She laughs, and I freeze.
I have just enough time to realise I’m in shock when the anger surges back at full force. Without another thought, I close the space between us and tap him on the shoulder. He pivots quickly. I have no idea what sort of reaction I expected, but what I get needles me in the gut. There’s no surprise on his part, and no warmth either.
‘What the fuck’s going on?’ I seethe.
He studies me for a moment, cold and detached.
‘I’m enjoying an evening out.’
Well, what a coincidence. He’s enjoying an evening out in exactly the same nightclub as me … with another woman.
‘You fixed this up.’
He narrows his eyes.
‘Lucy’s invitation here tonight,’ I press on. ‘You fixed this up.’
I catch the beginnings of a sneer.
‘I have no idea what you’re going on about.’
‘Gordon.’
‘Who?’
‘Of course,’ I laugh, realising he doesn’t need anyone to tell him where I am. ‘My phone. You’re still tracking it.’ I bite my lip. Tomorrow, I’ll go out and get a new mobile. New number. Everything.
‘This is because of yesterday.’
He stares at me, giving nothing away.
‘You made yourself perfectly clear,’ I tell him. ‘There’s no need for this. No need to go parading your latest piece of skirt in front of me.’
And that does it. The latest piece of skirt moves in close, staking her claim on Dan.
‘What’s going on?’ she asks, as smug as you like, and I know exactly why. I’ve sported that look on plenty of occasions. He’s fucked the living daylights out of her. I know he has.
‘Nothing.’ He raises a hand. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘And who’s this?’ I demand.
‘None of your business.’ His eyes harden.
‘Oh, it is my business,’ I laugh. ‘You and me, we never came to an end, Dan. Not officially. You owe me an explanation. So, what’s going on?’
‘What does it look like?’
‘You told me to wait.’
He grimaces, clearly irritated.
‘Things can change.’
‘Oh, I get it. Every day’s a new beginning.’
‘It’s over. Face it and move on.’
Out of nowhere, a burly creature appears at Dan’s side.
‘Is she bothering you?’ Beefy asks.
‘Yes.’
‘Want me to sort it?’
He nods and turns away. Grabbing hold of his shirt, I force him back to face me.
‘Do you really mean that?’ I demand.
Without a flicker of emotion, he doesn’t reply.
‘You …’
‘What?’ he snaps. ‘If you can’t deal with it, get out of here.’
It’s an automatic reaction. I throw my champagne in his face. He baulks, stares at me in surprise, and then nods at Beefy. Out of the corner of my eye I know there’s another burly creature behind him now, nightclub security.
‘Miss, you need to leave.’
‘I’m not leaving. It’s a free fucking country. Pig,’ I sneer at Dan. ‘You told me to wait for you.’
‘You’re deluded.’
‘Deluded? I did exactly what you told me to do … and this is how I get treated?’
We glare at each other for a good few seconds. I watch his eyes carefully, unsure of what I’m seeing. Is that hatred? Regret? Or is it pain? An apology? It’s hard to tell, what with the flashing lights obscuring the truth. When he eventually speaks, the words push me completely off balance.
‘Fuck off, Maya.’
The next breath nudges its way from my lungs, inch by inch, emerging in short, sharp spurts. I stare at his mouth. No way did it just say that. The bastard deserves a slap, and I give him one, good and hard across the cheek. He barely reacts.
‘You’ll need your necklace back then.’
‘Keep it. It’s nothing to me.’ He speaks to his companion now. ‘Let’s get out of here.’ Grabbing her arm, he practically drags her towards the exit.
Temporarily paralysed by rage and disbelief, I watch them go. If anyone’s deluded around here, it’s Dan. No one talks to me like that and gets away with it. I glance up at the dome, realising that I am in a cathedral, a massive, overblown shrine to shallowness and self-obsession, where fatuous arses come to worship themselves.
‘Fucking idiot,’ I mutter, deciding that the biggest arse of all is about to get his come-uppance.
Erupting into action, I march towards the exit, following Dan’s path and catching up with him outside where he’s waiting by the kerb, a protective arm around the bitch brunette. As soon as he sees me, his face breaks into irritation.
‘What’s happened to you?’ I shout, approaching him, half conscious of the fact that there’s still a queue for the club, and I’m about to provide some free entertainment. ‘Where’s the Dan I know?’
‘Gone.’
‘Why?’
Letting go of the tart, he wheels round.
‘Because I came to my senses,’ he snarls. ‘Because I realised you went too far.’
‘I contacted your sister. You forgave me for that.’ I jab my finger at his face. He grabs hold of my wrist and pulls me in close.
‘The first time, yes. But then you went and spoke to her again.’
‘You asked me to.’
‘I didn’t ask you to fill her head with nonsense.’
‘What?’
‘You told her this was all a sham.’
My mouth opens.
‘Did you think I wouldn’t find out?’ He pulls back. ‘You’ve been rumbled. She wrote to me, told me everything about your little
