As she chatted, she glanced over to where her brother and father were standing. She knew how uncomfortable her dad would be in this kind of environment and hoped he didn’t think she was abandoning him. She was surprised to see that Daniel was still talking to them both, and even more so that her dad was laughing and looking completely at ease with him, which was more than he’d ever done with Mark.
Mark. If there was a downside to this evening it was definitely him. Mark was at his best at these events, schmoozing and ingratiating himself with clients, and tonight was no different. But she couldn’t help noticing that whenever he glanced across to her, his eyes were as stony as flint. Did he really resent her success that much? His glares made her feel uncomfortable and she wished Charlotte had chosen a different venue. But then, she told herself, she was very lucky to have any venue at all, and she should be grateful. She would just have to avoid Mark and, hopefully, after tonight, she’d never have to see him again.
Eventually she managed to extricate herself from networking and made her way back over to her family.
‘Hiya. Are you both okay?’
‘We’re fine, Anna, love,’ her father said. ‘We’ve had a lovely time, but we’re going to head home now if that’s okay with you?’
‘Of course it is. I’m glad that you made it tonight. It means the world to me.’
‘Not as much as it means to me. I wouldn’t have missed this.’
‘Let me get you a taxi. I don’t want you two trekking home on the train.’
‘Oh, no need to worry about us. Daniel is outside hailing one down for us.’
‘He is?’ Anna asked, surprised.
‘Yes, he’s such a lovely fella. I take back what I said about him being a slave driver when you first started working for him, he sounds like a decent boss, much better than that other bloke.’ He glared at Mark who was across the room. Mark glared back at them and then turned away. Her dad continued. ‘Though I doubt after tonight you’ll be working for him much longer. More like you’ll be looking for your own assistant.’
Anna looked at him in disbelief. The thought of not working with Daniel filled her with a sense of foreboding.
‘Now, Daniel has said you might be going out afterwards, if you wanted to. So, enjoy the rest of the night and I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He gave her a quick hug and then, before he left, said, ‘Enjoy your success. You deserve it.’
Anna watched open-mouthed as her father and brother left the gallery. She couldn’t believe that in such a short time Daniel had won them round. And neither could she believe that her father seemed to like him that much. He’d certainly never taken to Mark. As though the thought of him had conjured him up, Mark appeared at her shoulder.
‘Well done,’ he said. ‘Looks like you’re an overnight sensation.’
‘I’d hardly call it overnight.’ Anna tried to defend herself. ‘I’ve worked a long time to get this far.’
‘And now you’ve made it.’ The bitterness in his voice brought her up short.
‘I’m on my way at least.’
‘Good for you.’
‘Does that annoy you, Mark? If so, I’m not sure why. You were the one who ended our relationship, remember?’
He ignored her question. ‘What I don’t understand is why you chose this gallery for your debut exhibition. It very much feels as though you’re trying to rub my nose in your newfound success.’
‘Of course I’m not. This is the last place I’d willingly choose for my exhibition. It was Charlotte who organised everything — I only found out last week that it was going to be here.’
‘Oh, I see, you’re not rubbing my nose in it because you’re too good for us?’
‘You’re twisting my words!’ she said. ‘I just meant that, considering our history, we’d be better staying apart.’
‘But unfortunately you did choose here.’ His tone had taken a hard note that sent a shiver down her spine. Mark didn’t like it when he didn’t get his own way and would often lash out. While she had been with him he’d never been physical, but sometimes it had felt as though his cruel words had hurt as much as any blow. ‘And Arthur Whigmore agreed to it without even running it past me.’
She looked around for Daniel, or anyone else who might put an end to their conversation, but Mark had cornered her in a place where no one was likely to be passing. ‘I can’t say I’m happy you’ve chosen to have your exhibition at the gallery you used to work at, sponsored by your new boyfriend.’ He edged even closer to her — she could smell both the cloying fumes of his aftershave and the stench of stale sweat.
‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ she replied, wondering why she needed to protest her innocence to Mark. He should be the last one to criticise someone flaunting a new relationship in front of their ex.
He edged even closer. ‘Come off it, Anna. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and don’t forget about that little publicity stunt. The one after the London Fashion Show, remember?’
‘That wasn’t a publicity stunt, far from it, Mark.’ She tried to keep her voice calm. ‘It was a terrifying experience and we were lucky to come out alive.’
‘And go on to better things, only weeks later.’
