Trying Not to Love You - Part Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six

                “You two ready?” Martha called out to her two older family members for what felt like the tenth time.

Then the door opened and her father stood there struggling with his tie, but looking impeccable in a dinner suit, for the first time since she’d been back she saw signs of the old Carl Mansell.

                “Let me help you!” She tied the bow and straightened it, then brushed her hands over the lapels of his tux. “You look great!”

                “So do you!” Came Aunt Lucy’s voice from behind them.  Martha turned around to see Lucy in her elegant three quarter length midnight blue dress. But Lucy’s eyes were on her. She’d bought the dress she wore in London, a Grecian tribute, strapless, powder blue, ruched and tight over her breasts, which then fell in cascades of tiny folds to the floor. She’d fallen in love with the dress the moment she saw it, but was full of self doubt. She wasn’t the most confident person and she felt a little awkward in something so removed from her normal attire.

                “Aunt Lucy, you look AMAZING!” She tried to detract from herself. She hugged the older woman, “I’m driving us into town, then leaving the Land Rover at the pub.”

                “It’s a five minute walk!” Her father protested.

Martha smiled, he didn’t need to know that she was worried about getting him and Lucy to the pub unscathed with the combination of their mobility issues and the uneven ground that was the path leading to the pub, instead she pulled up her dress to show her spiky heels, “there’s no way these would survive the walk, ok?”

                “Is Sonny joining us?” Lucy asked as they left the house.

Martha shrugged, smiling to herself at Aunt Lucy’s new love for their lodger, “think he’s going straight there. Said he had some business first. Right, in the car both of you!”

Entering the pub, they were rendered speechless. The bar was the arrival room, covered in fairy lights, magical, the chairs jazzed up by white covers, then an archway led through to the conservatory that was darkened due to the heavy drapes the covered every wall and window. Like the bar, the place was smothered with more fairy lights, tables adorned with flowers and crockery circled a dance floor. A disco, lights, bubble machines dominated the centre of the room, everything was perfect, no stone had been left unturned, and the people already there were captivated.

With her father clinging to one arm, Aunt Lucy to the other, she led them into the melee, and for the next forty minutes Martha didn’t know herself, there were so many familiar faces, people who wanted to say hello. And everyone was dressed up and glamorous, it was an amazing sight.

Sonny hated the restriction to his throat, but he’d been told by everyone that a dinner suit was essential, and as he walked in through the door he saw that every other male had similar attire. And the women were devastating in their ball gowns. He was suitably impressed by the effort made by everyone, Helen, Martha’s friend was greeting at the door in her floor length scarlet dress, she smiled at him genially, then nodded towards the table of complimentary champagne to her right. Taking a glass he looked around, taking in the drastic changes to the decor, and the glamorous clothing that everyone was wearing. Even the bar staff were dressed to impress.

He’d barely got to the bar when Jade sidled up to him, smiling. She was wearing a short black dress, drastic when everyone else wore floor length numbers and ridiculously tall heels that made her legs look interminably long. He wasn’t sure whether her outlandish choices that were so different from everyone else made her look classy or tarty; it was such a fine line.

                “Buying me a drink Sonny?”

He gave a nod, “vodka?”

She nodded, “with tonic. Thanks.”

She was almost purring beside him as he nodded to Sara behind the bar for the drinks. Handing her the glass he turned to prop himself against the bar and peruse the room.

                “A tux suits you.” She offered.

He smiled, “you don’t scrub up too bad yourself.” He gave a long, slow look up and down and was rewarded with her shuddering at the attention.

                “Dance with me?”

Sonny shook his head, “not had enough for that.” He signalled for another drink, a few would calm his nerves and then he may consider dancing, who knew. Glancing towards the front door he could make out the outline of Johnny through the glass, he was suited too and acting as a bouncer. The night’s plan was water tight, surely nothing could go wrong?

After a couple of drinks he wandered into the conservatory, the real heart of the ball, people were dancing, drinking, and tucking in to the awesome buffet that Tom had provided from the restaurant. He’d never seen the place look so full. Looking around he waved to Carl, stood at the bar talking to Eamonn, as he was about to cross the room to speak to him, he spotted Lucy, sat with her cronies near the edge of the dance floor. She gave him a scowl, but Martha was right, there was more humour than venom in that look these days. He’d won her over.

Smiling at that, he turned towards the dance floor and almost tripped over. Stood talking to an impeccably suited James was Martha, and she looked devastating. She was wearing a long blue dress, strapless, billowy, yet clingy and sexy. Never had he felt his body heat up at the mere sight of someone. Her elegant neck and creamy shoulders were bare, revealed by the dress, and he’d never been so tempted to walk up and run his tongue over that flesh, bed his teeth into the contour of her neck. Shaking his head he met her eyes.

Martha couldn’t believe how devastatingly good Sonny looked, it was no secret that he was attractive, she’d long since given up on fighting that realisation, but in the ice white shirt, crisp yet moulded to him, and the contrast of the black well cut tuxedo, he was traffic stopping.

He looked pained, as though something was wrong, so she offered him a tentative smile, after all nothing could be that bad. As the corners of his lips turned up into a smile, a hand wrapped around his arm, and a face pressed up against his shoulder. Jade.

Martha sighed; there was nothing she could say. She’d pushed him away, she couldn’t expect him to be single forever, but she wasn’t going to enjoy seeing him with any of the local women, none of them were good enough for him. And you are? She asked herself. Eyes still on his, she watched as he greeted Jade, she was all legs and boobs in a dress that supermodels couldn’t carry better. Who was she kidding?

Sonny’s eyes dropped from hers to hear something that Jade was saying, and she used that moment to escape. Mandy and her husband had arrived, and she wanted to make sure that the woman who’d created the evening enjoyed things.

In the bar people were still arriving, and Martha insisted that both Helen and Mandy move into the main room and circulate. She stayed at the door doling out champagne to the latecomers and greeting people for a little while, until one of Helen’s friends came to relieve her. At the bar she grabbed a glass of wine, then headed into the swirling lights and pounding music of the party.

The light had gone out when Martha left the room, but all too soon, Sonny found himself in the middle of a battle between Gemma and Jade. They were both vying for his attention, and it wasn't the most attractive thing. Sighing he headed to the bar, Eamonn and Carl were permanent fixtures there, stood chatting, and both looked up and smiled as he arrived.

                “You the prize?” Eamonn asked nodding towards the two girls who were having some form of dance off.

He rolled his eyes and ordered another drink, and refills for the two older men, at that moment Martha glided back into the room and she took his breath away. Her dark hair was pulled up into some sort of loose style, the dress clung to that body, the body that haunted his dreams every night, she looked like a Greek God, Aphrodite. Gulping he turned back to the bar, glancing at Carl he saw the pride in his eyes at the sight of his daughter.

                “She looks amazing!” Eamonn offered, “doesn’t she Sonny?” He nodded awkwardly as the older man added, “forget sometimes that she’s a proper lady, million miles from wellies and oilskins hey?”

Sonny gave an awkward smile, then turned back to the bar.

When he finally had control, he turned back and was furious; she was dancing, with James. The chinless wonder had his hands all over her and it instantly rose his heckles.

                “Why don’t you ask her to dance? Get that man’s hands off her?” He looked to his left at the voice, to see Lucy stood there, money in her hand, waving at the bar staff for a drink.

                “What?”

She laughed, “that James, almost as flaky as that sister of his, she deserves better.” Sonny felt his eyes widen and she added, “I don't mean you! But you’d get her free of him, and that’d be a good thing.”

HE shook his head, “giving that a wide berth.”

She ordered three drinks when Sara came towards them at the bar, then turned back to Sonny, “your mistake.”

Turning his back to the dance floor he dropped his elbows on the bar next to her, “Lucy what are you playing at?”

She laughed, a tinkling sound, “better the devil you know I say.”

                “That’s more like it, me the devil.”

Turning to him she smiled again, “you look out for her, she needs that in a friend, and I don’t trust James, he was the one...” She didn’t finish the sentence and it intrigued him even more.

                “If I dance with her, rescue her, will you finish that comment?”

Lucy nodded, then watched him stride to the dance floor.

                “Do you mind if I cut in?” He tapped James on the shoulder, “Martha promised me the first dance and she’s managed to evade me all evening.”

The dance floor was busy, James couldn’t make a scene, not that Sonny cared, his eyes were on Martha who was swallowing nervously. They’d barely touched each other since that night, but as James released her, Sonny wrapped his left arm around her, clutching her left hand in his right. At that moment Van Morrison’s dulcet tones burst out of the speakers. The song made Martha gulp again, as if his proximity wasn’t enough, the smell, the feel of his hand on her spine, his chin touching her forehead, his chest pressing against her breast, now he had to hum along to Have I told you lately that I love you.

BY the third chorus she was a ball of anxiety and Sonny was singing, quietly, huskily in her ear. For someone who didn’t know music he was doing a great job.

                “Have I told you lately that I love you, have I told you there's no one above you. Fill my heart with gladness, take away my sadness. Ease my troubles, that's what you do...”

Closing her eyes she wished she were anywhere else.

                “You’re right you know.”

Pulling away from him slightly, she looked up at him, “about what?”

                “Music, being the soundtrack to your life.” He studied her for a moment, “like this song, never thought about lyrics before, but these...” He gave a dazzling smile, “You do...I did...but it wasn’t enough, was it?”

She sighed, “Sonny, please. Don’t do this.”

Lifting an eyebrow he stared at her, “don’t do what? Speak the truth.”

                “It’s not happening, I told you that. Half the room want to be with you, I’ve got more daggers in my back dancing with you than I thought possible. Find someone else. Move on...for me.”

Sonny wanted to scream, he wanted to tip her back over his arm and ravish her, in front of everyone, not caring of the chaos it would cause. Now she was pushing him away.

                “Martha.”

She shook her head, “I can’t do this, it’s wrong.” She glanced over his shoulder, “move on Sonny. Please.”

With that she untangled herself from Sonny and made for the bar.

Groaning he watched her disappear then groaned again as Jade won the race to reach him first. He had no choice but to take her in his arms and dance with her, watching Martha scuttle from the room over her shoulder.

Outside the pub in the fresh air she pulled out her phone, and called Stephanie. Ethan would be in bed, but she wanted to know he was ok.

                “You must have the greatest telepathy!” Steph announced, “he woke up about half an hour ago and is curled up on the sofa with me.”

The unexpected chat to her son reduced her to tears and whilst she hated the distance from him, she could sense the end was in sight, she’d be able to leave soon. Her Dad was stronger, Sonny was helping with the restaurant and Eamonn and Bill were controlling things at the farm. She’d have to rebuild, after all she lost her job in London, she fancied a move to the coast, a fresh start...

Sighing she wiped at the tears that had run down her face, then made her way back into the party.

To see Jade draped around Sonny on the dance floor, obscenely, that was the word for it. He seemed uncaring, but she’d pushed for this, told him to do this. Sighing she turned to the bar and ordered a drink.

An hour later after dances with her father, Aunt Lucy, Eamonn and many more, Martha was shattered. There was no sign of Sonny...or Jade. She hated to think what that meant, but it was better, someone else and not her, that was what she wanted for him.