One More Time - Louisa George Page 0,64

bow tie. After his heart to heart with Mitchell, everyone had relaxed. Even Jodi. Gone was the nervousness, the awkward glances, and into their place had slipped a gentle burgeoning friendship.

The rest of the guests had started to filter into the opulent Heritage Grand Tearoom. Jodi tutted. ‘And it’s an award. For you. You’ve at least got to have a straight bow tie in the photos.’ She shook her head. ‘You’re like a bear with a sore head these days, Max.’

‘I’m busy. Too busy for this kind of thing.’ And he was. Since they’d lost their baby, and Gabby had dropped the adoption bombshell, he’d buried himself in work, too numb to contemplate a next step.

‘Max, really?’ Jodi’s eyebrows raised. ‘For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been too busy for praise. In an ego contest, you and Mitch would tie for first place. And then coerce the poor judges to decide on an overall winner. Then you’d argue about that, too.’

‘So, we’ve come a long way.’

‘Yes, yes, you have.’ She stepped back and admired her handiwork. ‘I’m proud of you both.’ Mitch appeared and stuck out his hand. ‘Hey. Time to go in? You ready?’

Max took his brother’s offered hand and shook it warmly. ‘Looks like I’ve been placed at your table. Is that okay?’

‘No problem. Shame you couldn’t have found a plus-one, though.’ Mitch’s voice was playful with gentle teasing, not the goading of the past. ‘I mean, Max Maitland without a date? My, my! What is the world coming to?’

‘Flying solo feels good right now.’ Who knew? If he said it enough he might actually believe it. A part of him was missing. The best part.

‘You mean she turned you down, right?’ Mitchell laughed. ‘What happened? You stuffed up again?’

‘Yeah, well, with you all happied up, someone has to keep the family tradition going.’ They shared a knowing smile. At least some things were improving, his family life if not his love life. That he could even be here with these two meant they’d made huge strides.

But Jodi wouldn’t let it drop, even when they took their places at the plushly decorated table. She leaned across the crystal and glass and whispered, ‘It’s not healthy to work so hard, Max. You need some down-time. Get out there and play the field like you used to. God help me for saying this, but meet a girl, a different girl, have sex.’ She patted Mitch’s arm and smiled. ‘Have some fun. It works wonders.’

‘I don’t want sex,’ Max whispered in a gruff voice. At least, not random sex. He wanted sex with Gabby. And that was not going to happen anytime soon. Or ever. He’d drawn the line under that disaster and moved on.

He had.

If only he could stop stupid things reminding him of her. Like the ridiculous Sky Tower that invaded his vision every time he opened his curtains. The Shed. Mojitos. His bedroom. His damned annoying migraine-inducing scarlet sky-garden.

And right now the empty chair to his left was the most stark reminder of all that was missing from his life.

One week later and it wasn’t getting any easier. Yeah, he missed her.

Plain and simple. And way too complicated, just like everything that made up Gabby.

But he missed her.

Missed her sarcastic comments. The frowns. Her cute laugh. The feel of her. The tight press of her body against his.

Work had been almost intolerable. At first he’d missed her not being there. But, then, when she’d returned, he’d just ached to touch her.

But she’d broken his trust and he couldn’t get past what she’d done. Couldn’t fathom it. Given a child away. Hell, was there any worse thing to do?

She’d dented his stupid fragile heart. And he hated it.

He glanced around the room at the female guests swishing around in taffeta and silk. Once he’d have welcomed this kind of affair as a challenge: so many women, so little time. But tonight he just wanted to be on his own.

No matter. It was a temporary blip. In a few weeks or months he’d get back on the dating scene, wouldn’t he? Go back to how things had been before he’d met her.

Was that possible? He couldn’t remember the person he had been before Gabby had come into his life. He certainly didn’t much like the man he’d been: an empty shell not prepared to feel anything. She’d made him want things: a commitment; a family; to finally fix things with his brother. And had given him the