Aiden thought about it, but he couldn’t do it. He had something else to sort out first.
‘Much as I love you both, I’ve got some work stuff that I need to get done tonight…’ Not strictly true, but he knew they wouldn’t take it personally if he bailed on them because of work. ‘So I’m going to turn in. Trevon, here’s my dad’s key to our room. I’ll see you when you come up. He leaned down and kissed his mother. ‘G’night, Mom.’
‘Goodnight, son. Are you sure you’re okay?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired. It’s been a long week, I guess.’
He hated lying to his mom, but he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth. He was leaving them because he was desperate to make a call.
And was he okay?
That would depend on whether Zara answered the phone.
29
EILEEN
It was amazing how things could turn on a dime in this city, Eileen decided. The gambler who was down to his last pile of chips and put them all on one hand, only to win big. The whale – she knew that’s what they called the high-stake gamblers – who was flown into town by one of the casinos in their private jet, saving the cost of an airfare only to drop two hundred grand in one night at the tables. The waiter or waitress who caught the eye of the wealthy business mogul and won his heart and his bank balance. The dancer who came to town with nothing and became a star.
And Eileen Gregg, who’d arrived here yesterday wearing a mask that covered the fact that she was broken. Carrying baggage that she’d been trailing for a lifetime. Only to be destroyed when her worst secrets were put under the spotlight. And yet now…? The behaviour of her ex-husband had closed a door in her mind, the time with her son had reminded her what a decent man he’d turned out to be, and the afternoon with Brenda and Colin had given her some hope of forgiveness. More than that, just being with her old friend had reminded Eileen who she used to be, had evoked a lightness and a familiarity that she barely recognised but that made her feel whole again. That feeling of talking to someone who knew who you were. Where you came from. Who had a real and deep connection to someone that you’d forgotten how to be.
It had been one of the worst days of her life and one of the best. Now she was in a club with a handsome man she adored, and they were drinking brandy and dancing, with the city lights twinkling in the windows that spanned the whole wall of the room. At least half a dozen ladies in the vicinity were blatantly watching the moves of the gorgeous man beside her, yet he was kind enough to pretend he hadn’t noticed and to drink and dance with her and her alone. It was a little slice of heaven and she never wanted it to end.
The band played the last chords of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, then settled into a ballad that was way too slow to suit her mood.
‘Time for another drink?’ she asked Trevon, who spun her around and then dipped her in the middle of the dance floor.
He was laughing as he pulled her back up. ‘Okay, so how cheesy was that? On a scale of one to ten?’
‘I think you pretty much slid right off the scale,’ she teased him, slipping her arm through his as they crossed the few steps to their table. ‘In fact, I’m beginning to understand why you’re single.’
‘I doubt that very much,’ he countered a little sharply and Eileen thought for a second that she’d offended him. But no. Come on. This was Trevon. They trained together every week and they gave each other much harsher stick than that, all in the good-natured name of friendly competition. She’d known him for seven or eight years and never once in that time had she seen him be sensitive or touchy. She must have read his reaction wrong.
Yet… now he was staring into his drink like he had something on his mind. Ah, crap. Something was wrong. Aiden? Had something else happened that his friend felt the need to share now? Or was Trevon having problems of his own? In which case, she needed to hear about them because she wanted to help him fix them.
‘Eileen, I need to talk to you.’
Again, ah crap. So much for never wanting this wonderful moment to end.
‘Okay. I’m all ears.’ She tried to keep it light, make him feel comfortable enough to tell her anything. Although, that had never been a problem before. How many times had they gone for coffee after a Sunday cross-fit session and still been sitting there four hours later? Trevon spent every holiday with her and Aiden too, and her son was always the lightweight that went to bed first and left the two of them to sit on the balcony, or by the fire, and chat until they’d solved all of the world’s problems and a few of their own too. Now it seemed that there was a new one that needed attention.
‘The reason I’m single has nothing to do with my skills on the dance floor,’ he said, still staring down at the liquid in his glass.
‘Trevon, I didn’t mean to offend you and I’m sorry if I did. I was joking, honestly.’ She tried to pull it back and thought maybe a quick apology and another spin round the dance floor would cheer him up and help him forget that she’d touched a raw nerve with a stupid joke.
‘There is someone…’
‘Really?’ Okay, this was new. He hadn’t mentioned having anyone in his life since he split with his last girlfriend and that was… Eileen tried to rack her brain… must be a year ago now, at least. Maybe longer. She must remember to ask Aiden in the morning.
‘But it’s complicated.’
Ah, now she was getting it. The poor man was in love and it wasn’t working out for him. Okay, she’d had a lifetime of complicated relationships. This she could deal with. Instinctively, she put her hand over his. ‘Okay, speaking as someone who is resolutely crap with straightforward relationships, who was married to a complete dickhead and who, since her divorce, has dated several absolute arses in Charleston, this is right in my wheelhouse, so let’s do this. I need to know the problem with this person you like. Is she married? Is it Beyonce?’
His smile didn’t match the frown on the rest of his handsome face. ‘How did you get to Beyonce?’
‘Don’t know. Just reckoned there would be a couple of obstacles to overcome if you were seeing her.’
‘Starting with her husband,’ Trevon suggested.
