the call, leaving the dance area, and ducking quickly out the door, shivering as the cool air hit her bare skin. “James?”
“Daisy, I’m sorry, this is a bigger problem than I thought it’d be, so I’m not going to make it back to the party.”
Daisy took a breath. “Do you not have software engineers who can sort it?”
“It’s not that simple, Daisy.”
It never was, she thought. Did he think that because she was surrounded by people she knew, it didn’t matter that he wasn’t coming back? That it didn’t matter if he couldn’t put her first for one night?
James sighed. “I feel really bad, honestly. Look, can you get a taxi home later?”
Daisy blinked rapidly, determined not to ruin her make-up. “Yeah, grand.”
“You’re sure?”
She forced a brightness into her tone. “I’m sure. Listen, Laura is calling me back in. Gotta go. Catch you later.” She hung up, almost dropping her phone as she shoved it back into her pocket.
She stood for a moment, digging her nails into the soft flesh around her thumb, as she took deep breaths. Vaguely, she was aware that somebody else had come outside too.
“Are you okay?” She heard Matt behind her, but she couldn’t trust herself to turn around in case she broke down. Instead she nodded.
“Grand, yeah, I’ll be back in in a minute.”
“Mind if I stay out here with you?”
“I don’t mind.” Had he guessed about James? She wished she didn’t feel so stupid. Matt had come tonight to be with her. She turned to him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
