The Life Daisy Devlin Designed

CHAPTER 22

James appeared at Daisy’s elbow, just as she was starting on her fourth margarita.

“Hey, you having a good time?”

Daisy raised her glass. “The best!” Tonight would probably be a turning point in their relationship. They’d spend the next few hours having the best fun – it’d be like old times. And then they’d go home and have amazing sex. And James would realise how much he’d been neglecting her, and he’d stop playing video games with Alma and accompanying her on the guitar while she …

“Hey, we haven’t danced yet!” She slipped her hand into his, pulling him towards the dance area. “Come on, the party’s only starting. Rosie and Séan have gone back to their hotel because the kids were tired! And my cousin Niamh had to leave with her two boys as well. Although I’m glad they got to blow out my birthday candles – they’ll remember that.”

“I’d say everyone will.” A corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “Nobody’s had any of the cake.”

Daisy giggled, aware that she was slightly tipsy. “It’s chocolate biscuit cake, so I’ve decided to ignore the spit.”

“Yeah.”

James seemed a bit distracted, Daisy thought. As if he was looking for someone.

“Did you invite your parents tonight?” she asked.

“No, I didn’t think it’d be their kind of thing.” He frowned. “Why?”

“ Uh , no reason.” What was she supposed to say? That he should have invited them even if he thought they wouldn’t come? That it was a bit weird not to invite them?

“Listen, I feel bad about this, but I have to go back to the house for an hour.” James pushed a hand back through his hair. “One of our American clients is having a problem, but I won’t be long, I promise.”

Daisy stared at him. “You’re leaving ?”

He seemed to tense. “Daisy, it’s just for an hour. Alma’s a bit wrecked too, so I’m taking her home. She’s probably not over that strep.”

“So she’s going home with you?” Daisy was starting to feel a bit lightheaded. Maybe she’d get something to eat before she had another margarita.

“We’re sharing a taxi, yes,” James said patiently. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Go have fun.” Giving her a quick kiss, he turned and walked towards the door, where Alma was standing, waiting. She gave Daisy a cutesy wave.

As Daisy forced herself to wave back, she wondered if anyone else had noticed her boyfriend had just left her birthday party with their Swedish lodger. There was a joke in there somewhere, she thought. She just needed to find it.

She eyed up the bar. To hell with James. And Alma. This was her party and she was bloody well going to enjoy it!

“It’s Britney! Come on, Daisy, dance with me.” Fionn took Daisy by the hands and pulled her back onto the dance floor.

Daisy burst into fresh giggles. “ Oh! My! God! Is there any song that you don’t like, Fionn?”

“I love all this retro stuff,” Fionn shouted over the music. “And the DJ is pretty hot too!”

Daisy danced, her arms above her head, as she found herself scanning the room, pretending to herself that she wasn’t searching for Matt. A few of her older relations had left, but there were still plenty of people drinking and dancing.

Her gaze trailed slowly back across the room, her stomach clenching hard when she spotted Matt near the bar. He seemed to be deep in conversation with Brian.

As she watched them, she had a sudden, clear memory of her joint twenty-first with Laura. They’d been in final year when Laura had suggested the party.

“I know the manager of Trojan Dock on the quays,” she’d said. “We can hire out the whole place, and invite everyone we know. It’ll be awesome!”

Daisy, Laura and their friends had all loved it, as had Miriam and Eric. Daisy hadn’t been so sure about Laura’s parents. They’d arrived separately, and didn’t dance together all night. Daisy remembered one of the guys making a pass at Laura’s mother, before throwing up all over her shoes.

As if he could feel her gaze, Matt looked over and, as his eyes locked with hers, he raised a glass in her direction. Daisy gave a small, self-conscious wave in return. After a few moments she saw him cross the room and sit down at a table near the edge of the dance floor. She motioned to Fionn that she was taking a break, then went over and slipped into the spare chair beside Matt.

Matt smirked at her. “Why did you sit down? I came over here to look at you dancing.”

“What?” She felt her face heat.

“Yeah, I mean, Brian’s great, but I thought I could do with some comic relief.” His face was poker-like, until Daisy shoved him hard, and he burst out laughing. “To be honest, I don’t know anyone else here, except you and Brian.”

“You know Laura.”

“I don’t think Laura is thrilled to see me.”

He had to know why!

“I was talking to my mum earlier.” She shot him a look. “She remembered you.”

He smiled, but said nothing.

He’d changed, she thought. He’d got cooler, less geeky. She supposed confidence did that to a person. “So, do you think you’ve changed a lot since you left?”

Matt seemed to think. “I’m a better dancer than I was. Definitely better than I was at your twenty-first!”

The look he was giving her could probably set something on fire. She knew exactly what he was talking about, and it wasn’t dancing. They’d been dating for six months by the time she’d turned twenty-one. That night had been the first time they’d had sex.

He leaned towards her, dropping his voice conspiratorially. “Actually, I haven’t danced yet this evening.”

Daisy giggled, her breath catching. “Great, I’ll just sit here and watch. I could do with some comic relief.”

Without breaking eye contact, Matt got to his feet and carefully pushed in his chair. Very deliberately, he held out his hand.

Daisy shook her head, feeling her pulse pick up.

“I’ve been dancing for ages.” She sounded squeaky. Very cool, Daisy .

“One dance? It’s not as much fun dancing by myself.”

The band started to play ‘Sweet Dreams’ by the Eurythmics , and Matt tipped his head to one side. “Remember this?”

“This, and all the other eighties stuff you made me listen to!” Daisy shook her head.

“I’m pretty sure I subjected you to my favourite music from every decade,” he said.

“The Eurythmics were your favourite, not mine.” How could she resist him? She got to her feet, stumbling a little as she made her way to the floor.

“Relax, come here.” Matt pulled her towards him, placing her left hand on his shoulder, and twining his fingers through her right hand.

“What are you doing?” Daisy glanced quickly around, thankful there was still no sign of James.

“Do you know how to tango?” His eyes glinted.

“No, and neither do you.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Daisy.”

“You can’t tango to Eurythmics, Matt.”

“You can tango to this song, Daisy. I have. So, the question is: can you follow me?”

Oh God, once she’d have followed him anywhere if he’d asked. Briefly, she wondered what everyone would think, before deciding she didn’t care. It was her party, and nobody here except Laura, Brian and her parents actually knew Matt. And James? She’d worry about James later.

“I’ll do my best,” she promised.

They started to move, and after Daisy’s first, fumbling steps, she found herself inching infinitesimally closer to Matt, focusing on him as he led her through the next few moves.

She looked up. “I’m doing the tango! We’re doing the tango!”

“Who’d have thought?” He smiled.

“I know, right?” She felt a flush spread up to her neck.

“I was just thinking of the first time we danced together.”

“It was nothing like this, Matt!”

Matt shook his head. “This is so much better. But we’re missing something – I should have a rose between my teeth.” He flashed her an over-the-top smile, and Daisy giggled again.

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’ ‘Just the 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 of them. 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.”

Instinctively, she stepped closer and gave him a hug, and realised she didn’t want to pull away.

It was Matt who gently pulled back first. “I’ll bet I’m gladder than you.”

She gave a small smile, knowing he was doing his best to make her feel better. She wouldn’t think about tomorrow.

“Best birthday ever,” she whispered, half to herself.

Gently, he tipped back her chin. “Birthday kiss?”

Don’t overthink it, Daisy. “Birthday kiss.” A pulse beat wildly in her neck as Matt pressed his mouth to hers. Then she closed her eyes, and kissed him back.