we’re going around and saying hi?”
“Nope. They’re all pretty boring.”
Over his shoulder, I see my dad heading through the crowd, patting people on the back, nodding greetings, but his eyes are firmly latched on me. I smile widely and pull away from Theo, readying for the bear hug I know I’ll get. I’ll freely admit, I am a bit of a daddy’s girl.
“Hey, Papà!”
My father grins, too, crinkles forming around his eyes as he holds out his arms and engulfs me into his embrace. “Ciao, bambina.” He pulls back and plants a kiss on each of my cheeks. “Now that you’re here, the real party can begin.”
I chuckle and beam at him. My dad is my hero. He’s a brilliant husband and father. All his life, he has worked hard, sacrificed so much to give my mother and me a wonderfully full life. Though he is as soft as a teddy bear with my mother and me (he really does love his girls), woe betide anyone who upsets them. I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.
“Papà, this is Theo Stone.” I wave at my fake date for the night. “And this is my father, Tomas Gordio.” I wave back at my dad, biting the inside of my cheek as I watch the exchange between them. “Theo is an incredible illustrator who does freelance work at my company. We met at my office.”
Theo sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for allowing me to come to your retirement party. Lucie’s told me all about you.”
My dad glances down at the outstretched hand and then looks up at me questioningly.
Holding my breath, I nod in encouragement and shoot him the begging eyes.
Papà sighs resignedly and puts his hand in Theo’s, giving it a shake. “Nice to meet you too. So, a book illustrator? Do you have many works published?”
I breathe a sigh of relief as Theo and my dad engage in some polite chit-chat about his job, where Theo lives in Cambridge, and then they start talking about golf when Theo asks what my father plans to do with all of his free time now that he’s retiring. My father is nice to Theo, but as someone who knows him well, I can see he isn’t willing to give him a chance. He’s businesslike and standoffish, and his shoulders are stiff. This is merely polite conversation. I know why, and I can’t even blame him. Lucas and I were together for so long that everyone thought we would finally join our families—even I believed it. My father watched Lucas grow from a babe in his arms to the man who runs the sales division at his company. Of course, he is going to hold out hope of us reuniting and not be overly keen on seeing me with someone else even if it is all for show.
After about ten minutes of talking, my father is called off to greet another guest, and Theo and I wander the room, conversing easily with my parents’ friends who have known me since I was in pigtails and training bras. Theo is a natural people person, and his stranger chat is on point. He’s engaging, witty, charismatic, and funny, fitting in with the snooty business-type people with an ease and grace I wish I had.
When we finally make it across the room and stop at the buffet table, we’re just starting on our second glasses of champagne.
Theo’s shoulder bumps mine, and he smiles over at me as we pick up bone china plates and look over at the visual feast. My mother went all out with the caterers.
“Is it acceptable to start on the dessert already, or do I have to stuff in a few prawn vol-au-vents first?” Theo eyes the array of macarons, cake pops, and selection of classy layered desserts artfully arranged in posh shot-sized glasses laid out at the back of the long table.
Grinning, I pick up a chocolate-dipped strawberry, holding it up to his mouth. His beautiful amber eyes twinkle as he leans in, his gaze locked on mine as he takes the whole thing into his mouth, biting off at the stalk, lips closing around my fingers in the process as he gives a little suck.
The move sends a bolt of something straight to my core, and I watch his mouth, mesmerised as he chews. “Blimey, Theo, was that supposed to turn me on? Because if so, you succeeded.” I’m breathless now